Getting the heck out of engineering school while he's still young! For some reason, this year I'm getting mail directly from the "help me I have a month to get my senior project done" crowd. I always start by pointing them to their prof/teaching assistant/tutor/whatever, but it's hard to decide just how much help to give these guys (none is too little IMHO, but I certainly don't want to spend _much_). (It's a bit too late to point out that it's a bit too late to be starting -- but then, senior projects are about learning things like when to start, I suppose). There needs to be a generic "So you need to finish your senior project" FAQ out there. -- www.wescottdesign.com
[OT-ish] It's Spring, when a young man's thoughts turn to
Started by ●June 2, 2009
Reply by ●June 2, 20092009-06-02
"Tim Wescott" <tim@seemywebsite.com> wrote in message news:WvCdnWXTytfdyrjXnZ2dnUVZ_gChnZ2d@web-ster.com...> For some reason, this year I'm getting mail directly from the "help me I > have a month to get my senior project done" crowd. I always start by > pointing them to their prof/teaching assistant/tutor/whatever, but it's > hard to decide just how much help to give these guys (none is too little > IMHO, but I certainly don't want to spend _much_).You should start selling parts kits with your inverted pendulum demo and point them to it to make a few quick bucks. :-)
Reply by ●June 2, 20092009-06-02
"Tim Wescott" <tim@seemywebsite.com> wrote in message news:WvCdnWXTytfdyrjXnZ2dnUVZ_gChnZ2d@web-ster.com...> Getting the heck out of engineering school while he's still young! > > For some reason, this year I'm getting mail directly from the "help me I > have a month to get my senior project done" crowd. I always start by > pointing them to their prof/teaching assistant/tutor/whatever, but it's > hard to decide just how much help to give these guys (none is too little > IMHO,That really depends on how the question is asked. If its an "I'm an embedded systems master and have an emergency, I need to implement USB. Now I see USB but have doubt. How I implement USB?" Then 'none' is definitely not too little. If its an "I'm trying to use USB for the first time. I started off reading XYZ book, and most of it made sense. However, now I come to implement it it stops working after 5 minutes. I've tried A, B and C to debug the problem, but am having no luck. Can you suggest the next steps I should take" - then I will take the time to try and give an answer. -- Regards, Richard. + http://www.FreeRTOS.org Designed for Microcontrollers. More than 7000 downloads per month. + http://www.SafeRTOS.com Certified by T�V as meeting the requirements for safety related systems.
Reply by ●June 2, 20092009-06-02
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:45:52 -0500, Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.com> wrote:>Getting the heck out of engineering school while he's still young! > >For some reason, this year I'm getting mail directly from the "help me I >have a month to get my senior project done" crowd. I always start by >pointing them to their prof/teaching assistant/tutor/whatever, but it's >hard to decide just how much help to give these guys (none is too little >IMHO, but I certainly don't want to spend _much_). (It's a bit too late >to point out that it's a bit too late to be starting -- but then, senior >projects are about learning things like when to start, I suppose). > >There needs to be a generic "So you need to finish your senior project" >FAQ out there.Tim, You're wa-a-a-ay behind. I'm getting tons of "o-mi-gawd, I can't find a job" inquiries. It's terrible this year... anyone surprised ?:-) ...Jim Thompson -- | James E.Thompson, P.E. | mens | | Analog Innovations, Inc. | et | | Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus | | Phoenix, Arizona 85048 Skype: Contacts Only | | | Voice:(480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat | | E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 | Obama... another Carter, just more ego and less brains or talent
Reply by ●June 2, 20092009-06-02
Tim Wescott wrote:> Getting the heck out of engineering school while he's still young! > > For some reason, this year I'm getting mail directly from the "help me I > have a month to get my senior project done" crowd. I always start by > pointing them to their prof/teaching assistant/tutor/whatever, but it's > hard to decide just how much help to give these guys (none is too little > IMHO, but I certainly don't want to spend _much_). (It's a bit too late > to point out that it's a bit too late to be starting -- but then, senior > projects are about learning things like when to start, I suppose). > > There needs to be a generic "So you need to finish your senior project" > FAQ out there. >It seems that too often the FAQ answer should be: start it when you are a junior. Ed
Reply by ●June 2, 20092009-06-02
On Jun 2, 2:25�pm, ehsjr <eh...@NOSPAMverizon.net> wrote:> > It seems that too often the FAQ answer should be: > start it when you are a junior.Then they would not have any bearing on the real world. You know, the world in which you are only told about the project *after* the promised delivery date...
