more engineering - a few more cents

Those of you who have heard me blab, you may have noted that I try to use a story (either one I've experienced myself, or something that someone has related to me) in order to show that I can relate, or to emphasize a point. For a listener...indeed, for anyone chatting in general, there's nothing quite as empathetic as a well shaped story. We watch movies, read novels, chat on the phone, in order to obtain a story. My high school mentor once told me that...no one has a boring testimony. I think, until you believe that for yourself (ie believe that you have worthwhile things to share), it would be rather difficult for you to apply that mentality to other people. After all...we are called to love each other as we love ourselves. Does that not suggest that we should learn to accept ourselves and know thyself? (okok, I'll stop with the cheesy quotes).

Anyways. I got the chance to chat with another electrical engineer about career decisions and what is to come. Being in Controls, he talked alot about theory vs application. About how this field only has a handful of theories I must know, and the rest is just applying it to a variety of different environments. Of how PIC programming and block diagrams are only so interesting, and how Controls engineers can branch out beyond PID controllers and learn about the plants (such as motors, for example) to become more well rounded. Of how Controls is all about staying on top of the current technology. Of how we must be willing to continously learn about the changing technology, in order to apply them. After all, controls is about integration.

He challenged me to think about the future. Am I willing to relocate? Do I want to go for management type positions? Do I want to travel? Stress on family? Stablity? Am I willing to work for someone younger than myself? Less qualified than myself? Can I handle project management? Do I want to deal with other engineers, or be management? I have no idea. I suppose I never though too much about career...but considering that it's something we'll be doing for a long time, it deserves more thought.

Its funny, how topics like this don't tend to come up on CCF circles. People typically like to talk about spiritual stuff. Or school things. Or relationship, boy/girl issues. Very here and now type of stuff. Not saying that's bad. But life isn't that compartmentalized.

Haha. There's something amusing about hearing PID controllers and other nerdy things from non-Waterloo people. I guess that officially makes me a nerd. =P Call it...professional interest. Haha.

More engineering - thoughts from the real world

So I was at a party for a ministry I used to be part of (obviously not anymore, since I'm not in Calgary these days, haha), where I found myself chatting with the ministry co-director (I also found out that his wife was childhood friends with my Fourth Year Design adviser. Small world, I guess. Haha), who I found out, was an electrical engineer. Naturally, I hopped on this opportunity to ask questions.

What did you think of Engineering (school)?
Too general. I guess it's not just us who feel that we don't really learn all that much at school. The designation of "specialization", something we get with just a handful of courses (ie 2 or 3) doesn't really mean we know enough to do something. Theory is rather different than application, something some of us figured out on co-op.

But he emphasized the learning skills (ie how to cram in very little time), problem solving (maybe I should go find some arties and see how they engage in problem solving...I still don't get the whole engineering vs non-engineering thinking thing) and ability to project/time manage (ie 4 lab courses), and operate under stress (ie no sleep).

Yeah okay. That's pretty good stuff.

How did you end up doing your current field of work?
I suppose I'm like most people in that I have very little idea of what I want to do. Yeah, there's Biomed Engg. But BME is a rather general degree. He shared with me how he couldn't get into the field he wanted too, and eventually ended up with a job that had little to do with electrical engineering. Switched jobs after 10 years. Hopped a bit. Eventually ended up at his current job, a field he had no initial interest in. Totally enjoys it (I guess jobs that are fun actually exist. Haha) now.

So coming out all directionless and confused is normal. Or...at least...rather common. Good thing to be reminded, after seeing many of my classmates having already decided what they want to be heading into.

Where does God fit into all this?
His theory is that God uses little things ("oh, this Communication course sucks. I aint taking this no more"), job market and whatnot to set us on the road towards His plans. Keep an open mind and keep praying. Cliche, but that's how it is. Our lines will converge into His.

I think, our unwillingness to accept uncertainity had led rise to many theories about God's hands in our decision making. I can think of three just offhand.

