Dennis Preston, PE

     From the moment that you wake in the morning until the time that you head to bed, your life has been touched by the work of engineers. From the clock radio that wakes you to the equipment that provides your home with electricity, water and heat all have been designed by engineers. Your daily transportation: automobiles, buses, trains, planes and ships all were designed by engineers. Likewise, the roads, bridges, and tunnels that you travel on were designed by engineers. And buildings: architects design the look of a building in collaboration with engineers who make sure that it will be strong enough and develop the systems to provide heating air conditioning and plumbing. Your TV, iPod and smart phone are all the products of engineering.

So with all this, why do so few people really know what engineers do? Why are there no TV shows or movies about engineers? Some engineering work is very public and in the news, as with the roll-out of a new aircraft, or at the ribbon cutting for a new grand bridge or the debut of an exciting new electronic gadget. However, most engineering and design work is done quietly in offices out of the limelight and without the drama so favored by entertainment producers. Because of the complexity, magnitude and cost of most projects, engineering design is rarely the work of one individual, but is usually the product of larger teams consisting of many different engineering disciplines. That’s not to say that all engineering is quiet and boring. Engineers do get to test their designs. Think of automobile crash tests for example.

If you like to design, build and test things, then maybe an engineering career is for you. To become an engineer, you need an aptitude for science and mathematics, as well as a curious mind as to how things work. Most engineering positions require a college degree from an accredited institute or university. An engineering degree program will take from 4-to-6 years to complete. Beyond that is on-the-job training that will help give the new engineer the experience and sound judgment needed to succeed in this challenging career field

Dennis Preston is a Connecticut licensed professional engineer. He holds a BS in mechanical engineering from the University of New Haven and an MS in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Career highlights include work on naval nuclear submarines, participating in submarine sea trials, design work for the Hubble space telescope, design and testing of components for the Hexagon spy satellite, design of satellite navigation sensors and engineering for microlithography equipment used in computer chip production.

I’ve heard the statement, “College isn’t for everyone!” And, that may be true but, the decision to go or not to go should be well researched and thought out. A good friend of mine was told by their high school guidance counselor that they weren’t college material and this stuck with that person all their life. Thankfully, they did not listen to the counselor and decided to pursue a degree in business. But statements like that can be debilitating to a young person. We as human beings often grapple with the normal issues of life and when the seed of failure is planted it often festers and grows.

Look, not everyone is going to be a physicist or a brain surgeon, but if you should decide that you want to be a physicist or a brain surgeon, go for it! It might take long hours of study, tutors and some failure, but like every great athlete, the key to success is often practice, practice, practice. If on the other hand you decide that you want to be a chef, work at becoming the best chef ever. Never let anyone fill your head with doubt about your abilities or your potential. Do your own assessment of your skills, and if you are weak in one area work on improving; and little by little you will see the results.

I still remember one of my college professors saying that a college education is not just about obtaining a degree but about expanding one’s views and the development of well rounded individuals. Given the ever changing state of technology and today’s global economy it is more important than ever for American’s to gain a better grasp of math, science and to expand our knowledge of the world, its people and customs.

A post-secondary education not only creates more well rounded individuals, but it enables individuals to compete in the ever competitive global economy. College graduates generally earn more than those less educated, and as individual incomes increase so does the overall well being of the economy and the country. So, one would assume that there is no downside to a college education. But, under current economic conditions and the rising cost of college, a post-secondary education is becoming more and more elusive to more and more Americans. The cost of a college education has been rising precipitously at both private and public colleges. According to the April 13, 2009, Money Magazine article by Penelope Wang, after adjusting for financial aid, the amount families’ pay for college has skyrocketed 439% since 1982.

The average student is faced with high costs for: tuition, room and board, books, transportation and other sundry items. Many are faced with the issue of how to pay for school. Some opt for the military experience as a means of paying for school; others take out student loans and under the current environment, many are steeped in heavy debt due to these loans. Another option is scholarships.

Scholarships can be used to defray the overall cost of tuition and enable many students to attend college. Scholarships are provided by organizations, companies and even individuals to help defray college costs and do not require the student to reimburse the organization. Scholarship criteria differ depending upon the organization.

Finding Scholarships – One possible way to identify scholarships is via Google Alerts. Students can set scholarship criteria such as an alert for art scholarships, music scholarships and any other criterion that may apply to their needs. Another source of college funding is community based scholarships like the Hord Foundation, Inc. of Danbury, CT’s scholarship for African American students of the Greater Danbury area. The Hord Foundation since its inception has awarded close to $4 million in scholarships to over 1,000 students.

My suggestion to all aspiring college students is to do your homework, explore all of your options and remember that there is a payoff for obtaining an undergraduate degree. Over time a college graduate will earn more.