Five years ago, I graduated my diploma from Nanyang Polytechnic in Multimedia & Infocomm Technology. The course was new nine years ago. It was an integration of multimedia, technology and a broad base of engineering studies. Two years ago, I graduated with a degree from Coventry Uni in Engineering Business Management. Today, this piece of news caught my eye during lunchtime:

ENGINEERS are fast becoming an endangered species as more students opt for less ‘boring’ disciplines.
Rather than sit around to see their kind go the way of the dinosaurs, a group of engineers from the private sector has started a movement to encourage youth to take up engineering and to dispel the myth that it is boring.

The intrepid dozen have called their group Creators of Tomorrow.

–By Nur Dianah Suhaimi, Straits Times

What I think about Engineering studies is that it is not a tough subject matter but it requires a lot of interest in knowing how-things-work in order to pursue the subject with ease. Subject modules in engineering includes engineering design, applied mathematics, communication/telecommunication, electrical, computer, technical communication, etc., just to name a few. The subjects are heavily based on problem-solving, calculation and formulation – it’s not surprising why youths find the subjects monotonous and tough. Further that, with the direct media influence of today’s commercial and entertainment industry, no wonder engineering became less popular among them.

Back then in school, some modules I disliked were applied mathematics and sitting in the lab to do some hands-on using electronic machines with probes to read graphs from my circuit board design. Although I liked fixing the electronic chips and color-coded resistors to the circuit board, I dreaded reading the graphs from the machine. I rebelled against filling in the worksheet because there were so many formulas to work with before I got to the final answer! I even had conflicts with my lab teacher, whom I can’t recall his name now, because he wasn’t helpful in facilitating the lab and used to threaten to fail us if we did not get our practical exercises right. Thankfully, as stubborn as I am, I managed to pull through the module and my motivation was — I never, ever wanted to repeat and attend the teacher’s lab, ever again! Shhyeahh!!

However, as it comes to my Uni year, the engineering business management course was really fascinating and enjoyable because there were not much technical aspects in the modules we studied. The course was more of project-based and industrial research. In fact, engineering business management had changed my perspectives of how businesses run and managing all relationships within it. I began to see businesses and organizations in a bigger picture because I know all the little things we do at work becomes the pillar of the organization.

How could we foster the interest in engineering among youths? According to my academic background, my answer would be incorporating the subject with creative platforms such as multimedia and new media technologies like internet, media production and telecommunications. I guess the pure engineering era is becoming like the subject History — it is important but the majority don’t see why they should be learning it when there are other fun stuff to explore like the world wide web.

The following is a bit out-of-topic but I just want to include these images (some of me) I took at Nanyang Polytechnic:

Mr Lou Bee Sing - my favorite lecturer teaching telecommunications. He's very kind, supportive and gave us motivation to go through any challenges. His favorite word is 're-engineering'.

This were us during year 1 in Nanyang Polytechnic - 2001.

Time flies very fast and it was graduation day!