16 Motivating The Student

MOTIVATING THE STUDENT TO WORK UP TO FULL POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING STUDY

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MOTIVATING THE STUDENT TO WORK UP TO FULL POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING STUDY 1 • INTRODUCTION •

We aren’t born knowing how to be effective. We learn how. We learn from our parents, from our teachers, from our peers, and from supervisors and mentors. We learn from workshops and seminars, from reading books, from trial and error.

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Developing our effectiveness is a life – long process.

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When we join an organization as a professional, we generally receive lots of help. The organization benefits if we are effective and so it takes steps to ensure that we are.

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Industry executives are well aware that new engineering graduates have a long way to go before they can ‘earn their salary’. New engineering hires are thus provided with the formal training, on- the – job training, close supervision, progressively more challenging assignments and time to mature.

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If new engineering graduates need orientation, training, monitoring and time to mature to be effective, how is it that as engineering educators we expect our students to know how to go about the task of engineering study the day they arrive?

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Strangely, when new students (or, in fact, new faculty) join the engineering college, they are left primarily on their own to figure out how to be effective and successful. 3

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Engineering colleges seem to be more interested in evaluating their newest members (students/ new faculty) than in doing things to ensure that they become effective and successful.

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Within engineering education, this ‘Sink or Swim’ approach is not working.

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Many of the engineering students fail to work up to their full potential.

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The good news, however, is that the process of engineering education initiated recently a shift from the ‘Sink or Swim’ paradigm to one of ‘Student Development’. The engineering curriculum is getting revised with the primary goal of enhancing student success. 4

2 • KEYS TO SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING STUDY •

What makes the difference?

One student with seemingly limited ability and poor initial preparation succeeds in getting meritorious engineering degree. Another student with outstanding ability and excellent preparation fails. How can that happen? What are the keys to success in engineering study? • Three primary factors differentiate successful engineering students from those who fail. Determination (Most Important)

Don’t give up!

Effort

Work hard

Approach

Work smart

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3 • DETERMINATION Determination means having an unwavering commitment to the goal of graduating meritoriously in engineering (Firmness of purpose) – To persist even in the face of adversity. People who succeed are people who when they get ‘knocked down’ by some adversity, they get up; whereas, people who fail are people who when they get knocked down, they stay down. The most likely reason you will fail to do well in engineering study is that you have difficulty with subjects or with teachers or a personal problem, a relationship problem, or a health problem. You will encounter some adversity and use it as a reason (an ‘excuse’) for failing to do well. 6

The Importance of Goal Setting:  How can you ever expect to get somewhere if you don’t know where you want to go? Acquiring a meritorious B.Tech. Degree is the Primary Goal  Setting goals is the easy part. Achieving the goal is the real challenge.  You must make your day-to-day decisions and choices based on whether a particular action supports your goal (i.e., moves you closer to your goal) or conflicts with your goal (i.e., moves you further away from your goal). 7

Feelings leading to

Thoughts leading to

Action

 Once the primary goal is set, you can begin to place value judgements on the things you do (actions), the attitudes you hold (thoughts), and the feelings you have (feelings).  Productive Actions: Actions that support or move you closer to your goal. Non-productive Actions: Actions that tend to move you away from reaching your goal.  Positive Thoughts: Thoughts that would cause you to take productive actions Negative thoughts: Thoughts that would cause you to take non-productive actions.  Positive feelings: Feelings that produce positive thoughts which in turn produce productive actions. Negative feelings: Feelings that produce negative thoughts which in turn lead to non-productive actions. 8

Examples of Negative Thoughts and the resulting Non-productive Actions. Negative Thought

Non-Productive Action

I’m so far behind, I don’t get anything out of my teacher’s lectures. I learn better by studying by myself.

Cut class

Subject is too hard; I just can’t do it.

Procrastinate; put off studying

Teachers don’t seem to want to help me. They make me feel stupid. I don’t like having my life run as per a prepared plan.

Avoid seeking help from teachers outside of class

I don’t have time for student organizations.

