Mike's Tips for Success

MIKE'S TIPS

The following are a collection of tips I've amassed working in industry and academia. The views and opinions presented on this page are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the University, your generation or our culture .

Mike's Tips for Competent Engineers:

Always try to avoid looking dumb . Or stated another way, intelligence is like age: we're only as dumb as we act. Being serious for a minute, failing to read project instructions thoroughly or perform adequate research on a topic before asking a question will cause us to either look ignorant or lazy, neither of which are favorable. Always remember a little effort goes a long way. In DML we aren’t going to judge you, but industry isn’t so gentle, so start preparing now...
Communication is key. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but most of us do not write or draw well . Seize every opportunity to improve; don't just hope that you will to get magically get better once you're being paid to work. A client, customer or boss might not understand every technical detail we try to convey, but (s)he will certainly understand our inability to string together three sentences with the grammatical proficiency of a 12th grader J. In addition, buck the norm: learn some words that have more than one syllable, practice a little public speaking and learn how to research a topic for 15 minutes before asking for an explanation .
Never submit an assignment late. Rarely can the quality of an assignment make up for its tardiness (which is what everyone remembers).
Always take an objective look at each assignment you submit and ask: is this something I would be proud to show in an interview? If the answer is no, you probably wouldn't want to give it to your professor, boss or customer, either.
A little apathy goes a long way. Apathy is like a plaque that destroys anyone's desire to work with you. If you find yourself constantly apathetic about what you're doing or studying, change your major / job / direction before it's too late! Worded in a more positive tone, find your passion and pursue it with all your heart!
You've been lied to about the proverbial "dumb question". In school you're taught there's no such thing as a dumb question; well, that's not true once you graduate (kind of like Santa Claus: he exists, but only until you reach a certain age ). What your professors meant to say (but perhaps couldn't do so in an encouraging fashion) is that, "once you start working, you can ask a lot of dumb questions that will cause you to quickly lose credibility in the eyes of those around you; so to mitigate that, ask lots of questions while in school, where you're surrounded by mentors who will not judge you because you ask some elementary questions. Once in industry however, make sure to spend time researching a topic before just asking someone for the answer, or you will quickly be viewed as lazy and always looking for handouts. Contrary to what you learned in school, if you can't speak intelligently about a topic when asking a co-worker or boss a question, you should wait to ask until you can.

Mike's Tips for Success:

Find your passion. Once you do this, the hard work necessary for you to succeed doesn't seem nearly as hard.
Quit being a lazy whiner and a quitter. American culture has produced a generation of spoiled brats who cry like little kids who lost their favorite toy at the first sight of work or pain. Next time you need to stay up all night working on a class project, instead of whining to everyone about it, be thankful that someone still cares enough to challenge and push you. The sad truth is that most of us would rather sleep, game, party or socialize more than we would like to succeed. As Eric Thomas once said in one of the motivational talks he gave a group of college students, "most of you won't be successful because when you're studying and you get tired, you quit."
Contrary to the modern "soccer parent mentality", everyone is not a winner by default, nor do we all deserve a trophy. The reality is that every one of us would do so much more if we weren't tainted by the recent cultural nicety that win or lose, everyone deserves a trophy. This mantra is like our belief in Santa Claus: there comes an age at which we have to grow up and accept the reality of being an adult. Whether we realize it or not, most of what we do in our professional careers is a competition, and as such, there are winners and there are losers; true winners earn their title and true losers subscribe to an entitlement mentality.
Being successful isn't about how smart you are, but rather how hard you're willing to work. Success comes from the heart and having the drive and will to work harder than everyone else; that's what makes a person successful.

Good Quotes on Procrastination:

