How to Excel in How to Excel in Engineering at Engineering at

UniversityUniversityDr. Chris MacnabDr. Chris Macnab

B.Eng. (Engineering Physics) Royal Military B.Eng. (Engineering Physics) Royal Military College of CanadaCollege of Canada

Ph.D. (Aerospace Engineering) University of Ph.D. (Aerospace Engineering) University of Toronto Toronto

Chris Macnab is with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineeering,

University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Legal rights you didn't Legal rights you didn't have in high school:have in high school:

Teenagers: Teenagers:

the oppressed minoritythe oppressed minority

the right to the right to drinkdrink

the right to work the right to work wherever you wherever you wantwant

the right to live the right to live wherever you wantwherever you want

full access to the justice systemfull access to the justice system

the right to the right to votevote

Rules your parents give Rules your parents give you:you:

you can't stay out all you can't stay out all night night

you have to let them you have to let them know where you areknow where you are

you have to let them you have to let them know when you are know when you are going to be homegoing to be home

you can't have your you can't have your partner stay partner stay overnight overnight

you have to clean you have to clean your roomyour room

you have to go to you have to go to schoolschool

you can't live on you can't live on your ownyour own

Rules in high school:Rules in high school:

you have to go to you have to go to schoolschool

you can't skip classesyou can't skip classes you can’t leave in the you can’t leave in the

middle of classmiddle of class

you have to raise your hand to talkyou have to raise your hand to talk you have to ask to go to the bathroomyou have to ask to go to the bathroom

you have to do your you have to do your homeworkhomework

you can't eat in classyou can't eat in class

When you graduate from When you graduate from high school : NO MORE high school : NO MORE

RULES! RULES!

Why we may not feel free Why we may not feel free after we graduateafter we graduate

After graduating After graduating we don't have all we don't have all these rules these rules anymore. We have anymore. We have many rights. But many rights. But we have been so we have been so used to not having used to not having these rights that these rights that we have trouble we have trouble asserting them, or asserting them, or even realizing we even realizing we have them.have them.

How we think we should How we think we should act in University:act in University:

we should do all of our assignmentswe should do all of our assignments we should go to all our classeswe should go to all our classes we should write down everything in classwe should write down everything in class we should learn in classwe should learn in class we should read all our assigned readingswe should read all our assigned readings we should read our textbookswe should read our textbooks we should study from our notes and we should study from our notes and

textbookstextbooks we should work hardwe should work hard we should do the same things as other we should do the same things as other

studentsstudents

How we think we should be How we think we should be in Universityin University

we should understand everythingwe should understand everything we should know everythingwe should know everything we shouldn't make mistakeswe shouldn't make mistakes we should get good markswe should get good marks we should care about our classeswe should care about our classes we should do the same things as we should do the same things as

other studentsother students we should be hard workerswe should be hard workers

What’s wrong with that?What’s wrong with that?

These “shoulds” These “shoulds” make us follow a set make us follow a set of imaginary rules. of imaginary rules. Other people will be Other people will be quite happy when we quite happy when we follow them. But follow them. But they prevent us from they prevent us from excelling in excelling in university. university. University rewards University rewards learning. None of learning. None of these “shoulds” help these “shoulds” help us learn, so following us learn, so following them only leads to them only leads to frustration, stress, frustration, stress, and depression. and depression.

Getting rid of shoulds.Getting rid of shoulds.

Replace: Replace:

I should _______________I should _______________

With: With:

If I want to learn, then I must If I want to learn, then I must ________________

Or:

If I want to ______, then I must ______

If we don’t should on If we don’t should on ourselvesourselves

We can prioritize our workloads and We can prioritize our workloads and utilize time management skillsutilize time management skills

We can develop strategies for:We can develop strategies for:

1.1. note takingnote taking

2.2. doing assignmentsdoing assignments

3.3. writing testswriting tests We can make decisions for ourselves We can make decisions for ourselves

and and actact instead of reactinginstead of reacting to what to what professors give usprofessors give us

How to How to learn, excel, learn, excel,

and enjoy and enjoy yourself at yourself at university:university:

If we want to get the most If we want to get the most out of university, we must out of university, we must

assert our rights!assert our rights!

Our universal human Our universal human rights!rights!