Avoid participation in student organizations

I’m not good at writing and don’t like doing it.

Avoid opportunities to develop writing skills.

Spend time studying alone and not able to follow thoroughly

Waste time by not scheduling your time

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 And how do you keep adversity from stopping you?  How can you keep failures from discouraging you?

 The age - old saying:

We learn more from failures than we do from our successes.

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Learning to Overcome Adversity:  The four Commandments for you to persist even in the face of adversity are:  You must be willing to risk failure  You must passionately hate failure.  Persistence is a necessity, just as the willingness to acknowledge defeat and move on.  A measure of your potential to succeed is how you handle adversity. Believe in yourself. You can do it! 11

4 • EFFORT  The relative importance of Ability and Effort was perhaps best put up by the famous American inventor Thomas Edison:

Genius is one percent Inspiration and ninetynine percent Perspiration  Do you believe that people succeed because of their ability (a natural quality that you have no control over; that some people have it and other people don’t)?  It is a self – defeating belief. It can provide you with a rationale to accept failure in yourself.  Or, do you believe that people succeed because of their effort? This belief is empowering because the amount of effort you put in is in your direct control. You can choose to put in more effort and in doing so reap greater success.

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• Effort is both Time and Energy: (“Energy” is used to mean ‘Intensity of Effort’ = mental power)  Poor academic performance can usually be traced to insufficient effort.  There are two distinct components to the effort you devote to your studies– time and energy.  Analogy: Distance Traveled = speed(rate) X time  Completing a specific task requires that you devote energy or mental power and spend time on the task if you want to be both effective and efficient.  Accomplishing an academic task will require you to devote adequate time and to focus your energy.  Your success in the study of engineering is to a great extent in your control. 13

5 • APPROACH:  Although some tasks will depend solely on effort, your effectiveness and efficiency in accomplishing most tasks will depend on both effort and approach.  In other words, success in engineering study requires not only that you work harder, but also that you work ‘smarter’.

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Becoming a Meritorious Student: 

You realize that to become a Master of any play, you need to spend time both playing and learning more about the game through reading, taking lessons, or watch experts play.

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To become a meritorious student you must not only play the game- i.e., be a student - you must also devote time and energy in acquiring the necessary academic and non- academic skills, attitude and approach (soft skills).

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What is required to acquire a meritorious B.Tech. Degree?  You must develop a high level of commitment and motivation so you are willing to make necessary choices and personal scarifies.  You must learn how the educational system works and learn how to be effective as a student.  Learning to be efficient and effective at the task of studying engineering will have enormous payoffs for you. Not only will it enhance your success as a student, it will provide you with skills you need to be effective as a practising professional engineer.

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6 • MODELS FOR ASSESSING YOUR ENGINEERING EDUCATION •

One most positive and unique aspect of your Engineering Education is that you are working for yourself to prepare yourself for your future.

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Consider the Saying.

No deposit (=investment), no return •

Your education will represent a tremendous deposit in your future. Your return will be in direct relation to what you put in.

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Whenever you make a conscious choice to avoid learning, growing or developing, you are not getting away with something – you are working against yourself! 16

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Enhancing the quality of your Education:  Three models (= frameworks) from which to view and derive the best from your engineering education are presented.  The models will assist you in answering such important questions as :  What is the purpose of engineering education?  What should I know when I graduate?  How do I know if I am getting an excellent education?  How can I enhance the quality of education?  Will I have the knowledge and skills to get my dream job?

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Self -Evaluation & Self – Development:  These models are useful for self-evaluation and development.  You measure yourself against each aspect on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being high).  In areas you feel you are strong, just keep doing what you have been doing.  In areas you feel you need to improve, map out a plan for self-improvement.

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ATTRIBUTES MODEL (COMBINES INPUTS FROM STUDENTS, FACULTY AND INDUSTRY)

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Institutional Assessment:

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In today’s tight fiscal climate, engineering institutes are being urged to take up internal revenue generation and are being held more accountable for their productivity.

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Institutions are being asked to establish educational objectives and outcomes and to show that these objectives and outcomes are being met.

