Analyse Systematically Like an Engineer

After reading Prof. Ramakrishna's “Expanding World of Engineers”, one question popped up in my mind, that is, how does the engineer training really help to systematically analyze difficult situations?

Firstly, I personally agree with the statement that the engineer training is systematic itself compared to other tertiary students. Being a Year One student in NUS, I have been allocated fundamental modules as a Mechanical Engineering Student, inclusive of basic mathematics and basic physics modules, even a programming module which teaches the methodology of problem solving with aid of computer programs. These modules function as foundation for any ME student, though none of them heavily talks about machine or engineering. However, one may realize that the knowledge is essential in the later courses. This is characteristic of engineer’s training guarantees that one must prepare the necessary knowledge before start solving any problem.

Secondly, Engineer’s training encourages and cultivates a mind-set, which is neither sentimental nor statistical, but logical. A typical tertiary engineer course does require the students to have at least one economics-related module and some Arts modules, which implies that an engineer should look at the big picture instead of living in his own world doing research. Thus when engineers suggest solution to problems, they do not only provide solution, but instead, the overall best outcome for the parties involved.

Thirdly, an engineer is trained to possess the ability to think holistically. Taking Mechanical Engineering as instance, students are trained to consider each part of a given machine separately, while ultimately, these parts are to build one operational device as a whole, failure of any part will lead to entire failure of the system. Thus the engineer’s training must cultivate a holistic and systematic way of processing problems and subsequently provide all-rounded solutions to it.

In conclusion, the current Tertiary ME course I am taking now is a good example of systematic education provided to us, with resourceful basic knowledge and holistic way to handle problems, an engineer should be able and habitual to apply holistic and systematic approach in designing solutions.