The Affordable Care Act

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Finn I am sadly an example, I had no thought to the future when I walked away from school. Kudos to your kids.

Pete

What's interesting, Pete, is that my oldest two (and I), as well as most engineers I know, became a little disillusioned after a year or so of work. You work your ass off in engineering school, far harder than most other kids, and get the job of your choice. Then you realize that you'll likely only use 10% of all that highly technical, difficult stuff you labored over.

Though school was hard, you want to continue to be challenged, but the workaday world often isn't technically challenging (it's often more about interpersonal relationships and communication skills). You then realize that engineering school was essentially a necessary ticket-punch to an income level, job security and work that you (generally) like. Then you learn to relax and enjoy it.

[piece-itpete]

It sounds great. Relax and enjoy

If I could do it over I'd be a professor.

Pete

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by finnbow

I have no doubt you would have skated through to get a BSEE, had that been your choosing.

I did take the science track in high school, was bored to tears and wished I had taken Latin as it might have given me a better ear for languages, like my convent taught wife.

Last of four kids, Mom and Dad married late, she was 38 and Dad 49 when I showed up. No money and few if any scholarships back then, I wen't to work so I could pay room and board.

Funny they say that women giving birth in their thirties risk mutations (Down's Syndrome) so I wonder isn't a high IQ also a mutation, maybe they should study my DNA.

I have this photo taken August 1930 when the British Airship R-100 landed in St. Hubert Quebec. My Mother and three siblings are in it - and so was I but I would only show up on ultrasound.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

If I could do it over I'd be a professor.

Pete

I was sorta on track to do that at a time. I had accepted a research assitantship in Structural Engineering at Virginia Tech just before graduating in '75. I thought I wanted to stay there and teach and build a house in the Allegheny mountains west of Blacksburg (a very beautiful area).

Then a buddy who had graduated the previous year called from New Orleans saying there was a job for me there paying twice as much as an assistantship and that my employer would pay for Grad School at Tulane. I've always been a food and music geek, so I was off to New Orleans. In retrospect, I don't regret my decision as my job took me to Europe for 8 years and these years remain the highlight of my life.

[icenine]

I think being a Professor would be awesome...but tenure will block many from getting there....of course the person who does reach tenure at a university does not want to give it up.......there are not so many openings especially in the liberal arts and you have to be really good to make it today

I wish I could go back to Kent State and just sit in the back row and listen to the instructors

[icenine]

I think liberal arts make people better citizens though.....I mean to say the whole world cannot be engineers etc.......
the real issue is that a college degree is not as special but piece of paper is....
before the 50s only 16 % had degrees and it really meant something....

[piece-itpete]

Funny how things turn out. I have no real regrets, if I did anything different I wouldn't be were I'm at now

Pete

[piece-itpete]

Originally Posted by icenine

.....I mean to say the whole world cannot be engineers etc.......
....

Heaven help us all!

Pete

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by icenine

I think liberal arts make people better citizens though.....I mean to say the whole world cannot be engineers etc.......

Indeed. Engineers are historically poor managers and communicators. But, there are exceptions.

That said, we have far too few kids going to school in technical disciplines.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

It sounds great. Relax and enjoy

If I could do it over I'd be a professor.

Pete

I was not ever a professor, though that is what the kids in grade school used to call me. I did however have the run of the library of the Professor who held the Chair of the Philosophy dept. at McGill University in Montreal. That was fun.