Engineers without Borders - Case Study Example

PORTFOLIO PART 2 Name Professor Institution Course Date A Comparison between working with the EWB Project and the Expectations at the Beginning of the Semester Working with the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is one of the fruitful projects that can impact positively to the society. The society is a bigger component that requires engineering skills in several aspects. Therefore, engineering skills can be utilized by the society and this forms the rationale behind by desire to join EWB project. EWB engages in several fields, thus giving any engineering learner the opportunity to develop experience in both design and implementation of the project along the fundamentals of engineering. It is by working with the EWB that I derived the opportunity to give back to the community. The society is an integral part of development and, by giving back to it, we generally build it up. EWB is an international organization. This provides a wider scope of being able to view the engineering aspects from a global perspective. Through it, learners get some additional motivation to work, and develop the engineering skills to a global perspective. An international platform is more integrated than other platforms. The community under study is experiencing several challenges. The discipline of Information Communication Technology presents a good foundation to focus on this problems and address them from an engineering point of view by coming up with projects that will benefit the society. In fact, the principle challenge is that of identification of the grave problems that affect the community and then coming up with a concrete solution. The tough experience of working with different groups presents additional challenges, such as working within timeframes. The project, therefore, offers a good chance to learn on how to handle work involving a large societal group. The quality of the results depends on the work organization and proper utilization of various skills learnt in Information Communication Technology while solving simple or complex problems. The Experience of Studying Engineering this Semester The motivation to study engineering this semester was derived from a number of factors. For instance, engineering is a wide subject that focuses on how science and technology can be applied to change people’s lives. It is a practical subject and can task a learner to go into some critical thinking about the subject in question. In order to develop the society, it is important to engage students. They are part of the society and their learning experience gives them an upper hand in coming up with reliable judgements on how to implement engineering systems for community development. Thus, by involving students, the community needs for development will easily be addressed by various modes, such as research and teamwork. Also interesting was the learning standards put in place by the university. The university has well organized learning structures with not only the learning facilities, but also all the teaching professions. Group projects are integrated in the learning process and this enriches the learning experiences. A team of learners can brainstorm different ideas which, if exhaustively analysed, will lead to a lot of benefits. The university courses are well arranged in a manner that a student learns the fundamentals before proceeding to the core subjects. The educational arrangement of the university course makes the learning objectives realizable. The EWB project and the entire learning process, however, have their own unique challenges. Some of the challenges can be academic, personal management or outside other spheres. Of all these many challenges, the prominent one is working hard to achieve high grades and all other study objectives. This requires good planning of resources such as time. The engineering discipline requires proper planning in order to dedicate more time to research. Although there is no universally accepted method of time planning that can apply for all students, through skills and experience acquired along the semester, a good time plan can be achieved. The learning timetable consists of several activities. As a learner, I had to come up with criteria for meeting deadlines in the most appropriate way possible. The study of engineering at the university is very challenging, especially when starting. This is a time when a balance between different activities is required in order to develop an all-round academic performance. The first courses must be taken more serious because they are precursors for more things to come. In other words, they are introductory. What is more, the study of computer systems engineering provides me with the opportunity to learn more technology in computer engineering field. This involves the opportunity to study the aspects of both software and hardware. Software requires application from day to day, within the society. It is a potential that needs to be exploited by me as an engineering student. Other crucial and rather, interesting things to be learnt include the study of computer programming (especially the high level languages), electronics, digital processing of signals, the study of microprocessors, control systems and even the networks. With this kind of knowledge, I will be able to apply sufficient engineering that can impact to the general development of the society. If implemented, a number of job opportunities will be created for many people from across different places, thus uplifting the incomes of people. From the substantial analysis of studying at the university this semester, it is more obvious to predict that the subsequent semesters will be more challenging. Information communication technology has several subjects which are continuously evolving. As compared to other fields, engineering field presents to the world a large number of inventions, with a majority of those inventions coming from the computer field. The discipline is continuously taking new forms, thus making it more challenging. The society is the product of this change. A further huddle that may make the study to be more challenging is the fact that electronics, hardware and software are getting expensive now and again. At the current prices, most students may not afford and despite the global effort to reduce the prices, the main players in the field are continuously bringing up excuses in order to keep the prices exorbitantly high. They claim that the material and design process is expensive. It is for this reason that my study of engineering aims at addressing. By producing more cheap and parallel computer systems, there will be competition in the market and ultimately reduce the high prices with regard to computer-based technologies. With knowledge and support, this is achievable in the long run. The study of engineering makes me glad, despite the many challenges that come with it. There is a lot to adventure into in the engineering field. The society needs the skills, and hardly can world technological changes be explained without the concept of engineering. The Main Problems of the Semester and the Actions that should be Taken to Address the Problem Proper planning is a major challenge while studying engineering. The discipline involves the study of various unfolding technologies, engaging is teamwork activities, and attending to personal development activities like sports in order to break the monotony of learning. With all these to attend to, a suitable plan in required and it must incorporate all the activities. Some of the challenges, although not directly related, still have impact on academic performance. Therefore, the appropriate action to be taken must incorporate proper time management. Several experts in engineering have attested to this. Students must understand the need to manage time in the right way. This comes with many advantages. Therefore, the best way to plan time is to first prioritize your goals and objectives (Des, 2008). By so doing, the plan to be designed will accurately take care of priorities, while at the same time targeting to meet the deadlines. Exam can be a deadline which, if a learner is not well