ENGR 1101

Introduction to Engineering
Fall 2006

The University of Texas-Pan American

College of Science and Engineering

Objectives
Define

Engineering.
Explain the Characteristics of the Most
Successful Engineering Students.
Review Student Financial Aid Programs.
Assignment:
Write an essay on why YOU are studying engineering and your
engineering major. Please include a discussion about your
future career plans. Due in two weeks, 2-page report, journalist
style.

What does Engineering mean

to YOU?
Few suggestions by students:
Creative Problem Solving.
Creating, designing, testing, and
improving systems.
Applying math and science to life.
The study of how things work and how
we can make them work better.

ABET Definition of Engineering

The

profession in which knowledge of

the mathematical and natural sciences,
gained by study, experience, and
practice, is applied with the judgment to
develop ways to use, economically, the
materials and forces of nature for the
benefit of mankind.

Is there more to Engineering than

Science and Mathematics?
Yes, Engineering is art

Is there more to Engineering than

Science and Mathematics?
Engineering is invention

Is there more to Engineering than

Science and Mathematics?
Engineering is measurement
and estimation

Is there more to Engineering than

Science and Mathematics?
Engineering is approximation,
modeling and simulation

Common Reasons to Study

Engineering

Proficiency in math and science.

Suggested by a high school counselor.
Has a relative who is an engineer.
Heard its a field with tremendous job
opportunities.
Read that it has high starting salaries.
A yearning to understand why/how things
work.

Reasons to Study Engineering

What

is really important is that a student

embarking upon a degree program, and
ultimately a career, understands what
the career entails and the options it
presents.

The Keys to Success (CASPA)

Commitment
Application
Strategy
Perseverance
Associations

Commitment
Decide

to be successful.
Set appropriate goals.
Stay focused.
Stay determined to succeed.
Remind yourself of the reasons you
chose engineering.

Application
Apply

yourself fully to attain your goals.

Work

hard.

Strategy
Work smart and maximize effectiveness.
Know what your instructor assumes you
know.
Make the most of lectures and classroom
time.
Your textbook is a supplement.
Write effective solutions to all problems (clear,
detailed, and organized).
Practice, practice, ask, ask.
Develop an examination technique.

Perseverance
Dont

give up after the first, second, or

third tryKeep trying.
Stay focused on your goals.
Use power thinking.

Associations
Associate

with people that maintain a

positive attitude; people that will help
you attain your goals.
Avoid underachievers and those who do
not share your objectives, for they will
only distract you and may cause you to
deviate from what you set out to
accomplish.

Student Financial Aid

It

is critical that you plan well financially

for your education.

The

true costs of college are far higher

than the tuition you pay at such
schools.

Financial Aid
There

are five main areas from which

you can draw money:
Parents.
Scholarships

and grants .

Loans.
Work-study
Work.

programs.

Scholarships/Grants
It

is your responsibility to seek out

private scholarships and grants. These
may include awards given by your or
your parents employers; grants given to
members of certain ethnic groups; or
funds earmarked for specific majors,
location of colleges, or future career
choices.

Scholarships/Grants
Free National computerized scholarship
search service called fastWEB at
http://www.fastweb.com/
UTPA offers numerous scholarships that
anyone can apply for

http://www.ess.panam.edu/finaid/new%20wp/Types/scholarship.html

Do your own homework to avoid scholarship

service rip-offs.

Loans
Loans

may be secured from lending

institutions and state and federal loan
programs.
These sources can be located by
asking questions to the admissions
officers on campus.
They can provide you with the needed
paperwork to apply for these loans.

Work-Study or Just Plain Work

Work

can be approached in a number

of different ways:
On-campus

or off-campus employment
during school.
Summer jobs.
Internships.
Co-ops.
A combination of the above.

Cooperative Education (co-op)

Academic programs in which college students

are employed in positions directly related to
their major field of study. There are many
types of co-op education:

Alternating: a full semester of employment

alternated with a full semester of school.
Parallel: part-time employment and school on a
concurrent basis.
Back-to-back semesters: two consecutive
semesters of employment, then back to school for
two semesters.

Open Forum

Financial Aid Assignment (due next week):

Written report (typed) of at least three
scholarships/grants available to engineering
students (organization, requirements,
deadlines, more information).