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Similar to the student assessment of the degree to which the student meets the educational objectives or expectations set by the University.

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Your engineering college may have a list of attributes that it strives to impart to its students. 19

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One engineering programme may emphasise proficiency in technology, whereas another may require every student to acquire ‘learn how to learn’ skill or cooperative education experience working in industry.

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A set of 10 desirable attributes for a newly graduated engineer combining inputs from students, faculty and industry representatives: 1. Problem Solving (The ability to identify and define a problem, develop and evaluate alternative solutions, and effect one or more designs to solve the problem) 2. Technical skill (A broad and in-depth technical background). 3. Communication skills communicating ideas).

(Effectiveness

in

4. Mathematics/Science proficiency (A fundamental understanding of mathematics, physical, life and social sciences).

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1. Ethics and professionalism (High professional and ethical standards). 2. Open Mind/Positive Attitude (A mature, responsible and open mind with positive attitude towards life). 3. Computer literacy (The ability to use computers and known software for communication, analysis of data etc). 4. Motivation to continue learning (The motivation and capability to continue the learning experience). 5. Business Management Practices ( A knowledge of business strategies and management practices.) 6. World Affairs and Cultures ( An appreciation for and understanding of world affairs and cultures).

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Relative Importance of these Attributes as ranked by students, faculty and Industry Reps: R ANK 1

STUDENTS

FACULTY

INDUSTRY REPS

Problem Solving

Problem Solving

Problem Solving

Computer Literacy Math/Science Proficiency Communication Skills

Math/Science Proficiency Communication Skills Technical skills

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Technical skills

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Motivation to Continue Learning Open Mind/Positive Attitude Business Management Practices Ethics and Professionalism World Affairs and Cultures

Motivation to Continue Learning Ethics and Professionalism Open Mind/Positive Attitude Computer Literacy

Communication Skills Ethics and Professionalism Open Mind/Positive Attitude Math/Science Proficiency Technical skills

2 3 4

7 8 9 10.

World Affairs and Cultures Business Management Practices

Motivation to Continue Learning Business Management Practices Computer Literacy World Affairs and Cultures

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The most important attribute as recognized by all the categories is Problem Solving.

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Greatest gap between the view of Students and Industry: Ethics and professionalism ranked #3 by Industry and # 9 22 by students.

8 • EMPLOYMENT MODEL •

The single most reason you have chosen to study Engineering is the availability of jobs.

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In view of this, you need to consider what factors are important to employers and work to develop yourself in these areas. Employers look for the recruits with the following qualifications: 1. Personal qualifications including maturity, initiative, enthusiasm, poise, communication skills, appearance, and the ability to work with people (attributes: 1, 3, 5 & 6) 2. Scholastic qualifications as shown by percentage of marks / grades (attributes: 2, 4) 3. Specialized courses and industry training (attributes: 2,7) 4. Experience in campus activities, especially participation and leadership in curricular and extracurricular life (attributes: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10) 23

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How you fare in the interviews with prospective employers will depend on how well you prepare yourself in the four areas listed above.

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To be strong in each area, you must make a conscious commitment to make it happen.

9. STUDENT INVOLVEMENT MODEL •

You want to get quality education – i.e., to have the knowledge, skills and attributes that will result in your being highly sought – after by employers.

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What do we mean by ‘quality’ or ‘excellence’ in education?

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An excellent education is one that maximizes student’s intellectual and personal development – possible only through ‘Student Involvement’: 24

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Definition of Student Involvement :

The amount of Physical and Psychological Energy that the Student devotes to the Academic & Co-academic Experiences. •

Five measures of Student Involvement: 1. Time and energy devoted to studying 2. Time spent on campus 3. Participation in student organizations 4. Interaction with faculty members 5. Interaction with other students 25

Involved Student: An involved student is one who devotes considerable energy to studying, spends a lot of time on campus, participates actively in student organizations, and interacts frequently with faculty members and other students. Uninvolved Student: An uninvolved student may neglect studies, spend little time on campus, abstain from extracurricular activities, and have little contact with faculty members or other students. • • •

Which of these statements best describes you? In this way, you can assess the quality of the education you are receiving Increasing your level of involvement and hence enhancing the quality of your education is up to you.

