[Prelude]
Being an internet user that has shied away from blogging, I have found a topic that I could very likely ramble on about. Nothing formal, nothing fancy, since my thoughts on engineering, sustainability, green energy, and how the engineering society tends to work are still a work in progress, radical, and bit silly like me.
I am currently halfway through my third year of civil engineering at UofWaterloo, meaning I've already put a decent chunk of study time into this program (a lot of which is bland required courses in order for the civil engineering program to be accredited by the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO)). Though the courses are cute, fun, and a repeat of high school, it was great to start getting my hands dirty (literally in the case of geotech) last term where the courses reflected the potential paths to take once you graduate. Since it's UW, I've had a collectively a little over a year of work experience as a type of intern in order to learn about the profession and kinda get a feel for what I'm to expect once I graduate.
Does it speak too loudly to say that after these coop experiences of "real life" engineering, that I'm 99% decided that I'm going back to grad work to stay in school and avoid the real world of engineering?
Actually, my past two terms have been fantastic with my first two co-ops placements being a real life-changing experience that I'm grateful I had, but I struggled a great deal with the social interactions of the workplace.I have been working in consulting engineering work for all four co-op terms, which is very fortunate for me because that's the type of work environment I was looking into. Though I worked on civil, mechanical, structural, electrical, and architectural design, the consulting process is the same with budgets, feasibility designs, stamping of drawings, city permits, etc. Fortunately, I have had some inspecting experience through my first two co-op terms, which actually made nice outings from the office to provide a balance that maintains your sanity...kinda :)
Without going into too much detail, co-op #1 was at a small engineering firm and my main project was structural design of a local condo. Fantastic opportunity because structural was like, top of my list for specializations and still is. Pretty intense for first co-op since I had a stack of 4th year design textbooks on my desk the entire term. Co-op #2 I returned to the same company and ended up working on many little jobs mainly in the building mechanical field. I had more interaction with the clients and contracted engineers and I met some of the nicest and most driven people. Sustainability was a big focus that term with quite a few projects requesting solar thermal designs, geothermal, photovoltaic and grey-water heating. Co-op #3 was at a larger consulting firm working on purely mechanical in order to get a new perspective on building sciences that I couldn't get through school. The detail I learned about plumbing and HVAC still surprises me because I catch myself poking around buildings or craning my neck on the bus to check out a new building's chiller. Ever wonder what that massive building is on the 401 billowing out a bunch of steam? Ask me someday, no I didn't help design it, I just know what it is :). I enjoyed the larger company dynamics, and they did a great job on making it still really social, hence I returned for co-op #4...which is where I am now. Got a job at their other building in town working for the civil department, and though I didn't have any interest in transportation and water quality because of the profs that taught the courses, the bits and pieces I've seen so far are cool. The people are super fun, it's kinda environmental work, which makes me kinda embrace my "yay hippie alternative transportation bottled-water is evil" side.
Anyways, there's lots to say, all in due time, I'm feeling a bit too uppity for a rant on the engineering system and how it's implemented at the post-secondary level, though even writing that down makes me want to get started, hah.
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