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Amanda’s Quotes #21

[106-111] As far as senior design, last semester we were trying to develop a prototype for an ankle brace that’s supposed to prevent ankle sprains. And then this semester it’s more trying to perform testing to validate the product. So, I try to look first and improve our design on the brace because we got a prototype, but we still wanted to improve our prototype. Currently, we are conducting the testing which is basically building ankle which can do inversion and eversion. Then we will see if the brace is preventing it to rotate.

[115-122] We have three different tests in mind. The other test was a tensile test so you basically take the brace, put it in a tensile machine and the machine like drags it out and then it can get the formation curve. Also, we’re thinking about doing a fatigue test to see how many times the brace can rotate or perform before it’s going to break. That information is good to know how long would it last before the customer has to buy a new brace. But we knew we weren’t going to have time to do all three of the tests, so we decided to do the tensile testing and the first test I was talking about. That’s been a plan the whole time. We got maybe halfway or something with both of the tests.

[124-127] Maybe a bit more like 65%. But then this virus happened so now we’re not allowed to be at school or be at the lab so we’re not going to be able to perform the tensile test because that’s with a machine that was at our university. So now we’re only doing the test to test the brace itself. The one I was explaining first about where the ankle is rotating.

[132-135] Yeah, so I’m proving the design we’re doing all the time like we’re doing currently similar testing. We hope to have a prototype that we think will work in May when we’re graduating. The testing has to be complete this semester even though we’re testing when our product is not working because that’s a part of the curriculum that we had to perform some testing.

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amanda quotes

Amanda’s Quotes #24

[192-197] For the controls class itself, it’s mostly PowerPoint and he’s also posted them on the university page which makes it easier to study for the tests. It’s a lot of math in it so sometimes we do a problem and then he works through it in MATLAB and all of us have computers in the classroom. Then we are just trying to follow. He’s very good at MATLAB so he has a tendency to do it way too quickly than we can write in all the commands. So, we’re trying to write down what he’s doing in MATLAB but he’s going too fast to be able to do it. But the concept is good.

[199-204] Then for the lab that’s only once a week, three hours long. We usually start with a quiz and the quiz represents what we’ve been doing in the classroom, but they don’t coordinate it, so the quiz is about a topic we haven’t even done in the class. So, we have never been able to do the quiz. We always get the quiz and then we realize we cannot do it so then we just start working on the lab. So, we have to take home the quiz and turn it in another day. For the lab, we can get lab manuals where it can tell us from the beginning it’s very simple because they give us step by step.

[206-212] Like click here, click here, click here. The more we’re getting into it is just all this is what he wants. Just find it. And then it’s become difficult because we’re not used to using any software so much. It’s a software called Simulink and we also use MATLAB so that has been very challenging to do something without instructions. We always need help from the professor and it’s only one lab professor for the whole class. Sometimes the instructions don’t show us what to do about the issue that students are facing. Then it takes a long time for him to help every student so then he can see you’re not doing anything for a long time just because you’re stuck and can’t get help.

[218-222] Yeah. So, in lab since we’re using so much equipment in the lab you have to finish it while you’re there if you don’t want to come back on Friday afternoon. You can go to his office hours and get help so you’re basically just waiting for your turn for him to come. If he realizes that you’re running out of time compared to when class is going to end, and you’re not done he tries to help a lot and he’s helping get us through is goals quickly. Of course, he can finish in a much faster time so he can help us through that.

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Josh’s Quotes #2

[220; 234-241] I came in as a mechanical engineering student. That first semester was very introductory into everything, college, engineering. It was mostly review: I had a chemistry course and I had Calculus I which I had already had in high school. So, there was a lot of repeat but I think they did that on purpose to transition you into college life, and it’s a different mindset obviously. But they started and gave us just a basic run down of what engineering was going to be. They split it up and gave us I want to say six or seven weeks in electrical discipline and six or seven weeks of mechanical discipline. The purpose is, if you decide you’re in the wrong one, you can switch without being behind in the spring semester.

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Josh’s Quotes #3

[245-257] I really enjoyed my classes in the fall. We built a robot, and we built a catapult completely from scratch to our specifications. In the spring, we got into specifically mechanical engineering. I had an intro to mechanical engineering course, and we did six weeks in the computer lab and six weeks in the machine shop where we designed, fabricated and assembled a soft blow hammer and a tumbler. It’s a plastic block with a metal swing arm on it and you can you just crank it endlessly; it’s like a little toy. That was to teach us how to deal with tolerance, to get pieces to fit together. They also, in the catapult project, put us into groups because the purpose of engineering is to learn to work in a group as well as doing things on your own. So, those definitely satisfied that curiosity of saying, “How can I make this machine make a piece of solid metal into some intricate design? And how can I transfer that skill into a different project and use it in this way?”

