It Doesn’t Take a Brain Surgeon
For many of us, college is that season of life when we are compelled to choose a career path, long before we have any idea of who we are or what we want. Back in my college days, many of my fellow students were the progeny of doctors, lawyers and engineers who saw no other […]
Eat That Frog! for Students: A Review
I approached this book as a life-long learner, undaunted by the promised focus on students. From this perspective, the lessons apply to both college students and those in a career where progress requires keeping up with the latest knowledge. Eat That Frog! For Students by Brian Tracy is much more than just the time-management book […]
So You Want To Be A …
As the prospect of retirement begins to appear on the outer edges of my radar, I’ve been reflecting on this engineering career that has occupied a large chunk of my adult life. It’s been a rewarding journey and I have no regrets, but what was it that excited me about engineering in the first place? […]
The End of Eleven
One of the funniest movies ever made, “This is Spinal Tap”, is a mockumentary about a failing heavy metal band. At one point in the film, guitarist Nigel is explaining his amplifier to a filmmaker who is doing a piece on the band. “It’s very special, because, as you can see–the numbers all go […]
Thinking Outside the Book
As I was growing up, we had a kindly old family doctor who would make house calls if you couldn’t come to his office (yes, I’m that old). When he retired, his son took over the practice and took care of me during my anxiety-ridden teenage years. There was a time when I had difficulty […]
Digital is Not Always the Answer
In my basement, I still have a box of vinyl records and another of cassette tapes. Nearby are some shoeboxes full of photos, and a stack of 35mm slide carousels. Next to these is a rack with some 3-ring binders stuffed with lecture notes which I used when I stood before a class of anxious […]
Student Debt
We Americans are totally at home with the concept of borrowing our way to prosperity. Our government does it, so why shouldn’t we? Total U.S. credit card debt is around $604 Trillion, and contrary to popular opinion, we are not paying it down. When it comes to owing money, the number that should concern us […]
Skipping College
Two of the most famous college dropouts of our time are Steve Jobs and Bill Gates. Steve felt he was wasting his parents’ money, and was convinced he could do better selling circuit boards out of their garage. Bill got booted from the Harvard dorm for running an illegal software business, and decided to quit […]
The Good Grade Pill
“One pill makes you larger, and one pill makes you small. And the ones that mother gives you, don’t do anything at all.” (opening lines of “White Rabbit” by Jefferson Airplane). Just as physics teaches us that nature seeks the lowest possible energy state, so are humans wired to search for the “Easy Button”, or […]
College Students as an Investment
People have been talking about a college diploma as a valuable investment for far too long now; it’s time to put up or shut up. Higher education as it is practiced today is arguably the most highly subsidized business there is; not including tax breaks or funds earmarked for research, the number is […]
