Engineering is a discipline that requires a large amount of self-adjustment and self-regulation. Putting aside the rigorous math and science prerequisites, the general approach illustrated by engineering professors is to take the smaller pieces of some puzzle, put them together and admire the system that is created. If you're like me, you visualize the entire puzzle before taking a look at the smaller pieces. If you're like me, you find it difficult to embrace the well-established engineering mindset.
When I attempt to tackle an engineering problem, I find myself looking at the bigger picture instead of trying to increment each piece. I fixate on the complexities of every given scenario and undermine my own capabilities. A feeling of panic strikes me; I begin to question everything imaginable. What does this process look like? What is this process doing? Which way is the current flowing? Is this practical in a real life situation? How can I start this if I can't see the finish? Does everyone else feel this way?
Come on, I tell myself, I've learned this before, I know what I'm doing. I just can't get myself to think like an engineer.
People tend to ask me, why do you bother exploring a field that fixates on the very skills that you lack? Great question. Well, I think I've found an answer.
My mind parallels with that of a track. The start and the finish, more often than not, is located in the exact same place. When I raced in high school, I always found a sense of comfort in knowing my location in relation to the finish line. The bigger picture was always there for me to visualize. The path I'd take was consistent and the way I ran remained constant. A track may be a nice illustration of my inherent mindset, but engineering surely does not take this form.
When I think of engineering, I picture a long, winding trail with ups and downs, lefts and rights. It may be extraordinarily difficult, complex and out of my comfort zone, but, man, do I love the challenge. The feeling of not knowing where the next turn will take me or what it will bring me is invigorating. The feeling of not knowing what the finish line looks like or how I'll get there, is uplifting. I've learned to love the challenge of engineering, even if it makes me anxious.
I have learned a great deal from my experiences as an engineer-in-training at WPI. I have met incredible people and have learned a lot from the mere manner in which they think. They've taught me that the smaller calculations always amount to something great, that unfamiliar territory can guide me to something incredible.
Yes, I might be an engineer who can't think like an engineer. But every exam I take, every report I compose, and every problem I work through, reminds me why I'm OK with it.