prepared, can perform poorly. Engineering demands a lot of one’s effort and a thorough standard of proper time planning in order to better ones’ performance. The challenge of familiarizing oneself to new systems was also dominant. Computer systems engineering is an involving course because it is very wide. This poses a lot of challenge to students. Several systems are brought into study, such as the study of automobiles and how they work. The study focuses on how these systems use computer technologies, thus making the whole study process more tedious because it is not limited to automobiles only but also other related systems like fluid mechanics and thermodynamics. Also, the study requires teamwork. This is very challenging because not all members have mastered enough skills on group work. This makes the course to look more intensive as compared to when dealing with particular individuals. Some of the Hindsight on how to deal with the Challenge of Time Planning Avoiding Unnecessary Postponements Unnecessary postponements are called procrastination. They can lead to poor glades and should therefore, be avoided as much as possible. Most students who make undue postponements end up submitting incomplete projects, or not accomplishing their research objectives. In order to avoid procrastination, the tendency of putting off some things until the eleventh hours should be avoided. Time planning is very necessary to curb this problem. The events must start on time, but whenever postponements are getting in, then these forms the early signs of procrastination. Students who often procrastinate have a lot of excuses for doing work oddly late hours. Urgent things should be done first An engineering student should demarcate urgent things first, no matter what the revision schedule, or bulkiness of work is all about. The activities at hand have to be sorted according to their level of urgency. The earliest activities to be done are the most urgent ones whose deadline is very soon whereas the less urgent ones have a deadline that requires more time. Some activities require more time due to the nature of their volume. Such activities should be urgently addressed in order to avoid their congestions towards the deadline. The whole of this requires creating a balance between activities. Working Schedule A proper schedule gives guidance of what needs to be done and at what time. In my first semester, I used a schedule and it enabled me to meet my deadlines in the most efficient way. In other words, a schedule should be drawn up and must consist of a to-do list, outlining on what should be done. This prevents idleness. A proper working plan enables an engineering student to come up with tools and methods for tackling a given problem early before it starts. The schedule indicates when to have teamwork discussions and when to have personal researches and do assignments. An engineering students’ study schedule is important because it acts as an alert on what should be done(Larry, 2010). Some of the aids of time scheduling are task diaries, day planners, and time reminders. Time schedules save a lot of time, and help one to get in control of the academics. The learners will have a broader plan of the whole learning process in a planner or schedule, and this makes it hard to leave out any activity due to forgetfulness. Setting Goals Setting goals is very crucial in the entire learning process of computer engineering. The goals will keep the learner focused and alert in trying to achieve them. Through goals, the learner will always strive to achieve them. The best way to remember goals is to have them written somewhere or simply summarized in a given quote. A summarizing quote should be put on a visible area within the study room. The goals will always inspire you to work hard, especially during the most challenging times. Even if there is pressure to do many activities, the learner will always be guided by goals. However, it is wise to set goals that are attainable, realistic, time bound, and specific. Unattainable goals are very discouraging and can obviously lead to change of subject while studying. Also, time-bound goals will keep the learner on toes so as to achieve them within the set limits or time constraint. With some many things to do as an engineering student, goals will prevent a learner from being swayed by some unimportant activities. Applying Good Study Habits Several experts have attributed high grades to good study habits. Engineering students who have inculcated good study habits have always performed better than their counterparts pursuing similar courses. Good study habits involve the physical part of keeping the right posture while reading, working well with the study groups, and doing extensive and guided researches. A good study habit should embrace the habit of breaking away from the monotony of reading by attending to sports activities or some social events ( Dee, 2003). Studying for a long time makes it boring. Besides, it is wise to keep off from distracting activities like nagging friends, overdoing computer games, or watching movies at the expense of undertaking studies. Time should be set aside for assignments, and group work discussions. This enriches the entire learning experience Observing and Meeting Deadlines Deadlines matter a lot in engineering studies. For example, studies have to be carried out in advance before exams. Deadlines will always keep student motivated and energized. Starting with simplest jobs first Complex work can always be challenging in most cases. The best approach to complex work is to break it into simpler versions of a simple job and then start with those simple jobs. By doing the simple jobs, the complexity of work is diminished. Large volumes of work seem complex but can be solved easily by breaking them into simpler versions. How to Approach the Subsequent Semesters through Application of Experience of this Semester From the experience garnered in this semester, the learning approach has to change in the subsequent semesters. This semester teaches a lot, and if all the lessons are implemented in the later semesters, better results will be achieved. Engineering discipline is continuously evolving and that implies that the learning approaches are also bound to change. How and Why Teamwork is Functioning the Way it is The main barriers while learning this engineering field is the high cost of meeting some software and hardware need for study (Hassan & Rasiah, 2011). However, working in team work is a good opportunity of pulling together the learning resources. Several members within the study group have got different computer experience and assets. Therefore, by working together, these resources are made use of in the most effective way possible. Generally, teamwork is an effective way of approaching studies. It is through teamwork that some crucial skills will be developed. Some of the skills that develop through teamwork include: communication skills, defining roles for different members, leadership skills, conflict resolution skills, patience, delegation of duties, and even reinforcement. In teamwork, effective communication is needed due to the need to do some interpersonal relationships and interactions within the group. Teamwork requires understanding the points of each member before doing an effective and all-inclusive reporting about the group. In the teamwork, I have to ensure that every member does the roles defined. This discourages laziness and builds an additional skill of being responsible among the members. References Des, H 2008, Understanding Effective Learning: Strategies for the Classroom, McGraw-Hill Education, Berkshire. Dee, LF 2003, Creating Significant Learning Experiences: An Integrated Approached to Designing College Courses, John Wiley & Sons, New York. Hassan, OR, & Rasiah, R 2011, Poverty and Student Performance in Malaysia, International Journal of Institutions and Economies Poverty and Student Performance in Malaysia, Vol. 3, No. 1, April 2011, pp. 61-76. Retrieved from, http://ijie.um.edu.my/filebank/articles/3059/Fulltext3.pdf Larry, C 2010, A Handbook on Transformational Teamwork: Putting the Work in Teamwork to Work, TeamMax, Conway. Read More

