SMBC Comics Forum

As mountainmage suggested, this is the club exclusively for engineers. Here we can talk about engineering all day long.

To get things started, if you are a student, what are you studying and where? What classes are you taking right now? What are you finding the hardest? How about the most enjoyable?
If you are in an engineering career, please tell us about it.

I'm studying Mechanical Engineering at Virginia Tech. I'm a Sophomore. My hardest class right now is probably deforms. My most enjoyable class right now is Intro to thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. I'm also in Statistics, Dynamics, and Differential Equations.

*Glares angrily from outside the window of The Engineers' Club, whilst shaking his fist...angrily*

Yellow, fellow engineer!

Lots of engineering to do!

Im an Industrial Systems Engineering student out of University of Regina - Im second year and have a REALLY light semester right now - 4 classes, Math 111(calc II - inverse stuff, all sorts of integration[parts, trig, partial fracs, ext], differential equations and the like), some bullshit religions studies class where I usually sleep because I know mostly everything about many major religions (I do A LOT of reading in my spare time), a marketing class and an organization management class. Hardest is the math (not too hard... all i need to do is go the lectures and do the homework on time) and the best is probably the marketing class because apparently I have a knack for that sort of thing. Looking forward to next semester (fall) because I got into a pretty selective Robotics and Mechanization class where you do mostly research on assembly line style mechanized arms and equipment

Sorry, mage, but I'll guess I'll join the club too. My first year at the University of Western Australia, no idea what I'll specialise in.

Let's throw food at all the non-engineers now, that's pretty much all we do on my campus.

Signious wrote:Im an Industrial Systems Engineering student out of University of Regina - Im second year and have a REALLY light semester right now - 4 classes, Math 111(calc II - inverse stuff, all sorts of integration[parts, trig, partial fracs, ext], differential equations and the like), some bullshit religions studies class where I usually sleep because I know mostly everything about many major religions (I do A LOT of reading in my spare time), a marketing class and an organization management class. Hardest is the math (not too hard... all i need to do is go the lectures and do the homework on time) and the best is probably the marketing class because apparently I have a knack for that sort of thing. Looking forward to next semester (fall) because I got into a pretty selective Robotics and Mechanization class where you do mostly research on assembly line style mechanized arms and equipment

The second semester of Calculus is the worst. Integration blows because you just have to memorize and practice each technique a lot. There are so many tricky things you have to learn to be able to integrate all the formulas. The worst part about it is that once you finish that class, you hardly ever do any advanced integrating. The most I do is integration by parts very occasionally. Anything fancy, and engineers just look it up in a table. Calc two is seriously lame.

That robotics and mechanization class sounds really awesome. I don't think I've heard about anything like that at Tech. It may be that we have it and I just haven't talked to anyone in the class. I took a manufacturing processes lab last semester and it was awesome. We got to try some really awesome manufacturing techniques including sand casting, arc welding, robotic arc welding, sheet metal forming, powder metallurgy, and turning. It was so fun.

I did the calculus thing, and it strikes me as funny that I memorised all of these identities, derivatives and integrals that I have completely forgotten. But I got pretty damn good at it, as I recall; in general I was best at the stuff that no one else understood, and not as good at the simple stuff. Everyone expected me to go into mathematics so I kind of flipped everyone off with what I did, bwahah.
I'm considering a mathematics major but I don't want to do linear algebra (which is kind of important). I don't know, I have to pick a subject pretty soon and I can't have just one major.

LordRetard wrote:I did the calculus thing, and it strikes me as funny that I memorised all of these identities, derivatives and integrals that I have completely forgotten. But I got pretty damn good at it, as I recall; in general I was best at the stuff that no one else understood, and not as good at the simple stuff. Everyone expected me to go into mathematics so I kind of flipped everyone off with what I did, bwahah.
I'm considering a mathematics major but I don't want to do linear algebra (which is kind of important). I don't know, I have to pick a subject pretty soon and I can't have just one major.

Linear algebra is what's deterring you? That course is cake. It's all the other crap you've gotta worry about. Proofs is supposed to be pretty tough.

LordRetard wrote: I can't have just one major.

Why do you need to double major if you don't mind my asking? Or is it just a personal thing?

He's studying linguistics.

'nuff said.

I'm a bit of a "retard savant", as they call it; some math is extremely easy for me and some is extremely hard, but it's not what you'd think. I did a friend's calculus homework while I was bored but I failed vectors in high school. I'd love to study proofs, so if you think that it's that easy I'll look for some second opinions and maybe that's what I'll do.

At UofT, I believe there are 3 options: specialist, double major, or single major and two minors. Otherwise you can't graduate. And I don't want to do a specialist, nor do I have the qualifications for one (requires study in a non-Germanic non-Romantic language; whoops).

LordRetard wrote:I'm a bit of a "retard savant", as they call it; some math is extremely easy for me and some is extremely hard, but it's not what you'd think. I did a friend's calculus homework while I was bored but I failed vectors in high school. I'd love to study proofs, so if you think that it's that easy I'll look for some second opinions and maybe that's what I'll do.

At UofT, I believe there are 3 options: specialist, double major, or single major and two minors. Otherwise you can't graduate. And I don't want to do a specialist, nor do I have the qualifications for one (requires study in a non-Germanic non-Romantic language; whoops).

I got an A in linear without trying. It could be different for you.

U of T sounds crazy. You can't graduate with a normal single major? That's harsh. It's probably great for its graduates though.

Lots of people don't have to try at things. I have to try at some things but not the usual ones.

Well in Toronto we have three schools but UofT is the only one that people take seriously. Ryerson is mostly for business and broadcasting and other nonsense that's more about connections anyway. York is for people who are okay if they don't go to school for a couple of months because of a TA strike BURN.

My father is a mechanical engineer, and I've been learning the trade for a good 10 years slowly. I think I qualify, although I do not show any professional interest careerwise.

AHMETxRock wrote:My father is a mechanical engineer, and I've been learning the trade for a good 10 years slowly. I think I qualify, although I do not show any professional interest careerwise.

What does he do specifically? Does he enjoy it?
I'm basically in Mechanical because I don't know what I want to do. It is broad. It leaves my options open.