Electrified! How I met my Interests? (Part 1)
What is your interest area? Which area are you focusing for higher studies? Where do you want to start your career? God knows!!!
Understanding what we really want and selecting an area of interest is something that every undergraduate student struggles with. But whenever we take an expert’s advice, we get to hear this ‘Think, Think harder, Only you can find what you really need’.
But what I suggest is, ‘Stop thinking and try everything that comes your way’ then you’ll reach the place that best suits you. I don’t intend to give advises through this article instead I’ll be writing down some of my experiences which helped me develop a passion for my trade— Electrical Engineering.
Third year!!! Internship was the trend then. With the usual rounds of hurry-bury, we(a group of 12) reached the Transformer and Meter Repairing Division of Kerala State Electricity Board Limited at Shoranur, Palakkad. The first day was like a marketing session for Electrical Engineers without any star that maps down to ‘Terms and conditions apply’. But there was a difference; we got answers for different questions and we were convinced with the explanations.
Why should an Electrical Engineering student learn Chemical Engineering during his first year?
An individual cannot be the master of everything. During the course, he/she will not have any idea about the field they are going to work. Different companies work on different technologies, machines, concepts and ideas which are miles away from the present b-tech syllabus. So what is the purpose of doing this course?
The engineer who trained us never answered these questions directly instead he shared his experiences which was a perfect hundred mark answer for all our queries. He started,
My first appointment was in the electrical wing of a factory which produced acids and byproducts. Large motors and pumping devices were used to transport concentrated acids across the factory. My first day at work started with my senior engineer inviting all the laborers together to meet and interact with the newly appointed member. My senior introduced me with the long list of degrees I posses from the best institutions in the state and I was warmly welcomed. The very next moment, I heard the lullaby of birds around my head when my senior invited the laborers to open up their doubts to the new engineer. The long list of degrees I had earned was being challenged by the hard earned experiences of senior laborers in the factory. I was sure that if the knowledge was weighed, my degrees would not stand a chance in front of their years of experience. The first question came up; “How can we pump concentrated acids? Do we use special motors or pipes?”
How will an Electrical Engineering graduate who hardly had any knowledge in his own trade explain about the pipe used for transporting acids?
At this moment, we realized the purpose of learning the basics of all engineering trades during the first year. He continued,
With all my might, I told the laborer; This is a great question.(All other laborers appreciated and the worker became happy). But can you please provide me the head required and the exact concentration of the acid? If you can provide me with it’s pH and chemical properties, I can suggest the exact equipment. As I expected, the laborer did not have any answer. After a silence of few minutes, I said, since the details are not clear and the time is short, it’ll be better if you can find these details and approach me in my cabin for a fruitful discussion. There were two things I had to ensure while answering the question; First was to earn the trust and respect of the laborers, second was to get some time to understand the basic technology used in the factory. I believe that I managed to handle the situation properly with the basic knowledge that I had.
He told us, “It’s not about how much we know, but it’s about our capability in managing situations and solving problems in the fastest and cheapest manner which makes us a real engineer”. This was one among the experiences he had shared. On the first day, we discussed about basic electrical engineering and the power scenario prevailing in Kerala(Google about Kanjicode, Palakkad and think about the significance of the place for power engineers in Kerala). The point that I am trying to convey is that, for every individual, there is an internship or a trainer or an opportunity which redirects us to the right destiny. It’s our duty to get hold of all the opportunities passing by and identify our interest areas.
I’ll conclude this part with something to think; A 1000 Litre water tank takes 20 minutes to get filled. But why does it take more time during the peak hours to fill the tank?(I’ll explain in the next part!)
Electrified! How I met my Interests? (Part 2) : https://medium.com/@asif.n.s/electrified-how-i-met-my-interests-part-2-105ff26ce7d5
