To M.E. or not to M.E. for me...

[archiver]

Posted by Lora Knepper.

Other on team #419, Rambots, from UMass Boston / BC High and NASA, Mathsoft, Solidworks, Analog Devices.

Posted on 10/21/2000 11:35 AM MST


In Reply to: To M.E. or not to M.E. for me... posted by Ken on 10/21/2000 1:23 AM MST:



Ken,

Although I don't really have an answer for you, I can say you are not alone because I feel the same way. My biggest fear is to go through school to learn all I can about engineering only to be trapped behind a desk somewhere constrained by the sometimes narrow-minded profit based industries. (not to say all places are like that).

I grew to love engineering - particulary mechanical for the same reasons you did. I love the way things work, and seeing how so many small parts and large machines fit together to form complete systems like our FIRST robots. I remember talking to the engineers at Gillette and asking them what they do...thinking that they got to be free thinkers in design, and got hands-on time with the systems they worked with...and found it was not the case. I, like you, want to be out there and thinking of new and innovative ideas - something so different that the world has never thought about it before...

I look at my FIRST/Autodesk screensaver and the words of it are burned into my mind... 'continually question design -- imagine the outrageous, visualize' That's what we do in FIRST, and I'm sure there MUST be companies out there somewhere that believe in that. And I know that if you are like me Ken, even if the road gets rocky, and things in ME seem to be closeminded - if you think about leaving, is there really anything else you'd be happier doing in the world? I know for me that's a no. And if it is true, and people are too close-minded, and thinking too much along the straight and narrow....who better than a product of FIRST to help show them otherwise? We are the free thinkers, the dreamers, and the lovers of Star Trek =) if anyone can change anything, we can.

And well, as for Star Trek, it was and is one of the best (if not *the* best) shows ever made =) And oddly, when I look back at it, my favorite job was always chief engineer....


Lora