The EWB project and the entire learning process, however, have their own unique challenges. Some of the challenges can be academic, personal management or outside other spheres. Of all these many challenges, the prominent one is working hard to achieve high grades and all other study objectives. This requires good planning of resources such as time. The engineering discipline requires proper planning in order to dedicate more time to research. Although there is no universally accepted method of time planning that can apply for all students, through skills and experience acquired along the semester, a good time plan can be achieved.

The learning timetable consists of several activities. As a learner, I had to come up with criteria for meeting deadlines in the most appropriate way possible. The study of engineering at the university is very challenging, especially when starting. This is a time when a balance between different activities is required in order to develop an all-round academic performance. The first courses must be taken more serious because they are precursors for more things to come. In other words, they are introductory.

What is more, the study of computer systems engineering provides me with the opportunity to learn more technology in computer engineering field. This involves the opportunity to study the aspects of both software and hardware. Software requires application from day to day, within the society. It is a potential that needs to be exploited by me as an engineering student. Other crucial and rather, interesting things to be learnt include the study of computer programming (especially the high level languages), electronics, digital processing of signals, the study of microprocessors, control systems and even the networks.

With this kind of knowledge, I will be able to apply sufficient engineering that can impact to the general development of the society. If implemented, a number of job opportunities will be created for many people from across different places, thus uplifting the incomes of people. From the substantial analysis of studying at the university this semester, it is more obvious to predict that the subsequent semesters will be more challenging. Information communication technology has several subjects which are continuously evolving.

As compared to other fields, engineering field presents to the world a large number of inventions, with a majority of those inventions coming from the computer field. The discipline is continuously taking new forms, thus making it more challenging. The society is the product of this change. A further huddle that may make the study to be more challenging is the fact that electronics, hardware and software are getting expensive now and again. At the current prices, most students may not afford and despite the global effort to reduce the prices, the main players in the field are continuously bringing up excuses in order to keep the prices exorbitantly high.

They claim that the material and design process is expensive. It is for this reason that my study of engineering aims at addressing. By producing more cheap and parallel computer systems, there will be competition in the market and ultimately reduce the high prices with regard to computer-based technologies. With knowledge and support, this is achievable in the long run. The study of engineering makes me glad, despite the many challenges that come with it. There is a lot to adventure into in the engineering field.

The society needs the skills, and hardly can world technological changes be explained without the concept of engineering. The Main Problems of the Semester and the Actions that should be Taken to Address the Problem Proper planning is a major challenge while studying engineering. The discipline involves the study of various unfolding technologies, engaging is teamwork activities, and attending to personal development activities like sports in order to break the monotony of learning. With all these to attend to, a suitable plan in required and it must incorporate all the activities.

Read More