"Procrastination is the thief of time" –Edward Young
"Tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man." –Jimmy Lyons
"Until you value yourself, you will not value your time; and until you value your time, you will not do anything with it" –M. Scott Peck
"If you want to make an easy job seem mighty hard, just keep putting it off" –Olin Miller
"There are a million ways to lose a work day, but not a single way to get one back" –Tom DeMarco
"It is an undoubted truth that the less one has to do something, the less time one finds to do it in. –Earl of Chesterfield
"You may delay but time will not" -Ben Franklin
"Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." –Thomas Jefferson
"Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle." –Abraham Lincoln
"In a moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing to do. The worst thing you can do is nothing." –Theodore Roosevelt
"Tomorrow is not a day of the week" –anonymous
"Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion" –C. Parkinson
"Procrastination is something best put off until tomorrow" –Gerald Vaughan
"Procrastination is opportunity's natural assassin" –Victor Kiam
"Procrastination is my sin. It brings me naught but sorrow. I know that I should stop it. In fact, I will - tomorrow!" –Gloria Pitzer
"Procrastination is, hands down, our favorite form of self-sabotage." –Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby
"The greatest amount of wasted time is the time not getting started." –Dawson Trotman
"Do you know what happens when you give a procrastinator a good idea? Nothing!" –Donald Gardner
"Even if you’re on the right track-you’ll get run over if you just sit there." –Will Rogers
"He who hesitates is last." –Mae West
"Much of the stress that people feel doesn't come from having too much to do. It comes from not finishing what they started." -David Allen
"Procrastination is like a credit card: it’s a lot fun until you get the bill." –Christopher Parker
"Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination; never put off till tomorrow what you can do today." –Lord Chesterfield
"Yesterday is a cancelled check. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is the only cash you have, so spend it wisely." –Kim Lyons
"The leading rule for the lawyer, as for the man of every other calling, is diligence. Leave nothing for tomorrow which can be done today." –Abraham Lincoln
"Anger is the only thing to put off till tomorrow." –Slovakian proverb
"Time wasted is existence; time used is life." –Edward Young
"Procrastination has robbed us of too many opportunities." –Sarah Ban Breathnach
"Procrastination is the seed of self destruction." –Matthew Burton
"How does a project get to be a year behind schedule? One day at a time." –Fred Brooks
"Work while it is called today, for you know not how much you may be hindered tomorrow. One today is worth two tomorrows; never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today." –Benjamin Franklin
"Procrastination makes easy things hard and hard things harder" –Mason Cooley
"So what do we do? Anything. Something. So long as we just don't sit there. If we screw it up, start over. Try something else. If we wait until we've satisfied all the uncertainties, it may be too late." –Lee Iacocca
"The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one." –Mark Twain
"Well arranged time is the surest mark of a well arranged mind" –Sir Isaac Pitman
"It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish." –J. R. R. Tolkien

Mikes Tips for Better Study Habits:

Unfortunately, few students have really good study habits. Fewer yet know how to study efficiently. Studying smarter does not always mean studying harder or investing more time; actually, studying smarter is quite the opposite. Read on to see how smart you study and how you can get the grades you need to obtain the degree and job you really want…