[258-263] So, I feel like that only increased my desire and I still wanted to be an engineer. The schooling, obviously as we go on, gets harder and becomes more of a workload. But, I still have that curiosity. We’re doing less hands on now than we are doing theoretical work, and I think the hands on is what keeps me interested. But the theoretical work does satisfy me to an extent because it’s still the satisfaction of solving problems or figuring out equations and finding the right numbers.

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Josh’s Quotes #5

(6-9) So when the semester began I got to see all my friends. You know, I got to see the people who I had missed over the break. I also was excited for the start of the new classes.

(16-17; 19-20) Then I had a bad grade on a thermo exam. And it was a 78 percent, which for me is a fairly low grade, the teacher did tell me that I was in a fine spot, she told me it wasn’t a big deal, so once I got over my own personal opinion on it I was able to look past it and continue the semester.

(279-283; 294-296) With that thermo grade, it really wasn’t that difficult for me to overcome it because when she told me it wasn’t a bad grade, I kind of went what do you mean that’s not a bad grade? Because to me it is. But when she told me that I was fine, and that I had four more exams to make up for it, I just took that to heart and I just committed myself to say okay, well now I know. You know, I’ve got to make sure I’m on top. It’s kind of just a mental commitment more so than anything. It is more studying, I think a little bit more. But I think it’s more so asking questions and making sure I understand the concepts in a deeper sense.

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Josh’s Quotes #6

(24-28) And then [in thermo] I felt like I started understanding more, so I felt like it started getting higher. And we had the strength class that I had, we only have two exams in the semester. And our first exam, I ended up doing very well on. So that really boosted my confidence as long as with doing well in these other classes. And that was right before we went on winter break.

(34-38) And then right when I came back, the classes almost unexpectedly have just seemed like a whole bunch more work, and not just in the classroom but outside the classroom with extracurriculars, seemed to be increased. So it kind of took a fast down slope. And I had multiple exams, I had two or three weeks where I had an exam or two every week. I was constantly walking around stressed. It was just a very difficult time. And obviously made it through it, and I did relatively well, but some of the grades weren’t as good as I’d like them to be. But it was still a stressful time.

(306-310) So the low point, I’d say was mostly because of stress, not because of any grades I was getting. Because I just felt like with all of the things I do on and off campus, and all my classes, I was constantly going somewhere and doing something. So I would feel like I don’t have any time in the day to relax, which is bad for me, because if I don’t have time to relax, then I’m just burning myself out day after day after day.

(311-312; 336-337) . . . the way that I got through that was through a combination of committing—It was more, what’s the word? I planned out more so, when I was going to do my work and how I was going to do it, than just going along and seeing what would happen. It’s having everything in the Google calendar and being able to look ahead and say this is when I can afford to take a break, this is when I have to do my work.

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Josh’s Quotes #7

(176-177; 179-183) So the [mechatronics] practicum, he—well, so we are usually working in groups of two in class when we do labs, when we do projects, anything like that. When you come in he gives you, basically a lab sheet like you would with any other thing, except you’re expected to do it on your own. So we basically start with a hundred, and then every time you have to ask for help or you get something wrong, he deducts points. And you’re based on your ability to build and test a circuit without the assistance of the professor.

(145; 201-203) . . . right now we’re also working on a design project. I only have one team member. I know my team member from last semester. And this semester we have a lot of classes together, so we’ve gotten to know each other a lot better, so we work together well. But it’s very low stress environment. We’re both very open to the other’s ideas, and if we don’t understand, we’re honest about it.

(434-436; 438; 446-450; 439) I don’t interact with all of my peers, but the peers that I do interact are pretty much the same ones that I see day to day and that I interact day to day and it’s a very helpful environment. And I mean not everyone likes everyone. I’m not saying this is the case, but I might be a quiet introverted person and someone might be loud and extroverted, and I don’t want to be around them. Or they might be rude and obnoxious and I don’t want to be around it or vice versa. Someone may consider me rude and obnoxious. Or when I answer the questions in class, people might consider me a teacher’s pet, but we can put aside our differences to help each other.

