Keys to Success In Engineering Study

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Keys to Success In Engineering Study
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Introduction

• You CAN do it! Success in engineering study,
  like success in anything you attempt, is a
  process that you can learn and master just as
  other students have done before you
• Ever come across someone who said they were an
  engineer and felt hey, if they can do it, I can
  do it!

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Keys to Success

• Effort work hard
• Approach work smart
• Attitude think positively

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You Can Do it!

• Ever hear a professor say look to your right,
  loot to your left. Two of the three of you wont
  be here at graduation you will not hear that
  at Lamar!

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Does Success Depend on High School?

• Just because you did not score high in high
  school does not doom you to failure in college
  just means you will have to work harder
• Just because you scored well in high school does
  not guarantee you success in college why do you
  think this is true?
• Achieving success is a process and each step in
  the process can be learned

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What is Success?

• Success is the achievement of something desired,
  planned or attempted.
• Why do students fail to be successful in college?

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What is Success?

• Why do students fail to be successful in college?
• Lack of intention students do not have a clear
  educational and/or career goal
• Lack of commitment students do not have the
  motivation and drive to work toward attaining
  their educational/career goals

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Goal Setting

• How can you expect to get somewhere if you dont
  know where you want to go?
• Set short and long terms goals
• Write them down - why? This exercise will force
  you to think about your goals!
• Commit to achieving them

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Strengthen Your Commitment

• Learn as much as you can about your area of
  engineering
• Look up web sites
• Go to seminars, field trips, career days
• Become a member of the student chapter of the
  professional engineering society
• The more you know about the field you are
  entering, the more motivated you will become

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Know Your Degree Plan

• Ask your advisor to fully explain the sequence of
  courses you need to graduate
• Get a copy of your degree plan to chart your
  progress

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Dont Let Adversity Stop You

• What is the most likely reason you will fail in
  engineering?

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Dont Let Adversity Stop You

• What is the most likely reason you will fail in
  engineering?
• Work too many hours
• Do not seek help early in the semester
• Have difficulty with Calculus I and quit
• Problems with a professor
• Problems with personal relationships
• Do not make school the highest priority in your
  life

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Dont Let Adversity Stop You

• Be determined to make it!
• You must believe that you can do it if you
  dont honestly believe you will fail

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Achieving Your Goals

• How do you achieve your goals on a daily basis?
• Make day-to day decisions based on whether a
  particular action supports your goal or conflicts
  with your goal
• Example Dont go on a weekend trip to Galveston
  when you have a test on Monday and have not read
  all the chapters or done the homework!

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Ability Vs. Effort

• Effort is more important than raw talent
• What is effort? using energy particularly
  mental power, to get something done
• Effort is composed on time and energy.
• If you spend your study time effectively (focus
  on your homework and reading rather than the TV)
  then you may not need long periods of study

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Employment Model

• Top 6 factors when considering individuals for
  employment
• Personal qualifications including maturity,
  initiative, enthusiasm, poise, appearance, and
  the ability to work with other people
• Scholastic qualifications as shown by grades in
  all subjects or in a major field
• Specialized courses relating to a particular
  field
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally
  and in writing
• Kind and amount of employment while in college
• Experience in campus activities, especially
  participation and leadership in extracurricular
  life

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Highly Involved Student

• A highly involved student is one who
• Devotes considerable energy to studying
• Spends a lot of time on campus
• Participates actively in student organizations
• Interacts frequently with faculty members and
  other students.

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Uninvolved Student

• An uninvolved student may
• Neglect studies
• Spend little time on campus
• Abstain from extracurricular activities
• Have little contact with faculty members or other
  students.

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Why Engineering?
Why do students pursue a degree in Engineering?
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Need Motivation?
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