Civil Engineering
Why do I want to be a civil engineer? Until
recently, I did not know the answer
to this question myself. I was lost when
choosing a career. Then, I read about
civil engineering, an occupation
involving the construction of buildings, roads,
and bridges. As I looked
farther into civil engineering, I liked many of the
other aspects involved
with the career. Although the education will be
difficult, I have determined
that civil engineering is the career that I want to
pursue. What is civil
engineering? This career can not be defined using just a
few words. The many
obstacles that civil engineers must overcome cover a vast
area of
responsibilities. "Civil engineers conceive, plan, construct, and
operate
facilities that meet basic human needs and reach out toward the
realization
of society’s most noble goals" (Auburn 106). Civil engineers
solve real world
problems with the combination of applying mathematics and
natural sciences
(Hagerty and Heer 2-3). Upon deciding to pursue a career in
civil
engineering, I must have many attributes that help me decide for myself
if
I am right for this career. Probable civil engineers can be found
occupying
their childhood time with mechanical toys and structural sets
instead of
traditional toys. These people will get enjoyment from planning,
designing, and
constructing works or facilities. They also have the ability
to see how
intelligent use of nature has made our civilization today possible
and have the
desire to want to improve it (Golze 41). As a child building
blocks filled my
toy chest, and erector sets filled my playroom. I loved the
challenge of
building things and making things work. A young passion for the
work of a civil
engineer leads me to believe I could succeed in this field.
The education of a
civil engineer deals mainly with math and natural
sciences. The first four
semesters of curriculum required, which I will take
at Northeast Alabama
Community College, are the basics such as Calculus I
- IV, differential
equations, statistics, English, history, literature,
speech, chemistry, and
physics (Northeast 40). After completion of the
requirements at Northeast
Alabama Community College, I plan to attend
Auburn University. "Auburn
University’s institutional mission is to
prepare students for the ethical
practice of civil engineering" (Auburn 106).
When beginning my studies at
Auburn University, I will be required to
take classes that go even deeper into
civil engineering. Classes such as
hydraulics, statics, and water treatment, are
required to give an engineer a
base to help solve problems in real world
situations (Auburn 106). By taking
classes such as these, I will be more
prepared to face any problems
encountered on the job. At many schools, students
are able to study and gain
work experience at the same time through cooperative
programs. These programs
allow students to get a first-hand look at experiences
related to the job
while still pursuing their education in that career. The
close relationship
between the school and the industry is important because both
continue to
educate the student (Hagerty and Heer 47-50). After completing
my
requirements at Northeast Alabama Community College, I plan to attend
Auburn
University and enter its cooperative program and engineering
school. I hope that
the knowledge I will gain from both institutions will
lead me into a successful
career as an engineer. Civil engineers use their
knowledge of material science,
engineering theory, and economics to devise,
construct, and maintain our
physical surroundings. The work duties depend on
many different areas of
specialization in engineering. A structural engineer,
who is concerned with
loads to which the structure is exposed, must calculate
the maximum load that
the structure can hold. On the other hand, a public
works engineer must
anticipate and be responsive to social needs. A company
will start a young,
inexperienced engineer out with few responsibilities. As
the engineer gains
experience, he or she will also gain additional
responsibilities (Hagerty and
Heer 89). The practice of civil engineering
pays the lowest salary of all
engineering fields. However, over the past few
years, civil engineering
graduates have seen a 2.7 % increase in their
starting salaries. The average
annual starting salary, according to an
article in the Memphis Business Journal,
is $30,618 dollars (Scott 4). Those
who pursue a career in civil engineering do
not make their decision based on
salary. Instead, they derive satisfaction from
the good done by helping meet
the social and economic needs of the people (Hagerty
and Heer 88). Aiding the
public’s most common needs is what interests me the
most. The task of
creating a more efficient and safer way of producing and
transporting water
to an ever-increasing population is just one of the problems
I hope to
solve as a civil engineer. One of hardest decisions I made in my
choosing
civil engineering as a career was the acceptance of earning a lower
salary.
However, I could not place a numerical value on the satisfaction I
believe
this career will bring me. There are many different specialties involved
with
civil engineering that need to be considered when choosing this
career.
Some of these specialties are transportation engineering,
structural building,
and water resource management. A closer look into all of
the fields lead me to
the conclusion of specializing in water resource
management. This occupation is
concerned with the safe and adequate
transportation of water to the public.
Currently, I am employed by the
Waterworks Board of Section and Dutton as a
general laborer. On the other
hand, I would love to delve farther into all
aspects of water resource
management. In his 1966 essay on civil engineering,
Eliassen predicted
"the field of water resource management will be great"
(92). Eliassen’s
statement has been proven factual and the many problems that
will arise in
the future offers great job security. One of the task may involve
getting a
sufficient amount of clean, healthy water to an ever-growing
population.
Solving these problems will take people who have specialized in
economics,
statistics, political science, system analysis, and management.
What
predictions could be made about the future of engineering students? In
his 1969
book, Beakley predicted that employment would be no problem and that
more
engineers would be needed than colleges could supply (25). However,
Scott’s
1996 article in the Memphis Business Journal states that
employment outlook is
not as promising as it was 15 to 25 years ago. Still,
engineers will not be
hungry for work. Many feel that they will be able to
find jobs. Enrollments in
schools of engineering across the country have
dropped, but as jobs and salaries
increase, so will students enrolling with
hopes to make better lives for
themselves (Scott 1-4). Advancement is almost
certain as a young engineer
develops his or her skills and as the employer
gains confidence in his or her
ability. Some civil engineers might stay with
a company their entire
professional lives. In contrast, others could choose
to move around looking for
advancements. Upon the retirement, replacement,
and advancement of more
experienced engineers, the younger engineers will
have the chance to slowly move
their way up the corporate ladder. In any
circumstance, an ambitious, young, and
qualified engineer should seek
advancements both personally and professionally (Hagerty
and Heer 129). Why
would I want to be a civil engineer? The desire of new
challenges, the
longing to help the overall public, and the need to do something
positive
with my life are three main reasons that I want to be a civil
engineer.
After extensive research, I have concluded that civil
engineering is an ideal
field for me. I believe that I have the personal
attributes and intelligence
required to be a civil engineer. I also believe
that I possess the work habits
and drive to be a successful engineer. This is
why I have chosen to pursue this
as a
career.
Bibliography
Auburn University 1999-2000 Undergraduate and
Graduate Bulletin. Auburn, AL,
1997. Beakley, George C., and H.W. Leach.
Careers in Engineering and Technology.
London: Macmillan, 1969. Eliassen,
Rolf. "Civil Engineering." Listen to
Leaders in Engineering. Ed. Albert
Love and James Saxon Childress. Atlanta:
Tupper, 1966. Golze, Alfred R.
Your Future in Civil Engineering. New York:
Richards, 1965. Hagerty, D.
Joseph, and John E. Heer, Jr. Opportunities in Civil
Engineering Careers.
Skokie: VGM, 1977. Northeast Alabama Community College
1998-1999 Catalog.
Rainsville, AL, 1998. Scott, Jonathan. "The Ups and Downs
of Engineering."
Memphis Business Journal 17(12 Feb. 1996): 41-2. Electric
Library 16 Nov.
1999.