Engineering is an interesting and one of the most sought after courses in the world. According to World Economic Forum (excluding China and India due to lack of data) United States holds the second place in the world for producing 237,826 graduates in engineering, manufacturing and construction.
Engineering has made a deep impact on our daily life. The cities we live in (civil engineers), the structures we move in (mechanical and automobile engineering), the electricity we use to power our gadgets (electrical engineering) and the technology we use to make our lives easier (Computer Science engineering). Can we imagine a life without the above comforts?
Interesting as it sounds to be, lack of understanding or basic knowledge in this field can turn this very interesting course into something terrifying. After basic knowledge comes the assignment. Most colleges and universities have a curriculum with limited hours of lectures in a week devoting more time for assignments and lab sessions. The idea behind this is to encourage students to study and find out new things for themselves and also to gain practical knowledge.
This still poses a problem.No matter how hard the students resolve to do their assignments better, it never goes the way as planned. Let us now talk on the various problems engineering students face while working on their assignments –
- Time Management
College semesters are brimming with activities right from the end till the finish. Participation in such activities enables a student to develop his/her inner talents, develop leadership skills and various other qualities that future employers look for. But whether it is a function or games or fests being held, it consumes in a lot of time. Here students find it to juggle time between assignments and extracurricular activities.Some freshman students also find the transition from a year long school curriculum to a 4-5months semester difficult.
- Understanding the topics.
Some topics in engineering require lot of concentration/focus and some certain amount of time to understand. They may also require you to be good in certain mathematical tools. Those students who are weak in that particular area of math tool will find it difficult to understand the topic. So now you will require double the time to complete this topic. First you need to work on that weak math area, second get help/study that topic on your own and finally third – do the homework. Sometimes the first 2 steps take most time and you feel quite rushed to submit assignment before deadline.
- Missing class
I am an electrical engineering student. I had to miss a lecture in order to help my friend to the hospital who was suffering from a high fever. Unfortunately, the topic covered that day was very important. Having missed them cost me a lot. I was unable to study on my own and do the homework. My friends tried to help but couldn’t succeed.Since he was a visiting professor, it was also very difficult to meet him. Finally after talking to other professors, I got access to one of his online class covering the same topic. Few of my other friends having difficulty in the same topic also came down with for the class. Also I got an extra day to submit in my homework. So if you are to miss out any important lecture for genuine reasons, make sure to seek your professor concerning that topic.
- Lack of proper faculty
Not all the blame can be put on the student. Sometimes the faculty can be a problem too. Maybe there is a communication gap or the professor is unable to properly express his lecture to the class. As a result, students may lose interest in the lecture and drift off.
Sometimes a replacement teacher or a PhD student may be sent in to cover a topic in place of a regular professor. Lacking teaching experience they may not be able to give proper justice to the topic. Students are therefore unable to understand the topic and will find doing assignments difficult.
- Wrong peer group
Having a right group of friends is crucial to your success and it is important to have them in your engineering field too. Bad company will cause you to move away from studies. You will be missing classes, not spend enough time studying. Last minute studies will not save you and you will never be able to give in a good quality of homework. Hence it is essential you be around people with good mindsets and set goals similar to yours.
- Not taking in notes
Taking notes is very important in class especially if you are in the field of engineering. Lack of sufficient time and a vast syllabus means that the professors devote their class mostly for the very important or difficult to understand topics.
Most students still are unable to make proper notes in class. Some don’t even bother to make them. If you just spend your time listening, you are bound to lose focus after sometime or ever doze off. As a result of which you may miss out a step or two in between. You don’t understand the topic, and the process begins all over again.
- Lack of proper help
There are a variety of problems in a single topic. You professor may not be able to cover them all. So in between the homework, you come across a difficult numerical that halts your homework progress. A good option is to visit the library or seek help from a friend or senior. But circumstances prevent you from getting help. As a result of which also most engineering students are unable to hand in proper homework.
Concluding, the correct way to ensure good grades in you engineering degree is to submit in good homework. For a good homework, make sure to attend all classes, take proper notes, make the right set of friends and begin assignments as early as possible. This ensures that you have sufficient time to get help in case of any trouble.