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Josh’s Quotes #11

[75-132] Then classes started. I was feeling little down because I missed the experience over the summer. The second week of school, I found out there is the sophomore year award. It’s awarded by highest GPA. Over the summer, they have allocated $500 to me. After that it was a pretty even point for two weeks. Then everything started to get harder. Because of all the stress, my first exam was on the down curve. However, I did well on the exam. I had so much work to do. It was hard to stay motivated. I have to give up my leisure activities. Two weeks ago. I was supposed to be taking an exam, but I didn’t understand the material. I was overwhelmed. There was one day I spent 12 hours working on lab reports. I was trying to find new habits and working with friends to find new ways to achieve goal. I had the second machine design exam during fall break, and I did very well. Hopefully I can maintain it for the rest of the semester.

[239-373; 430-439; 467-489; 526-539] This semester has been the hardest I have ever had in my life. I never had a mentally challenging experience. I wouldn’t be here without my professors. I get enough amount individualized of help that allows me to be successful. I have five lectures and two labs. I have a thermodynamics lab or a fluids lab which builds on the thermo class last semester. I also have a microprocessors lab for my degree. Machine design is the longest class. Professor has a notepad. Everyone in the room knows each other fairly well because it’s not a huge program. He keeps us engaged by making jokes.

For system modeling and analysis, we’re modeling a system, predicting its performance and optimize it. It’s been a difficult class because the professor is new. It was a big transition for her. She was just out of grad school. She was expecting us to know a lot of things that we didn’t learn before. There’s homework that’s due every week. With the thermo lab, the first week we do a demo with machine we’re working with. Then we have supplemental activity to do with the data on our own. The lab report is on an A3 size piece of paper. It’s printed out as poster. It definitely teaches me have to simplify after getting complicated results. We had a class learning how to use programs. It’s a supplemental. The memo format is a one-page summary report which most people had anywhere from eight to 12 pages.

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Josh’s Quotes #12

[377-415; 496-510; 656-673] Our fluids professor can be a bit hard on us. It does get annoying since I’m coming here to learn, not get chastised for asking questions. He definitely knows what he’s talking about and good at explaining. He called on random people in lectures. One time, I was working on a homework. I’m trying to be efficient by making a table, I asked him if it’s acceptable, and his response threw me off guard. He said, “Yes, but you should ask what’s the maximum I can do instead of minimum.” In my mind, I’m just trying to be efficient and make it easier to read.

For micro lab, I asked my professor a lot of questions. She would explain it until I understood. Knowing when you have a problem and seeking out the help before it becomes an issue that you can’t solve. I have a lot of interactions with faculties in school. The new professor has become a very good person to talk to because usually after I asked her a question about a lab report, we discus about how things goes for 40 minutes.

During an event orientation, a professor I had last semester pat my shoulder to say hello, so later I walked to his office. Even though we are both busy, we still talked for 20 minutes about my co-op and how I’m doing in school. The machine design professor sat down with me before this exam because I feel like I’m going to fail. He made me answer the questions to prove that I knew enough to what I was talking about to do decent on the exam. It’s also finding the time to relax in situations where it feels like I have none. I feel like it’s evident that I talked to my professors. I am very open about things going on in my life.

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amanda quotes

Amanda’s Quotes #26

[380-387] In my first semester it just started off with a ton of homeworks and assignments and test it was a big, big workload so I was kind of forced into it. With my personality I’m always trying to do my best even though it would be enough to just get a passing grade on an assignment. I would not complete an assignment with something I didn’t think I was going to get 100% on. That’s how it started off. That was very annoying. I didn’t like it at all because I came here for soccer and the engineering took over when I didn’t want it to. My last year, my senior year, has been more focused on the engineering but that’s because I wanted it.

[350-353] I would either pursue a master’s in mechanical engineering since I’m doing my bachelor’s in it, or I was thinking about sports engineering but the industry for that is much smaller and maybe not be a good idea to do a master’s in it if it’s difficult to get jobs. One other alternative is industrial engineering and management which is basically a combination about engineering and economics.

[358-363] Before I got here [United States], I applied for different programs back home in my home country and then I applied for industrial engineering and management just because it’s always something I’ve been interested in like in engineering economics as we talked about before. Then, I got here [United States] and after like a couple of semesters I realized I sports engineering was a thing and that is something I’m even more interested in because I love sports. I do enjoy using my brains to solve problems. To put those two together would be something I would enjoy doing.

[375-376] I came here [United States] for my soccer experience and then the engineering has just become a lot bigger than I expected. I spend much more time on it than I expected. I have liked it.

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