This is great writing. I'm wondering if, before you were studying engineering in school, were you into making things or writing software on your own? Or was engineering mostly an academic subject...
This is great writing.
I'm wondering if, before you were studying engineering in school, were you into making things or writing software on your own? Or was engineering mostly an academic subject for you?
Thanks, skybrian! I did love playing with K’Nex as a kid. Never really got into Legos, but I spent many hours building things with K’Nex. I felt like they had much more interesting geometry and...
Thanks, skybrian!
I did love playing with K’Nex as a kid. Never really got into Legos, but I spent many hours building things with K’Nex. I felt like they had much more interesting geometry and allowed for much more interesting creations.
I also took a few programming electives in high school, but they weren’t too rigorous and I did them really just because they meant mostly unstructured time on the computers with my friends. We learned programming basics and coded in Pascal and Java. I actually liked the coding a lot but never really went further with it.
Engineering as a career path was an academic choice, and one not made by me. I don’t ever remember sitting down and evaluating what I wanted my major to be. Engineering was just this predetermined trajectory from my parents — my dad especially.
I look at it the same as my “decision” to go to college. The question was never “are you going to go to college?” but “which college are you going to go to?”. That path was already established and immutable. The lane allowed for a little bit of wiggle room but had very clear boundaries. Similarly, it was “what field of engineering do you want to go into: civil? mechanical? electrical?” Non-engineering majors were outside the lane and might as well have not existed for me, as going against their plan and wishes for me was, at the time, unthinkable.
When I was in high school, not everyone went to college, but the other two choices seemed to be either getting some job locally or enlisting, and those options seemed unappealing. The smart kids...
When I was in high school, not everyone went to college, but the other two choices seemed to be either getting some job locally or enlisting, and those options seemed unappealing. The smart kids went to college, I was pretty invested in being smart, and I assumed I'd meet other smart people there.
I see a lot of impressive K'Nex roller coasters out there. The parts look like they might be suitable for combining with 3D printing?
I had pretty much the same options. I’m not mad at all that college was prescribed to me (even though it wasn’t my choice, it was definitely the right one for me). And I’d never thought about...
I had pretty much the same options. I’m not mad at all that college was prescribed to me (even though it wasn’t my choice, it was definitely the right one for me).
And I’d never thought about combining K’Nex with 3D printing but you’re right: you could probably come up with some really neat additions/configurations. At this point someone could probably just 3D print their K’Nex pieces if they really wanted to.
Oof. That hit a little too close to home for me with regards to my own father. I'm glad you made something positive out of it all though. Thanks for sharing your story. p.s. Feel free to let me...
Oof. That hit a little too close to home for me with regards to my own father. I'm glad you made something positive out of it all though. Thanks for sharing your story.
p.s. Feel free to let me know if there is any tags you would like me to remove, @kfwyre. I just added them as I read.
The tags look great. Thanks for doing that, cfabbro. And sorry that things with your father were tough for you too. If you need to share anything, either here or by PM, I’m an open and...
The tags look great. Thanks for doing that, cfabbro.
And sorry that things with your father were tough for you too. If you need to share anything, either here or by PM, I’m an open and understanding ear.
This is great writing.
I'm wondering if, before you were studying engineering in school, were you into making things or writing software on your own? Or was engineering mostly an academic subject for you?
Thanks, skybrian!
I did love playing with K’Nex as a kid. Never really got into Legos, but I spent many hours building things with K’Nex. I felt like they had much more interesting geometry and allowed for much more interesting creations.
I also took a few programming electives in high school, but they weren’t too rigorous and I did them really just because they meant mostly unstructured time on the computers with my friends. We learned programming basics and coded in Pascal and Java. I actually liked the coding a lot but never really went further with it.
Engineering as a career path was an academic choice, and one not made by me. I don’t ever remember sitting down and evaluating what I wanted my major to be. Engineering was just this predetermined trajectory from my parents — my dad especially.
I look at it the same as my “decision” to go to college. The question was never “are you going to go to college?” but “which college are you going to go to?”. That path was already established and immutable. The lane allowed for a little bit of wiggle room but had very clear boundaries. Similarly, it was “what field of engineering do you want to go into: civil? mechanical? electrical?” Non-engineering majors were outside the lane and might as well have not existed for me, as going against their plan and wishes for me was, at the time, unthinkable.
When I was in high school, not everyone went to college, but the other two choices seemed to be either getting some job locally or enlisting, and those options seemed unappealing. The smart kids went to college, I was pretty invested in being smart, and I assumed I'd meet other smart people there.
I see a lot of impressive K'Nex roller coasters out there. The parts look like they might be suitable for combining with 3D printing?
I had pretty much the same options. I’m not mad at all that college was prescribed to me (even though it wasn’t my choice, it was definitely the right one for me).
And I’d never thought about combining K’Nex with 3D printing but you’re right: you could probably come up with some really neat additions/configurations. At this point someone could probably just 3D print their K’Nex pieces if they really wanted to.
Oof. That hit a little too close to home for me with regards to my own father. I'm glad you made something positive out of it all though. Thanks for sharing your story.
p.s. Feel free to let me know if there is any tags you would like me to remove, @kfwyre. I just added them as I read.
The tags look great. Thanks for doing that, cfabbro.
And sorry that things with your father were tough for you too. If you need to share anything, either here or by PM, I’m an open and understanding ear.