The following assertive rights found in:

“When I say no, I feel guilty” by Manuel J. Smith (Bantam Books, New York, 1975)

we have the right to make mistakeswe have the right to make mistakes we have the right to not understand we have the right to not understand

somethingsomething we have the right to be wrongwe have the right to be wrong we have the right to be illogicalwe have the right to be illogical

we have the right not to carewe have the right not to care

we have the right not to please otherswe have the right not to please others we have the right to set our own goalswe have the right to set our own goals we have the right to decide what will we have the right to decide what will

best accomplish our goalsbest accomplish our goals we have the right to decide what is we have the right to decide what is

best for ourselves best for ourselves

We can decide how we learn the best and We can decide how we learn the best and our own capabilities. We have the right to our own capabilities. We have the right to

decide for ourselves:decide for ourselves: what program/classes what program/classes

we will takewe will take how much of our how much of our

assignments we will doassignments we will do when we will go to when we will go to

classclass what notes we will what notes we will

taketake what we will studywhat we will study when we will studywhen we will study what marks we will be what marks we will be

satisfied with satisfied with

The more we think about what will The more we think about what will be best for ourselves, the better off be best for ourselves, the better off we will be. we will be.

The more we do what we have The more we do what we have always done, or what we think we always done, or what we think we should do, the more miserable we should do, the more miserable we will be. will be.

How we think professors How we think professors should act:should act:

We get used to what We get used to what teachers in high teachers in high school do. We like school do. We like what some professors what some professors do. We then feel all do. We then feel all professors should act professors should act a certain way. We a certain way. We can get very can get very frustrated and frustrated and stressed out when stressed out when they don't act like we they don't act like we expect.expect.

How we think professors How we think professors should be :should be :

they should explain all the materialthey should explain all the material they should give lots of examplesthey should give lots of examples they should follow the textbookthey should follow the textbook they shouldn't follow the textbookthey shouldn't follow the textbook they should be hard workersthey should be hard workers they should return assignments and they should return assignments and

tests quicklytests quickly they should mark our tests lenientlythey should mark our tests leniently they shouldn't make mistakesthey shouldn't make mistakes

How would your teachers be How would your teachers be different in high school if their different in high school if their

careers depended only on careers depended only on evaluations done by students? evaluations done by students?

Common pitfalls for Common pitfalls for students who should on students who should on

themselves:themselves: approaching classes approaching classes

with fearwith fear spending way too spending way too

much time on some much time on some assignmentsassignments

running out of time to running out of time to do other assignmentsdo other assignments

trying to get on the trying to get on the prof's good sideprof's good side

trying to do trying to do everything in a courseeverything in a course

taking it easy when a taking it easy when a test is easytest is easy

not working on not working on assignments assignments independently or independently or copyingcopying

getting other people getting other people to do the work in the to do the work in the labslabs

doing assignments for doing assignments for the marks and not for the marks and not for the learningthe learning

trying to be perfecttrying to be perfect Asking “why can’t Asking “why can’t

everyone get an A?”everyone get an A?”

stressing out when a stressing out when a test is difficulttest is difficult

fearing the proffearing the prof fearing hard courses fearing hard courses worrying about worrying about

marks instead of marks instead of learninglearning

trying to understand trying to understand everything everything immediatelyimmediately

never writing down never writing down anything that may be anything that may be wrongwrong

Cheating is of no benefit to you so Cheating is of no benefit to you so don't do it. You will simply be don't do it. You will simply be wasting the many thousands of wasting the many thousands of

dollars you spent to go to dollars you spent to go to university. Guess what? For the university. Guess what? For the next 45 years of your career no next 45 years of your career no employer will ever ask you what employer will ever ask you what

marks you got in university!marks you got in university!

How to enjoy your How to enjoy your university careeruniversity career

There are two kinds of There are two kinds of studentsstudents

HappyHappy want to learn want to learn work and play work and play alertalert enjoy the materialenjoy the material

StressedStressed worried about worried about

marksmarks work all the time work all the time tiredtired hate the material hate the material

The dummies guide to The dummies guide to enjoying yourself at enjoying yourself at

university:university:

Do’s and Don’tsDo’s and Don’ts read sections of the read sections of the

text before you are text before you are taught themtaught them

review the previous review the previous lecture's notes lecture's notes before your lecturebefore your lecture

contact the prof if contact the prof if you don't you don't understand understand somethingsomething

realize your marks realize your marks in a course are in a course are always relative to always relative to other studentsother students

never crack the never crack the texttext

leave your notes at leave your notes at homehome

get the prof to get the prof to show you how to show you how to do a questiondo a question

go see the prof to go see the prof to get a hint on what get a hint on what will be on the testwill be on the test

relax in an easy relax in an easy course and work course and work hard in a difficult hard in a difficult coursecourse

