February 2008 Issue
STUDENT COLUMN
Going Way, Way Up
BY MELISSA TIERNEY
University of Calgary
Student Columnist
(Engineering)
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“Engineering is a very challenging and competitive field, where you have to exceed expectations and excel in every aspect in order to be successful.” These were the first words we heard as first-year engineering students at our induction ceremony at the University of Calgary, and these are the words that have haunted us during every lecture, quiz and final that we’ve taken since.
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ZOOPERHEROES ON THE LOOSE |
Exceeding expectations and excelling in all of our classes calls for a fair bit more than the simple “Cs Get Degrees” mantra our friends reassure us with. In reality, excellence is what is expected of engineers, and even the freshmen are realizing this fact as they begin searching for their first engineering summer jobs.
Many students began their search during the September Science and Engineering Career Fair at the university, where more than 100 engineering-related businesses attempted to draft the best and brightest engineering students. While most companies were looking for graduating or master’s students, many representatives were eager to speak with the freshmen as well. A few even offered summer studentships, a great opportunity for students and businesses alike.
“Hiring bright students after their first year gives the students a chance to experience engineering first-hand, and often sparks an interest that may be dwindling after a hard first year of study,” said one company representative. “We’ve also seen that students who come to us initially often end up coming back every summer, and eventually secure a full-time position with the company after graduation.”
While the University of Calgary does not require that we work in the engineering field before graduation, it is highly encouraged. “Working during your summer provides an excellent resumé boost, and can create network contacts that will help secure better jobs later,” suggested another representative at the career fair.
The U of C also supports student work with the Internship Program, which has students work for a term of six to 24 months between their third and fourth years.
Even students who choose not to work in engineering after their first year are conscious of the job market. As one student put it, “You’ve always got to be thinking about it. Everything you do affects your resumé, good or bad.”
According to Employment Alberta, engineering opportunities are on the rise,
creating a superior job market for graduating students. The job boom creates
a need for even more rigorous recruitment, though enrolment at the Schulich School
of Engineering at the U of C is at an all-time high.
One tactic at the U of C is the Minds in Motion summer camps.
Setting Young Minds in Motion
Minds in Motion camps are a series of week-long summer camps for children from
the first grade up to high school. “The goal is to get students interested
in science and engineering as early as we can,” explains a Minds in Motion
employee.
The first camp, Early Minds, is for Grades 1 and 2, and it allows children to shape their analytical minds by dissecting owl pellets, learning about chemistry and building simple machines. Grades 3 to 6 use LEGO Mindstorms (the same materials used in the first-year design and communication class, which I wrote about last month), to experiment with robotics. Higher-level thinking is employed with the junior high students, who dissect an organism and program their own robots.
Technology camps are also offered for ages eight to 13, where students discover robotics, programming, gaming and website design. More information on these camps can be found at www.ucalgarykids.ca/campsforkids/minds-in-motion.
ENGG Week
Kicking off second semester at the U of C is the infamous ENGG Week. Events this
year include a citywide scavenger hunt, ENGG Factor (like television’s
Fear Factor, but with no prize money and more disgusting challenges), a film
festival and of course a tug-of-war against the
business students.
ENGG Week proceeds have gone to charity since its inception seven years ago. Previous charities have included the Calgary Home Urban Project Society, the Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter and the Make a Wish Foundation.
This year the judges decided to make the Light Up the World Foundation the beneficiary of all proceeds raised during the week. LUTW utilizes renewable energy and solid-state lighting to bring environmentally responsible illumination to those who do not have access to reliable lighting. The humanitarian organization has brightened more than 14,000 homes in 42 developing nations.
Watch for updates on ENGG Week in the next edition of The PEGG.