Prompt #10
A key element an
engineer must possess is a competent understanding of math. Engineers everyday
must solve complex problems in systems and create new mechanics in machines
using a combination of algebra, calculus, and trigonometry. Make one mistake
while solving an equation, and you can create a faulty mechanic in a system,
which if not caught early in the development stages of a project, can cost
millions of dollars for a company to correct. So, engineers must be dead on
with their mathematics or else it can hurt a company’s reputation and the engineers
career. But this strong sense of perfectionism in mathematics imposed on
engineers, gives a strong misconception about engineers, that we all love doing
math, which is far from the truth.
A common stereotype
seen by the public is that all engineers love doing math. That solving an algebraic
equation or factoring out problem would send engineers into a sense of giddy excitement,
as stated in a blog by Epic Systems Inc, “You know, y = mx + b kind of
stuff. Engineers get giddy with excitement the handful of times they get
to use the TAN key on their HP-85 scientific calculator”. But this statement is
far from the truth, because I don’t enjoy math, even though my major is
mechanical engineering. Not all engineers enjoy doing math because of the rigorous
calculations involved and sometimes the repetitiveness of it, as said a page on
Perdue’s website for engineering “Although engineering requires a heavy workload of math and sciences, it does not
mean all engineers enjoy the rigorous calculations of both subjects”. The
reason most engineers feel this is the way math is taught in our schools. The
way math is taught in schools is boring and feels disconnected from the real
world. Either students are given the standard math problem they’ve always been expected
to solve, or improbable story problems that no student would care, as explained
by an engineer, “The way math is taught in schools makes it seem
disconnected and fake” (Lady Paragons).
A large misconception about engineers is that many are
in love with mathematics, but in truth, there in those in our profession that
dislike it. The main reason is the rigorous calculations that must be done and
the way mathematics is taught in our education system. If have anything to add
to this article, please leave a comment and I’ll reply as soon as I can.
Sources
"Want to Be an Engineer? ... But You're Not Good at Math? Get Over
It!" EPIC Systems. N.p., 02 Dec. 2015.
Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
Engineers, Office Of Future. "Myths vs. Truths About Engineering ."
Engineering: Myths and Facts Office of Future Engineers - Purdue University. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
Worsham, Sarah. "The Engineer Who Hated Math." Lady Paragons.
N.p., 14 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 Nov. 2016.
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