Versatility of a Career in Engineering Technology

Saturday, September 21, 2013
An architectural engineer is capable of great feats. From incredible building design all the way through to the actual construction, architectural engineers oversee the creation of some of the greatest feats in the world. It is the successful merging of both the creative and scientific. If you think that using both sides of your brain is a good fit for you, then maybe you should consider a career in engineering. Engineering programs offer people the ability to learn how to do something truly incredible. Full-time programs prepare students for the real world, increasing the probability of lucrative employment with both practical and theoretical training. Since not everybody learns at the same pace, experienced professors are available for one-on-one consultations. Students also learn from each other, through workshops and discussions. This creates what is called a network, and is one of the most useful features of any post-secondary education. It can help you later on in your quest to find employment, and may even provide you with additional sources if they are every needed. Architectural engineers are not the only kind of engineers. There are computer engineers, mechanical and industrial engineers, biotechnology engineers, chemical engineers and building engineers (etc.). Each field, regardless of its focus, practice and apply the same polices. They simply have different focuses, and therefore, different strengths. Doing a little research before applying can help you find the best engineering field for you to begin your career in. Programs include, but are not limited to architectural technician, architectural technology, civil engineering technology, civil engineering technician, transportation engineering, urban and recreational planning, biotechnology technician, chemical engineering, environmental technician, computer systems technician, computer systems technology, computer engineering technology, electrical engineering technology and energy systems engineering technology. If one of these engineering technology programs appeals to you, but you lack the proper prerequisites, many colleges have preparatory courses available to potential students. Speaking with an academic advisor can help you narrow down your field of concentration to find the best programs to fit your strengths. All of these concentrations are offered at both standard and advanced levels, should you choose to go further with your engineering studies. Degree options are available - students can complete a bachelor of technology. Generally, an engineering program takes about three years to complete. Once this preliminary degree is finished, there is no limit to where you can take your studies. During this time, financial aid is available to those that need it. This is an especially useful feature if you are already employed full-time, and are considering a serious career change. Many people cannot afford either the funding or the time to enroll in a post-secondary education, due to the obligations of full-time work, and relative expenses. Financial aid is great alternative for those people wishing to change career fields. If you are thinking about enrolling in one of the aforementioned engineering programs, then take the liberty to find out what options are available to you. Today, students that are qualified to be engineers are valued members of the workforce. They possess training that is extremely valuable in today's market, especially considering the pace at which technology and industry is developing. Engineering is a promising field to begin your studies in. It is really only your decisions that will determine just how far you take your career.

The Journey

Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Greetings reader! I am back to do another installment of my blog. In this post I will be discussing the journey I have taken this semester. I would just like to take this time to look back and reflect upon this journey from novice to "expert." It all started in the first essay where I discussed my general area of interest, mechanical engineering, and what drew me to that interest. My interest in machines and mechanical operations is what drew me in deciding my major, Mechanical Engineering Technology. In the second essay, I wrote about pollution and waste and the effects that they have on the environment. This topic was of great interest to me because I have a love of the outdoors and a respect for the environment and all that it provides. This wanting to protect the environment and wanting to preserve it for future generations is what drove me to selecting what would be my research question.My research question also combined another area that I am interested in, energy production. So naturally, I decided to do research into renewable sources of energy that could some day replace fossil fuels as our main source of energy. From there I did research in to several different sources of renewable energy, looking at their pros and cons, their applications, and the advancements that are being made in their development and production. From this I learned that it will require the use of most if not all of the various kinds of renewable source of energy that there are to replace fossil fuels. Since there are many different uses of fossil fuels, it will require all of the different renewable sources to cover all the areas where fossil fuels are used. This is what I have learn from my journey this semester and I hope to be able to implement this knowledge in the real world someday.

5 Things You Should Kept in Mind While Choosing Your Machine Engineering Project

Friday, November 16, 2012
If you are a successful mechanical engineer, then you should know that before you are about to pursue a project or plan, you will need to follow some steps to ensure that it will be successful. In preparing project mechanical engineering is the key to success. Consider these steps the next time you have a project:

1.Select project that adds value.

This means that you have to choose the type of project that has substance. As an engineer, you must choose a project that can increase your potential or interest to many people, or both. Do not choose just any project. Consider how it will affect you in your growth as an engineer and how it will affect other people.

2.Take serious and project implementation.

Once you choose a project, make sure you take to heart. Are your responsibilities seriously so that the whole project becomes a huge success. Being a responsible big no no in your profession. Remember that as the mechanical engineer, anything you do or construction will affect some people.


3.Plan work involved before you start and keep to schedule.

Preparation of mechanical engineering projects require a lot of thinking and careful planning. Make a list of everything that needs to be done, and make a timetable for each. Of course, in order to succeed in doing, you should make sure that you follow the plan to the letter. Doing this will enable you to complete the project within the specified time frame for you.

4.Consult your guide at every level of operation.

It is always a set of guidelines that will determine how you should go about doing things in every project. Every time you would do something big or important, make it a point to consult your manual to see if you're on the right path. This will reduce the likelihood that you fail to another project or made a mistake.

