Hi guys! Welcome to my discussion on what engineering meant to me and the resolve I have developed based on my own aspirations and decisions. I am an Astronautical Engineering undergraduate in Viterbi with a Minor in Psychology and Law. Though space and engineering are highly interesting to me, I still find psychology fascinating and it allows me to reach beyond the challenges of engineering and into a realm completely different in its set of challenges. I joined engineering for the challenge, another obstacle that would test me in life. I find that the most rewarding feelings in life is that of accomplishment and not only putting forth your best effort, but also seeing the fruits of your labor. Yes, drafting, manufacturing, and testing are great skills to have, but engineering begs so much more. It is another mode of thinking, instilling in you an efficiency perspective that revolves around self-confirmed derivations and logical judgment. It is from this judgment that I became interested in Psychology and Law.
Psychology provides another mode of evaluation, one which emphasizes observation and deduction over numerical probabilities. It gives a deeper insight into human behavior and tendencies. Whether you observe posture, gait, tone, expression, or individual actions, you can learn volumes from someone without even carrying a conversation. These two modes of thought, one logical and the other psychological, provides, what I believe to be one of the most complete ways of evaluation and thought.
For all freshmen! I challenge you to look within yourself to determine what separates you from other engineers, whether it is an interest in cinema or business, Viterbi especially, fosters an environment conducive to creating interdisciplinary and well-rounded engineers. With such outstanding academia at USC, take advantage of education and learning. Get involved in design teams, join martial arts organizations, find a job, or even pick up a second major or minor. At the very least, take a course that interests you outside of engineering and use it to make yourself a better engineer. Continue to challenge yourself and if you have any questions, need advice, or just want to talk about all things interesting, do not hesitate!