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THE LAST WORD:

Each and Every One of you can acquire a meritorious B.Tech Degree If you work up to your full potential

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SELF – ASSESSMENT EXERCISE TRAINING INSTRUMENT FOR MOTIVATING THE STUDENT TO WORK UP TO FULL POTENTIAL FOR SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING STUDY

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a.

Rate yourself on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being highest) on the following:

Item

Description

Rating Personal

Importance

a

Writing Skills

 

 

b

Oral Communication Skills

 

 

c

Ability to work with other People

 

 

d

 

 

e

Commitment to become an Engineer Personal and Ethical Standards

 

 

f.

Positive Attitude

 

 

g

Computer Skills

 

 

h

Proficiency in Mathematics and Science Participation in Student Organizations Degree you work Collaboratively with other students Time and Energy devoted to studying Engineering Subjects Time spent on Campus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall percentage of Marks (Grade Point Average)

 

 

i j k l m

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Rate the items above on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being high) as to their relative importance.

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Develop a method for determining which of the items above need your greatest attention? (Hint: Use 2 X 2 matrix below). IV quadrant contains items that need your greatest attention. III quadrant contains items that need least attention.

Items needing least attention

Items needing greatest attention 30

d. Pick the items that need your greatest attention and the items that need your least attention. Develop a plan for self-improvement for those that need your greatest attention. Implement the plan. #

Items needing greatest Attention

Items needing least attention

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NEW CAREER RULES Rule 1 : There is no such thing as a permanent job. Rule 2 : Always be on your toes; upgrade your skills continuously. Rule 3 : Be prepared for worst case scenario. Rule 4 : Always ask yourself what value you are adding to your company; you can’t be an overhead. Rule 5 : Age and experience will not be respected, always be prepared for a young upstart who can do things better. 32

EMERGING CAREER OPTIONS OPTIONS ON COMPLETION OF UG DEGREE The following options present themselves to An Engineering Graduate: •

Job: in private sector, public sector, government (central/state), teaching, R&D

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Self-employment: as an entrepreneur.

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Training (Apprentice)

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Further studies: in India or abroad (external brain drain); in technology or management or business ( internal brain drain). For most postgraduate admissions, an entrance examination has to be cleared (GATE, CAT, GRE, GMAT…)

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The major factors governing decision-making are : availability, financial considerations, ambition, aspirations, job satisfaction, job security, family considerations, peer pressure (sheep mentality)

The major measures of success are related to : job satisfaction; money; prestige; reputation; image (as perceived by peers, society); leisure activities; ambition and its fulfillment; travel (particularly foreign travel); independence; success of children. 34

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR Advice to prospective employees and job seekers: (a) Hiring: Potential employers may reject you if you show any of the following qualities: •

You want very clear job descriptions and very clear lines of authority.

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You have experience in only one single function.

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Your work experience has all been in a single industry sector.

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You have worked in big firms; you haven’t experienced turbulent situations.

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You want permanent employment and not a 35 contract.

(b) Compensation: Your employer will be averse to your asking for the following: •

A salary where the fixed component is high, the performance-linked part low.

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A package which has the firm taking care of issues like housing.

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The taxable component is low and the tax-free component is high.

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A salary structure with a minimum increment every year.

fixed

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(c) Redundancy: You could end up losing your job even if you are doing well because: •

Your company company.

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Your firm is moving into a new business, and your department doesn’t fit in.

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Your firm has dropped its plans for a new business and doesn’t need you.

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The work your department does can be outsourced.

