MECE 1101 Introduction to Mechanical Engineering The University of Texas-Pan American College of Science and Engineering

Objectives  Define Engineering.  Explain the Characteristics of the Most Successful Engineering Students.  Review Student Financial Aid Programs. Assignment:  Write an essay on why YOU are studying engineering and your engineering major. Please include a discussion about your future career plans. Due in two weeks, 2-page report, journalist style.

What does Engineering mean to YOU? Few suggestions by students:  Creative Problem Solving.  Creating, designing, testing, and improving systems.  Applying math and science to life.  The study of how things work and how we can make them work better.

ABET Definition of Engineering  The profession in which knowledge of the mathematical and natural sciences, gained by study, experience, and practice, is applied with the judgment to develop ways to use, economically, the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of mankind.

Is there more to Engineering than Science and Mathematics? Yes, Engineering is art…

Is there more to Engineering than Science and Mathematics? Engineering is invention…

Is there more to Engineering than Science and Mathematics? Engineering is measurement and estimation…

Is there more to Engineering than Science and Mathematics? Engineering is approximation, modeling and simulation…

Common Reasons to Study Engineering  Proficiency in math and science.  Suggested by a high school counselor.  Has a relative who is an engineer.  Heard it’s a field with tremendous job opportunities.  Read that it has high starting salaries.  A yearning to understand why/how things work.

Reasons to Study Engineering  What is really important is that a student embarking upon a degree program, and ultimately a career, understands what the career entails and the options it presents.

The Keys to Success (CASPA)  Commitment  Application  Strategy  Perseverance  Associations

Commitment  Decide to be successful.  Set appropriate goals.  Stay focused.  Stay determined to succeed.  Remind yourself of the reasons you chose engineering.

Application  Apply yourself fully to attain your goals.  Work hard.

Strategy  Work smart and maximize effectiveness.  Know what your instructor assumes you know.  Make the most of lectures and classroom time.  Your textbook is a supplement.  Write effective solutions to all problems (clear, detailed, and organized).  Practice, practice, ask, ask.  Develop an examination technique.

Perseverance  Don’t give up after the first, second, or third try…Keep trying.  Stay focused on your goals.  Use power thinking.

Associations  Associate with people that maintain a positive attitude; people that will help you attain your goals.  Avoid underachievers and those who do not share your objectives, for they will only distract you and may cause you to deviate from what you set out to accomplish.

Student Financial Aid  It is critical that you plan well financially for your education.  The true costs of college are far higher than the tuition you pay at such schools.

Financial Aid  There are five main areas from which you can draw money:  Parents.  Scholarships and grants.  Loans.  Work-study programs.  Work.

Scholarships/Grants  It is your responsibility to seek out private scholarships and grants. These may include awards given by your or your parents’ employers; grants given to members of certain ethnic groups; or funds earmarked for specific majors, location of colleges, or future career choices.

Scholarships/Grants  Free National computerized scholarship search service called “fastWEB” at  UTPA offers numerous scholarships that anyone can apply for  Do your own homework to avoid scholarship service rip-offs.

Loans  Loans may be secured from lending institutions and state and federal loan programs.  These sources can be located by asking questions to the admissions officers on campus.  They can provide you with the needed paperwork to apply for these loans.

Work-Study or Just Plain Work  Work can be approached in a number of different ways:  On-campus or off-campus employment during school.  Summer jobs.  Internships.  Co-ops.  A combination of the above.

Cooperative Education (co-op)  Academic programs in which college students are employed in positions directly related to their major field of study. There are many types of co-op education:  Alternating: a full semester of employment alternated with a full semester of school.  Parallel: part-time employment and school on a concurrent basis.  Back-to-back semesters: two consecutive semesters of employment, then back to school for two semesters.

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