5.Be ready to face the problem.

No matter what type of project you have chosen to do, problems are inevitable. Do not get frustrated every time you strike a problem. Have enough courage and determination to complete the project regardless of the severity of the problems you encounter. Have faith whatever obstacles you may encounter in doing the project, you still have a chance to succeed and finish your business. Believe that you have the potential to complete the work within the allotted time.

As said, in preparing project mechanical engineering is the key to success. No matter what type of project you choose, make sure you take the time to consider all relevant factors. Doing so will prepare you for any obstacles you might encounter when you try to complete your project. With adequate preparation, as well, you can arm yourself with sufficient information about things that are important for completing the project.

Response to My Sources

Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Hello reader! In this installment of my blog I will be looking at some of the sources for my up coming research paper and I will state if I agree, disagree, or otherwise respond to the arguments the authors have made in these sources.

Philip H. Abelson argues in his article, "Renewable Liquid Fuels," the importance of developing biodiesel fuels from biomass to take the place of liquid fossil fuels. Abelson's theory of how liquid fuels from biomass should replace liquid fossil fuels is extremely useful because it sheds light on the difficult problem of the world's dependence on fossil fuels and how we need to shift away from fossil fuels and on to renewable sources of energy.

Koji Omi argues in his article, "Alternative Energy for Transportation," the importance of developing new sources of renewable energy for various forms of transportation. Those unfamiliar with this school of thought may be interested to know that it basically boils down to trying to find cleaner, more sustainable sources of energy that can replace fossil fuels as the main source of energy for transportation.

Howard Wolinsky argues in his article, "The economics of biofuels: President Obama's emphasis on energy policy gives a boost to the alternative fuel business in the USA," the importance of energy independence for the United States by focusing on renewable energy sources that can be produced in the United States. Wolinsky's theory that the United States needs to develop new sources of renewable energy in the United States is extremely useful because it shed light on the difficult problem of the United States having to rely heavily on fossil fuels produced in other countries and depending on other countries for our main source of energy.

Mechanical Engineering - Career Perspective

Monday, November 5, 2012
Mechanical engineering is an exciting program for those who are interested in creating machinery, products and industrial materials. To make it simple, it is fantastic for those who want to make big things that make an impact in every aspect of life.

For a student interested in embarking into the field of mechanical engineering, only the passionate and dedicated students in various fields of sciences will appreciate the rigorous work that has to be done for the subject. It is know that your high school will provide you with the needed tools and skills to choose a degree in college. For mechanical engineering and other fields of engineering, students must attend courses as a preparation to the kind of training and studies they would have to pass for admissions.

Various branches of sciences are included in the study of Engineering. Primarily, you have to get a strong competence in the field of mathematics including geometry, trigonometry, calculus and algebra. Sciences like physics, chemistry and biology have to be studied as well. Aside from these general bodies of knowledge, you also need to get a good communication and technical skills. It is important for an engineer to communicate ideas by word and by drawing and creating specifications.


All coursework and subjects under mechanical engineering had to be accredited by a body that analyzes the degree for its competence and relevance to the ever-changing world. If you decide to take on these studies, you have to study hard and really have fun doing it. You can enter many disciplines when you go for mechanical engineering. You can embark on. There is mechatronics and nanotechnology as examples. These fantastic and exciting new disciplines can really help the world by creating devices and technologies geared towards making the work processes, medical technology and other facets of life easier and more efficient.

As a budding mechanical engineer of the future, you have to take studies very seriously because after that, if you want to be licensed, you have to have a practical application and experience of the work a mechanical engineer does before you can even pass the screenings to get licensure. It might be a long road to be a fully licensed mechanical engineer, but as what we have said, it is very important for you to have fun and just work hard because the discipline of mechanical engineering provides a lot of promise for the future.

And now for something completely different

Tuesday, October 30, 2012
A long time ago, a few weeks to be more precise, there was a guy, lets call him Andrew, was sitting in the computer lab in the Classroom Building at Oklahoma State University. He was sitting in front of a computer and he was stressing out. You see he needed to be looking up sources for his annotative bibliography for his research paper but he had not come up with a research question. It's pretty difficult to look up sources for a topic that does not exist so he needed to think quickly. He had a pretty good idea of what he wanted to do for his research question but he was having difficulty putting it into words. Andrew knew he wanted his question to in some way be about renewable energy. He sat in front of that computer deep in thought while simultaneously taking a quick look at Reddit in order to get the creative juices flowing. While looking at pictures of cats and things he had already seen the night before and trying to make it look like he was doing what he was suppose to be doing he had an epiphany. He thought, "with all the different kinds of renewable energy sources, which one the best and will replace fossil fuels someday?" He knew that would be good enough so he decided to go with it. After looking at one more funny picture, Andrew exited out of Reddit started to look up sources on the library's website. He looked up at the clock a realized only a couple minutes had passed since the beginning of class so he knew he would have plenty of time to find the sources he needed.

This has been taste of what is yet to come in, Essay 3b, The Story of Andrew's Research Process. Coming soon.