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Internal restructuring to duplication in your company.

is

merging

with

another

reduce

the

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THREE DISTINCT PHASES IN AN ENGINEER’S PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Professor Myron Tribus has identified three distinct phases in an Engineer’s Professional Development: (a) The ‘ICS’ Phase: During his education, the emphasis is on: acoustics, dynamics, electronics, hydraulics, logistics, mathematics, mechanics, physics, statistics, thermodynamics. During this phase, the stress is on scientific, analytic and academic characteristics with little concern for human values and people issues. 38

(b) The ‘ING’ Phase: During his gainful employment, the emphasis is on coping, creating, delivering, designing, developing, managing, manufacturing, planning, servicing. Along with the “ICS” subjects, during this phase, human relations and human values matter. For many Engineers, this is a traumatic experience, but most of them overcome it in a few years. 39

(c) The ‘TION’ Phase: This phase prepares the Engineers to play significant roles in governance of complex societal systems. The emphasis is on communication, energy conservation, environmental protection, habitation, sanitation, transportation. Human relations, societal concerns and human values play an important role during the phase.

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TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER (Tips provided by “The Week (Feb 28, 1999)” for a successful career in the Information Age) • Develop skills: Do not use the college merely to collect a degree. Discover what you can do well, and sharpen your skills in these areas. • Develop initiative and confidence: Invest time on personality development. • Network: The more people who know about your work and skills, the better. Make networking a key component of your career planning. • Get some internet skills: To manage IT will be the key. • Invest in your family: Give quality time to your family. • Learn to manage others: Ability to work with others is prized in today’s emphasis on non-hierarchical teamwork. 41 Invest in developing your people skills.

• Be honest, never bluff: For long-time respect, get some basic values. • Be realistic in your expectations: Everything comes with time; don’t expect miracles. • Learn some marketing: A person’s career has to be managed the same way as consumer brands. • Master new skills: Obsolescence will be faster than has been imagined. It will be important to gather new tools, as one grows. Never allow yourself to stagnate. It is not just what you learn, but how much value you add to your learning. Ultimately, it boils down to a huge change in the mindset, since the very basis of our work is being redefined. The future belongs to the person who can 42 manage himself best.

AZIM PREMJI’S TEN GOLDEN RULES (Advice to the graduates of IIT, Madras during the convocation in 2000) • Dare to Dream: People wonder if having unrealistic dreams is foolish. My reply: dreams can never be realistic or safe. If they were, they would not be dreams. But, one must have strategies to execute dreams and slog to transform them into reality. • Define what you stand for, as early possible, and do not compromise for any reason. You can’t enjoy the fruits of success, if you have to argue with your own conscience. • Never lose your zest and curiosity for learning. • Always strive for excellence. In the world of tomorrow, and with globalization, just being good is not good enough. • Build self-confidence. Remember, no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. 43

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Learn to work in teams. The challenges ahead are so complex that no individual will be able to face them alone.

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Take care of yourself. The stress a young person faces today, while beginning his career, is the same as what the last generation faced, at the time of retirement. Along with alertness, physical fitness is important..

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Persevere. It can make miracles happen.

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Have a broader social vision. While earning is important, we must use it for the larger good of our society.

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Never let success go to your head; for, whatever you achieve is with the help of other factors, and people outside us. The moment we become arrogant, we 44 become vulnerable to making bad judgments.

AZIM PREMJI’S PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS (Given to the IIT, Roorkee graduates in 2003) •

Success = Customer Delight + Hard Work + Luck

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Learn to excel in everything that you do. Make Excellence a Habit.

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Don’t lose heart if you lose; but don’t forget the lessons learned.

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Iron doesn’t become steel without going through fire; you must be prepared to undergo the test of fire, if you want to succeed in life. 45

BILL GATES ON 10 THINGS SCHOOLS DON’T TEACH (Advice to the graduating class during a school convocation)

1. Life is not fair – get used to it. 2. The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something before you feel good about yourself. 3. You will not make three lakh rupees a year right out of high school. You won’t be a vice-president with a car, phone until you earn both. 4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn’t have tenure. 5. If you mess up, it’s not your parent’s fault, so don’t whine about your mistakes, learn from them. 46

1. Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent’s generation, try delousing the closet in your own room. 2. Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has not. In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as many times as you want, to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest resemblance to anything in real life. 3. Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time. 4. Television is not real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs. 5. Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up working for 47 one.

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