[sdiy] Who Needs a Degree?

[David G. Dixon]

> If I were king, every EE student would spend a year as a technician.
> <snip>

Although I'm a prof in a materials engineering department focusing on
chemical metallurgy, I have had many occasions over the last year to lurk in
the electrical engineering department's storeroom.  One time whilst there to
pick out some resistors, an EE student came in to pick up a "kit" for a
project they all had to make, which included a PC board and a baggie of
assorted ICs and other goodies.  I asked him what he was going to make...

Me: "Hey, that looks pretty cool.  What is it?"

UG: "I dunno.  Just some stupid thing we have to build."

Me: "Oh.  What's it do."

UG: "I'm not really sure."

Me: "Hmm.  Well, do you have to design it."

UG: "No.  It's just like a recipe, we just put it together."

Me: "So you have to solder the parts on to the board...?"

UG: "Yeah, I guess so.  I'm not really sure..."

Me: "Ah.  Well, have fun with that."

UG: "(grumble)"

Feel free to draw your own conclusions about university education in 2010.