Do you read any of the text or notes before going to lecture? It’s a huge help to read the sections covered before each lecture, as this makes your mind a lot more receptive to learning. When attending a lecture after pre-reading, your brain is filling in gaps in your knowledge versus hearing the material for the first time while you’re trying to keep up with the professor who is inevitably talking fast, with a funny accent in a crowded, noisy classroom.
Do you read the text or notes before doing homework assignments, or do you look up what you need to solve the problems? If you do the latter, you’re not getting a holistic learning experience, meaning there will always be gaps in your knowledge (which usually surface during exams). You should read the section(s) that apply to your homework before attempting any of the problems. If you listened to the previous tip, this will be the second time you’re reading this material. You might say to yourself, "that’s a great idea if I have a ton of extra time, but I’m a busy person!" Well pass the tissues J. The reality of this approach is you actually save time because you complete your homework more quickly. In addition, you do not need to spend nearly as much time studying for quizzes and exams, because you’re already familiar with the textbook material, since you’ve already read it twice.
Do you study in work groups? If not, why not? We all need someone we can ask questions to when we really don’t understand the material. But there are some real pitfalls to this tip that you have to watch out for! First, always study with people who are smarter than you and who care about their grades more than you do. Second, contrary to common belief, a study group is not a group that meets to work on homework and study for quizzes and tests. In contrast, a study group is a group that meets to discuss problems its members had after seriously attempting homework problems and studying on their own. Most students in study groups are in them for the wrong reason: they just want to spend less time working on homework and studying, so they think doing that in a group is the answer (or they think misery likes company ). What they don’t realize until they perform poorly on an exam is their study group was a weak crutch that allowed them to complete their assignments without understanding many of the details themselves. Study groups are like TA hours: they only work effectively if you have honestly attempted the problem(s) on your own, first.
Do you stay up half the night before an exam studying? If so, you really need this tip. Your body cannot function well on significantly less sleep than it’s used to. In addition, cramming is only short-term memory storage, meaning you will not remember the material when you need it for the next exam, course or later when you’re working in industry. Properly studying for an exam requires 3 steps: (1) review the chapters starting with the chapter summaries and pay particular attention to the example problems (this should be the 3^rd time you’re reading the chapters); (2) rework all the homework problems from scratch (absolutely do not refer to your previous solutions) to identify areas of difficulty and gaps in knowledge; and (3) make and review your own formula sheet, whether one is allowed or not. If a formula sheet is allowed, many students mistakenly write down equations for use as a crutch during the exam. With few exceptions, when you are properly prepared for an exam or quiz, you will not need to make many references to a formula sheet. When a formula sheet is not allowed, familiarity with the basic equations is even more important. You should prepare for every exam as if no formula sheet is allowed. The additional mastery you possess of the material will improve your exam score by giving you more time to check your work instead of searching a formula sheet for a particular equation. God gave you a brain for reason, so use it to its potential J.
Do you sit in the front of the classroom? If not, why not? Sitting in the front of the classroom is so important that fights should erupt over who gets to sit in these highly coveted positions of honor . Distractions in the classroom destroy your ability to learn. Contrary to what many students think, the classroom is a not a social club. Sitting with chatty friends, answering text messages, working on assignments for other classes, surfing Facebook or sleeping, all distract from the learning that should be taking place in your mind during a lecture period. If your attitude is that you will learn the material later or that it’s the same stuff that’s in the textbook, refer to the first tip above (and quit being dumb J). As a bonus, your professor will respect you more for sitting in the front row and that can come in handy when you’re asking for points back on an exam or you’re on the borderline between two grades. On the flip side, if you already sit in the front whenever possible, be sure to thank all your peers who always populate the back rows for pulling down the class averages and helping your individual grades .
Where do you study? If you study in a noisy environment, you’re not the sharpest tool in the CNC . Don’t study where you will be interrupted by constant noises, friends talking with you, text messages, unnecessary internet access, etcetera. Your brain can only refocus so many times before it’s no longer able to concentrate effectively (and most of us don't use much of our brains to start with, LOL). Study and work on homework where it’s quiet and you will not be interrupted. You will not only complete your assignments quicker, but you will retain a lot more information.
When do you study? Or, worded more appropriately, do you have a detailed schedule of how you spend your time? Many students can’t effectively study simply because they can’t effectively organize their time. Time management is like public speaking: we only improve it through practice. In the case of effective time management, practicing means writing down a formal schedule of how you will budget your time and sticking to that schedule. This also prevents you from overcommitting and underperforming. Remember the saying that failing to plan is planning to fail. On a related note, try not to study more than 45 minutes at a stretch without taking a short break (this is the time to text, e-mail, take a short walk on the beach, etc. ). A small day planner is also helpful for recording important weekly deadlines, such as homework and project due dates, exam reviews, group study times, etc.
Do you like thieves? No one likes thieves unless they are one and they’re serving a nickel with another in the pen. If you don’t like thieves, why let procrastination steal your time? Don’t put off project deadlines. Start early on every assignment, even if it means just reading the pertinent sections in the textbook and writing the problem statements down on paper. When practiced long enough, this behavior will transfer into other aspects of your life, giving you much improved time management skills. If you can’t get procrastination under control, you’ll never do what you’re capable of and everyone will think you’re dumb .
Do you take good notes? If not, why not? Good note writing is an essential skill for success in the classroom (and in industry). Like other types of communication, it must be learned and refined through practice. Poor note taking is a leading cause of poor grades. If you are serious about becoming a good student, you will practice until you figure out what works best for your learning style. Organization is fundamental to taking good notes (as well as a host of other desirable traits). Notes must be stored logically and legibly. Coming to class without your notebook and writing tools is a recipe for failure. As a wise man once said, the shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory . So take notes in every lecture. Put all your notes in one notebook so you can’t lose that one piece of paper you needed. A loose-leaf notebook with dividers for different classes works best, because you can put handouts in with your notes. It also allows you to add other students’ notes if you miss class and need to get makeup notes from a friend which you recopy for your own learning.
Do you work in groups with friends? This is another area that can get you in trouble. If you’re in a group with a friend, how do you tell that friend when (s)he is slacking off? Because of your friendship, it can be a difficult conversation to have. Remember that the classroom is not a social club. Interact with your friends in your free time, not when you’re on the clock. Use a similar strategy as when you select study groups: pick project work groups with other students you know care more about their grades than you do. These students usually have learned the value of avoiding procrastination and will work diligently in pursuit of a good grade. Having said that, if your popularity varies in relation to group project assignments, you should probably take a good look at who your “friends” really are .
Do you have a solutions manual for the book your instructor uses? If not, why not? On the other hand, do you understand the proper way to use it or do you use a solutions manual as a crutch that only hurts you in the end (on the exams) when you realize too late you didn’t actually learn the material? This is a VERY common problem because seemingly “everyone has solutions manuals” and all too often the attitude is I’ll learn this later; I just need to turn in this HW for credit tomorrow. Unfortunately, “later” usually comes the night before the exam when you’re frantically cramming for the test you need a 93% on to just pass the course. Remember, intelligence is like age: you're only as dumb as you act .
Is your week full of distractions that sabotage even the best study habits? How do you spend your time? You only have one chance to get the degree you really want. How much time do you spend socializing? That includes time with friends (especially of the opposite sex), parties, phone calls, texting, parties, meals with friends, texting, playing games, parties, watching movies with friends, texting, extracurricular activities, etcetera . What about video games and time spent on the internet each week (track it and watch how quickly it adds up!). If you do any of these longer than you spend studying for your most difficult course, you’re dumb—I mean distracted .

