Mechanical Engineering Education

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Q. I am a senior at Rutgers University majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Though I currently maintain a 4.0 GPA, I worry that I may not be properly prepared for the job market upon graduation because of the curriculum here at Rutgers. Therefore, as a part of my technical writing class, I have decided to write a proposal to update the ME major. Here are some of the concerns I have about the current curriculum: 1. There is a course which teaches Fortran 77 in the freshmen year and a numerical analysis course which uses Fortran 77 exclusively in the sophomore year. However there is no class which teaches the use of software packages to model and solve engineering problems. Are programming skills (especially Fortran 77) still as important with the advent of engineering modeling software? Is Fortran 77 completely outdated at this point? 2. There is no class to teach basic machine shop skills or a class to teach manufacturing processes. Is this true at most univesities? 3. The experiments in lab classes are already set up. The students simply perform the experiment and collect data. We do not set up the equipment. I would very much appreciate any feedback from people in industry and at other universities.

A. 1. Is the emphasis on learning basic engineering principles? For example, it is not as usefull to know how to use the latest stress analysis software than it is to understand stress analysis. 2. Does the course work load & difficulty push you to work hard? Does this encourage you to work together with fellow classmates on assignments? I found that this developed good work habits and social skills that allowed me to get difficult tasks done. Can you imagine telling your future boss that the work was too difficult so you didn't bother to do it? His reponse would likely be, "Either you get the job done or I'll find someone else who will!" 3. Is the emphasis on developing the drive to learn and the ability to learn how to learn? Good teaching at the university level accomplishes these objectives indirectly while teaching you engineering. The professor should not explain the information like you were a baby being spoon fed. We used to think that some of the professors were terrible teachers because they didn't explain things in detail and we had to spend countless hours going through the text book and discussing with fellow classmates in order to learn the material. Now I look at it another way, I believe that the ability to teach myself has been the single greatest accomplishment that I obtained from university.

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