Do’s and Don’tsDo’s and Don’ts take your time take your time

understanding things understanding things study for tests by doing study for tests by doing

old tests and questions old tests and questions you haven't done and old you haven't done and old assignments (practice)assignments (practice)

try to understand try to understand everything everything immediatelyimmediately

study for tests by study for tests by reading and reading and memorizingmemorizing

Do’s and Don’tsDo’s and Don’ts set aside a certain set aside a certain

number of hours to number of hours to attempt an assignment attempt an assignment

schedule your own schedule your own time for optimum time for optimum learninglearning

try to get every try to get every assignment question assignment question even if it kills youeven if it kills you

go to every single go to every single lecture even if it kills lecture even if it kills youyou

Do’s and Don’tsDo’s and Don’ts

Hire a math Hire a math tutortutor

Refuse to relearn Refuse to relearn your high-school your high-school mathmath

Do’s and Don’tsDo’s and Don’ts keep your notes keep your notes keep core textskeep core texts

throw out your throw out your notesnotes

sell all your textssell all your texts

Do’s and Don’tsDo’s and Don’ts read books and read books and

magazines about science, magazines about science, engineering, and/or engineering, and/or computerscomputers

joint technical clubs or joint technical clubs or have a technical hobbyhave a technical hobby

never read outside never read outside your coursesyour courses

Advanced guide to enjoying Advanced guide to enjoying yourself:yourself:

Learn these skills:Learn these skills:

learning from a textbooklearning from a textbook taking notes and learning from taking notes and learning from

notesnotes test-studying and test-writing test-studying and test-writing

strategiesstrategies problem solvingproblem solving research (texts, notes, old research (texts, notes, old

exams, library, internet) exams, library, internet)

Example of Studying Example of Studying StrategyStrategy

1)1)Find some old tests and/or old Find some old tests and/or old assignments assignments

2)2)Identify questions in the text that Identify questions in the text that would be good practicewould be good practice

3)3)Practice questions for a preplanned Practice questions for a preplanned time (e.g. 5 hours) and then go to bedtime (e.g. 5 hours) and then go to bed

4)4)Get 7-8 hours of sleepGet 7-8 hours of sleep

5)5)Immediately before the test take some Immediately before the test take some time (e.g. 15 minutes) to look over time (e.g. 15 minutes) to look over formulas from your notes and/or formulas from your notes and/or textbook.textbook.

How to get these skills:How to get these skills:

Try to develop themTry to develop them Work independentlyWork independently Read books on how to study/learnRead books on how to study/learn

Books you can Books you can buy/borrow:buy/borrow:

““What Smart Students Know” by Adam What Smart Students Know” by Adam RobinsonRobinson

““Getting Straight A’s” by Gordon W. GreenGetting Straight A’s” by Gordon W. Green ““How to Study: Suggestions for High-School How to Study: Suggestions for High-School

and College Students” by Arthur W. and College Students” by Arthur W. KornhauserKornhauser

““Study Smarter, Not Harder” by Kevin PaulStudy Smarter, Not Harder” by Kevin Paul

(You can buy them at any book store or (You can buy them at any book store or online)online)

If you develop these If you develop these skillsskills

school will be more enjoyable and easierschool will be more enjoyable and easier your marks will improveyour marks will improve your first job will be easier your first job will be easier your career will improveyour career will improve life will be betterlife will be better

““An engineer is someone An engineer is someone who knows where to look who knows where to look

things up.”things up.” engineering degree has to be done in 5 yearsengineering degree has to be done in 5 years the half-life of an engineering degree is 5-10 the half-life of an engineering degree is 5-10

years.years. the majority of engineering graduates do not the majority of engineering graduates do not

have an engineering careerhave an engineering career

Actually the word “engineer” comes from the same root as “ingenuity”. An engineer is someone who is ingenius at design.

If I want my university time to be If I want my university time to be worthwhile, my goal needs to be worthwhile, my goal needs to be

LEARNING HOW TO LEARN.LEARNING HOW TO LEARN.

This seminar can be This seminar can be found atfound at

www.enel.ucalgary.ca/People/Macnab/www.enel.ucalgary.ca/People/Macnab/howToExcel.ppthowToExcel.ppt