Career Path Options:

After completing EML2322L, here are some tips I hope might help guide you into the next phase of your career:

Figure out what you like to do, not what someone told you they thought you should do. If you don’t enjoy the projects you’re encountering in the classroom, that’s a good indication you won’t enjoy working in industry either. Find your passion while you still can!! It’s better to change majors now than spend 45 hours/week doing something you don’t really care about for the next 30+ years. ***It’s just as important to figure out what you don’t like to do, as it is to figure out what you do.*** Contrary to what you hope, work is not more fun than school; your career path won’t magically become interesting to you because you’re making $65k a year! Don’t graduate with an ME/AE degree because that’s what your counselor, parent(s) or bank account suggested! You will never make enough money to compensate for a job you don’t enjoy or aren’t good at.
Get more experience applying what you’re learning by working on real projects via extracurricular engineering activities (Subjugator, GatorBotics, Society of Automotive Engineers, Human Powered Vehicle, Design Build Fly, Rocket Team, etcetera) and internships. You can also get involved with graduate research as an undergraduate. These are learning opportunities that usually don’t cost a penny more than you’re already spending on your education, but they can add tremendous value to your education. As you work on real projects, do the absolute best you can and collect samples of your work in a portfolio you can take into an interview and speak passionately about! Now, instead of a company asking you general questions you may not remember the answers to, it is going to ask about the sample work you brought to demonstrate what you’ve done beyond the required class work. A good portfolio will also leave companies with a visual reminder of your strengths. If you don’t do anything beyond the required coursework, you won’t have anything to put in your portfolio—and even more importantly—you won’t learn what you really like and don’t like to do.
While working on real projects, make a list of engineering-related activities you like and don’t like. Be honest, as you’re the only one who needs to see this list. And add to the list frequently. For example, do you like performing technical analyses or do you prefer managing projects? Do you like working alone or prefer to work in groups? Do you enjoy designing or manufacturing (or both)? Do you like working with your hands in a prototyping environment like the lab, or are you more theoretical (or perhaps you enjoy both)? Are you more creative (i.e. you are good at coming up with novel ideas or applications) or more practical (once an idea is initiated you are good at bringing to fruition)? There are no “right” or “wrong” answers to these questions; only what suits your personality and skill set. Some skills are essential for all engineers (like strong communication and time management skills and the ability to work well in groups) and regardless of whether we like it or not, we must become proficient at them or we will not excel in our chosen field.
Once your list has 10 or 15 items on it, do something with it. Conduct research to find out what industries seem interesting, challenging and engaging. Contact a few companies in each industry and speak to some engineers about their jobs and what they actually do each day. Ask specific questions about the items on your list and how they factor in to their work. These conversations will provide excellent insight, and allow you to learn what types of positions and industries are the best fit for your personality, skill set, intellect and interests.
Do nothing beyond the required minimum and graduate with a decent GPA and no practical experience. You will quickly be labeled another book-smart engineer who can’t design anything practical or analyze anything real and you’ll then be given the filler tasks that good engineers would be bored working on, time after time. In short, you’ll be an entry-level engineer for a very long time, since you won’t be challenged or respected by your co-workers, managers or customers. Don’t choose this route!!

Parting Notes:

If it isn't obvious by now, God sent me back here to UF for the purpose of getting to know you and helping you find your passion! If you're unsure how you got where you are or where you are going, then don't feel alone; many of us have been in that same situation where our fears and anxieties weigh so heavily on our shoulders as we pass through each day. And as if that's not enough, for most of us, we will be forced to make some of the most important decisions of our lives during our college years. PLEASE know that I am here if you want to talk in confidence about school and your career path, personal trials you are going through, God, or anything else that can use a good listener!

You know I joke a lot as part of my personality, but I am completely serious when I tell you that I pray earnestly that God helps each of you discover your passion, your purpose and His incredible plan for your life because He loves you SO VERY MUCH!!

Good luck and thank you for the PRIVILEGE of teaching and learning from you!