Advice for those in college

[Capt Worley PE]

I know how you roll ... you probably liked pulling that ****less prank ....
http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2007/01/****less_175x125.jpg

Who doesn't?

 

[udpolo15]

^ I don't want a full blown partial differential calculus infinite series derivation. But I do like a little basic explanation of where the variables came from, how they're related, and what happens to the system if one is raised or lowered.
Otherwise I feel like I can only plug and chug a problem as opposed to being able to interpret and predict something.

My professor for Transport 2 and Thermo would take a 1-2 page solution in those text books and turn it into a 30 page solution that he went through in class. He couldn't cross a t without deriving the equation for the line.

 

[Guest]

^^^ Several of my classes were like that too - hydraulics and hydrology to name one.

At the time I was rip-roaring mad about having to step through derivations and regurgitate these things on closed-book exams but I can say today I have a greater appreciation for why and how those things work - especially with regard to limitations for solutions.

I have seen many so-called 'solutions' to engineering problems that applied simplified equations when clearly the system COULD NOT BE SIMPLIFIED. This lead to errors in design and ultimately cost the client $$ for change orders and the conslutant/contractor $$ in terms of time to resolve issues and conferencing with the regulators to get the details ironed out.

I am not saying that all classes should require a person to explicitly derive differential equations, but I am saying a little theory is helpful to prevent over-judicious use of inappropriate 'simplified' systems.

:2cents:

JR

 

[MGX]

My university had a booksale so I showed up with $50 cash and left with 4 grocery sacks full of old Statics / Strengths/ Hydraulics/ Aircraft Design/ Physics / Drafting /etc books. I can't believe how straight forward they're written and without BS. I think the newest one is dated 1968.

I understand some of the hydraulic models are more accurate today but I think everything else is not yet obsolete.

Modern books annoy me in that paragraph after paragraph reads little actual information and then spits a vague formula at you expecting you to magically connect the dots.

The old drafting texts are the best, I think the new ones are written by monkeys.

For some reason, the book sale had one cart packed full with brand new Scientology books, never read, still in the shrink wrap.

 

[Jtiger]

Actually, eBay is a geat site for picking up old texts. I bought a ton of them when I was teaching. Generally, the stuff written prior to the 60s was written to impart knowledge, rather than impress other professors. You can learn from reading them a lot more than you can from the current 'impress your peer' textbooks.

Good point. I have a ton of OLD text books from the 40's and 50's on structural mechanics and geotechnical and it is all still relevant today. You can buy them for next to nothing on the internet when an old professor dies and his library is sold. One of our geotech professors died and all the books he had were GIVEN to the students first come first serve. It pays to be a grad student and pretty much spend every waking moment in those hallways to have first crack.