Hey everyone, wow this is interesting. I'm taking an entrepreneurial engineering class and Wednesday I was assigned a problem and given a few tools to solve it. We had to use excel solver, data analysis, and then use these equations that weren't fully explained. I spent maybe 6 hours trying to figure it out, searching tutorials and online help and I couldn't figure it out. I got maybe half of it done by today, and was going to turn it in figuring "it's not the best, but some points are better than no points." I was responsible and emailed my professor saying "I need help, when can I come in?" I got an email saying to come in early before class, but I got it to late and wasn't able to make it. When I got to class I said sorry I couldn't make it, and here's the kicker, "I expected many people to have trouble, we'll be going over it in class more today and if you still don't get it you can stay after."
"So how many of you had trouble with the homework?" Most of the class raised their hands. "Want to know why you had trouble? I deliberately didn't teach you everything. This formula sheet, remember it? There's a lot of stuff on there that isn't necessary and wasn't specified what it does. Why'd I do this? Because in the field, you won't be told everything. You'll have to figure it out for yourself." By now my mind is already blown. I realized now what the rules of engagement are in this class. I'm not going to have my hand held, this is close to real. Now for the motivational speech.
"Want to know more about this assignment, this shows your priorities. You have the Internet, with all the world's information at your finger tips. If I said 'come to class an excel expert and you'll get a million dollars' you'd come to class knowing everything to know about excel. You won't be able to just say 'to hard I give up' in the field. Not unless you care about your job."
It's basically common knowledge that in boot camp for the armed services they give you crazy hard tasks to simulate situations in combat, like making you sleep deprived because that's how it'll be in the field and what not. We weren't being tested on if we could use the programs and run calculations, but rather seeing if we could figure out how to do it and give us a reality slap. Wow.
After that we were given the option to either turn in what we had done and receive 5 extra points on top of what the work done, or learn what we have to do and turn it in on Wednesday. I chose Wednesday because I got maybe half of it done if that and would rather get 9 or 10 for full work than get 2 or 3 points plus 5 equaling to 7 or 8. Besides, practice makes perfect.
Turns out that the excel apps need to be loaded off of the options menu to have them available. Well I'm still having trouble with solver. Something isn't set right. This weekend I'm going to look into it some more now that I understand but just need to see if there's something I'm missing. He demonstrated on 2007 and I have 2010. I noticed there was differences. If I don't get it by the end of the long weekend, I'll ask to come in on Tuesday when I don't have the class. Still amazing. Well this has been pokematic signing off and bu-bye.
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