• No matter how hard you mess up, you can't mess up God's plans. God created all things, including me. Since we're only a small piece of His creation, He is "bigger" than all things, thus I cannot mess Him up. However, we've see many cases, even from the Bible (Jonah is a good example), where people tried to run, but God chased them down and convinced them to perform their task of calling anyway. But at the end of the day, it's in your own free will that decides what to do. God won't force the point.
  

• You can't mess up God's plans, because God would've seen it happen from His outside-of-time-ness. Is it possible to surprise God? I'll refrain from getting into this one, because it'll lead to a predestination-freewill debate. The Christian in me says who cares, God controls it all regardless. The apologist in me tells me that it's not a good enough answer. I've got nothing right now =P. Should research/think about further later. In any case, this school of thought would suggest that freewill doesn't really exist, and that we only have precieved degrees-of-freedom, and doesn't actually have any.
  

• Or...some combination of the two theories. Holy Spirit could present ideas that you precieve as your own and you carry it out, thus eventually leading you to God's plans, but you don't actually have total free thought without interference. But you could still choose to reject the ideas.
  

Umm. Just watching and praying isn't exactly that practical...
Perhaps not. For many, the desire to have direction and works one can carry out sometimes conflict with the concept of faith. But...can I not study and expect a good mark? Can I not attend interviews and expect a job? At what point am I thinking too much, and just need to give it up to Him?

Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on you.

- Saint Teresa of Avila

Keep at it. Watch and pray. Because when we're promised wisdom...

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

- James 1.5

...the wisdom that James is descibing is directions in decision making. So keep asking questions.

Individual

So I was chatting with Amanda Tang the other day, and she shared with me how, because her and Joanna typically introduce themselves as twins, people have a higher tendency to confuse the two of them (even though they don't actually lookalike). The solution seemed obvious: introduce yourselves as individual people, not as twins. "But we naturally introduce ourselves as twins..."

We have a tendency to introduce ourselves in relation to other people. When people know who my brother is (because he's more popular than I am, haha), I'm "Jackson's brother." When it's to CCF people, I'm "Jorge's classmate." "Phil's hockey team." "Herman's committee." "Dr Dickerson's student." Sometimes it is the organizations we belong to that identifies us. UWCCF. NTCBC. UWOACF. CCAC. Something about having these associations connects us with other people faster. Provides us with a sense of belonging. Etc.

I think one very important point that we sometimes forget is that...we are not saved collectively. The offer of Salvation is an individual one; weither or not I'm saved has nothing to do with the state of my fellowship or church, that God is about personal relationships. So...while it's awesome that I'm part of many fellowships, membership in these fellowships will not, for a second, tell me anything about my Salvation.

If we're removed from all the social relationships we're associated with...all the clubs and fellowships. All the friends and family. What does that leave you? How are you defined? If we took away the 2nd year Biomed Sci student, how would the twin define herself? (Or...if you don't happen to have a twin, you can replace that with whatever people/organization you've got. Haha). Because to Him, we're not just a face in the sea of faces.

Generalizations

So I was sitting in the SLC the other day, trying to get in some good time for my Circuits course. The SLC was noiser than the usual mouse clicking and paper rustling; there was a group of brown people that were talking rather loudly. A few of us had to go tell them to keep it down, and eventually they left; the whole time, I was thinking...those inconsiderate brown people! Don't they know this is the QUIET study room? Sheesh...

I then started thinking about all the times CCF people caused a disturbance...well. We always try to keep it outside, right? We're better than these people...random crowds of Chinese people...like sure, we have a tendency to stand at the most crowded places possible and laugh uncontrollably, but...we're rather considerate people, right?

The stereotypical Christian. Why do we have such bad image with non-Christian people? Among my non-Christian friends, I've had to reassure some of them that I'm not trying to convert them with my every move, and I try my best to live a non-hypocritical life. I tell them, just because they've had bad experiences with Christians before, it doesn't mean we're ALL like that. Some of us are trying to live the life we're call to...really. But when I try to work with people, the barriers raised by the people before me are things I must overcome.

Recalling that, I began to think about my brown friends and classmates. Some of them are rather nice people. They're considerate. They're respectful. They're cool people. But our readilness to clump people in categories and overgeneralize a few bad example to the larger public was a bit alarming.

I guess I'm just as quick to judge as everyone else.