Reply by ●June 2, 20092009-06-02
On 2009-06-02, FreeRTOS.org <noemail@given.com> wrote:> "Tim Wescott" <tim@seemywebsite.com> wrote > >> Getting the heck out of engineering school while he's still young! >> >> For some reason, this year I'm getting mail directly from the >> "help me I have a month to get my senior project done" crowd. >> I always start by pointing them to their prof/teaching >> assistant/tutor/whatever, but it's hard to decide just how >> much help to give these guys (none is too little IMHO, > > That really depends on how the question is asked. If its an > "I'm an embedded systems master and have an emergency, I need > to implement USB. Now I see USB but have doubt. How I > implement USB?" Then 'none' is definitely not too little.I sometimes get those sorts of e-mails (almost always from one of a small handful of Asian countries). The "student" apparently has absolutely no technical knowlege/skills, and always demands "please send me source codes" or requests step-by-step instructions on how to design something. There's obviously no hope for a poor kid who's managed to make it through 3+ years of engineering school without learning much of anything. They appear unable to even use Google, which raises the question of how do they find the e-mail addresses of people to whom they send questions? Sadly, I've learned to ignore those e-mails.> If its an "I'm trying to use USB for the first time. I > started off reading XYZ book, and most of it made sense. > However, now I come to implement it it stops working after 5 > minutes. I've tried A, B and C to debug the problem, but am > having no luck. Can you suggest the next steps I should take" > - then I will take the time to try and give an answer.Yup, "real" questions (even rather confused ones) on specific topics are always welcome -- though more so on newsgroups and mailing lists than via private e-mail. I usually try to point them towards an appropriate forum and then answer the question there (if I can). -- Grant Edwards grante Yow! I'm in direct contact at with many advanced fun visi.com CONCEPTS.
Reply by ●June 2, 20092009-06-02
Grant Edwards wrote: ...> Yup, "real" questions (even rather confused ones) on specific > topics are always welcome -- though more so on newsgroups and > mailing lists than via private e-mail. I usually try to point > them towards an appropriate forum and then answer the question > there (if I can).I like it when the questions come early enough for the answers to be of possible use. We got to know Julius Kusuma when he was a senior at Purdue. It was clear then that he could think (and nobody here ever said "I told you so!" Jerry -- Engineering is the art of making what you want from things you can get. �����������������������������������������������������������������������
Reply by ●June 2, 20092009-06-02
On Jun 2, 5:09�pm, Jerry Avins <j...@ieee.org> wrote:> Grant Edwards wrote: > > � �... > > > Yup, "real" questions (even rather confused ones) on specific > > topics are always welcome -- though more so on newsgroups and > > mailing lists than via private e-mail. �I usually try to point > > them towards an appropriate forum and then answer the question > > there (if I can). > > I like it when the questions come early enough for the answers to be of > possible use. We got to know Julius Kusuma when he was a senior at > Purdue. It was clear then that he could think (and nobody here ever said > "I told you so!" > > JerryGuilty as charged! (The asking questions part. The thinking part I leave to you). The Julius Kusuma ;-)
Reply by ●June 2, 20092009-06-02
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 10:51:54 -0700, Jim Thompson <To-Email-Use-The-Envelope-Icon@My-Web-Site.com> wrote:>On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:45:52 -0500, Tim Wescott <tim@seemywebsite.com> >wrote: > >>Getting the heck out of engineering school while he's still young! >> >>For some reason, this year I'm getting mail directly from the "help me I >>have a month to get my senior project done" crowd. I always start by >>pointing them to their prof/teaching assistant/tutor/whatever, but it's >>hard to decide just how much help to give these guys (none is too little >>IMHO, but I certainly don't want to spend _much_). (It's a bit too late >>to point out that it's a bit too late to be starting -- but then, senior >>projects are about learning things like when to start, I suppose). >> >>There needs to be a generic "So you need to finish your senior project" >>FAQ out there. > >Tim, You're wa-a-a-ay behind. I'm getting tons of "o-mi-gawd, I >can't find a job" inquiries. It's terrible this year... anyone >surprised ?:-)All from H1B holders.
