Engineering Readings

Here are some inspirational readings/viewing that will help get you in the right frame of mind for tackling your 401 course of study and getting ready to start your career. Enjoy these as you prepare to take the following steps in your journey and face more extensive and complex issues in your labs.

Act like you make $1000/hr
How to think like a programmer
Solving Problems
The 5 Whys
The Super Mario Effect

Discussion Questions

What’s the one thing I bring to this career (and a potential employer) that nobody else can?

My focus is my biggest asset. It drives me to learn new skills and not be distracted by anything during that time. It gives me the drive to force my way through any problem I find. Most importantly, it gives me the ability to break problems apart and solve them piece by piece and not be overwhelmed by the size or scope of the problem.

What three things will I start doing to “un-stick” myself whenever I get stuck on a challenging piece of code, logic, or feature?

1. I must remove myself from distractions. When I become distracted, even for a moment, I lose several minutes each time. It takes me a lot to get my thoughts back on topic and work toward a solution once again.
2. Break the problem down into more minor issues that can be solved individually. If I can find a solution for each piece, I can later use that logic to refactor the code into something a bit cleaner.
3. Step away and disconnect for a time. It may seem counterproductive to the first point; however, sometimes, the best way to solve a problem is to step away and clear my mind. Then, coming back to it with a fresh perspective usually leads to a solution to the problem.