I am a senior at the university of toledo and im pretty close to graduating. This past summer semester i had a laboratory class involving mechanics of materials and mechanical vibrations. I had took my vibrations class in summer of 2006 and did ok in it, but after taking the lab class, i realized that the teacher did not teach us anything useful. I was the only one in the class that didnt have a clue what was going on. I mean i had no idea what mode shapes were and how to solve problems involving them.
After taking this lab class and barely getting through with the vibrations part of it, ive started thinking that maybe i should go back and take the class again with a teacher that i know teaches the class well.
My question is, in your opinion, would this be a good idea, or a waste of time? I dont think i want to do design work when i finish school, nor do i want to do research and development. I kinda think i want to go into manufacturing or process engineering.
2007-08-11 09:14:22 · 3 answers · asked by Mike G 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
One of the reasons i ask is that if i take this class, it will be during my co-op semester and i will have to leave work a little bit earlier to get to this class, and some of my time at my job will be devoted to studying this class. Im not sure if it would be worth it or not. They say the work experience is much more valuable than the classes.
2007-08-11 09:16:29 · update #1
Don't re-take the class. I've had a lot of professors who didn't teach me anything, and I'm doing quite alright
You're correct about the co-op, that its MUCH more important than a vibrations class. It'll give you something good to talk about during interviews and such.
Besides, unless you're going into grad school for ME, you're probably never going to use vibrations, especially if you do manufacturing or process engineering.
2007-08-11 10:08:55 · answer #1 · answered by Duffman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Skip the class and don't waste your time.
There are so many other courses you could take that would be so much more useful to you as an engineer.
Most practical vibration problems occur when dealing with the determination of Seismic loads on equipment, and in the design of equipment support bases to limit vibration during operation. If your not going into design work, skip it.
2007-08-11 19:01:41 · answer #2 · answered by gatorbait 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Definitely, it would be a good idea to have regular classes on how to tackle vibration problems. it would help you allot whether you work as a process engineer or adopt manufacturing as your field of activity.
2007-08-11 20:29:26 · answer #3 · answered by jan 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