machinor

So it's Engineering week at my university.  What this means for me, an engineering student, is that I get free food. :D

I guess the university wants to try to make engineering look cool so that more people will be interested in it as a major or something.

 

As if they really needed to convince people that it's cool.

A friend of mine believes it's more likely to give a pep talk to those of us already in the program.  We're hitting that awful part of the year when all your tests pile on and your classes smell bad (mostly figuratively) and you can't get enough sleep for the life of you, and so you do irrational things like contemplate switching to be an English major.

Sorry, English majors.

So the college of engineering put up these signs all over campus that say things like
"Without engineers, there would be no water slides or roller coasters or happiness.  You're welcome."

This may be a bit of an exaggeration...maybe...but really, engineers are pretty concerned about improving people's lives and creating new solutions to new problems.  Which is useful and perhaps altruistic in its own way.

Most people have heard of engineers before but it can sometimes be hard to really get a feel for what they do.  Writers write, for example.  Bakers bake, directors direct and actors act, officers office, lawyers lawy, and engineers....engine?

Here is one job description:

"Scientists investigate that which already is;

Engineers create that which has never been." 

-Albert Einstein

In fact, the verb "engineer" has its roots in the Medieval Latin verb for "to design or devise".

It's a pretty broad job description, really...everything has been designed and devised.  Look around you.  The device you're reading this on has been engineered many times over.  Whatever you're standing or sitting on has been carefully designed by an engineer.  A lot of what you're wearing had some engineering involved in its manufacturing, if not in the product itself.  YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY THE PRODUCTS OF ENGINEERS.

So why not become one and participate in the creation of your own future?