I am a Senior in computer engineering and that means that soon I will be graduating. Currently, I

Am finishing up my studies at Iowa state university and working at Proplanner as a software quality control Intern. My short-term goal is to graduate with distinction by maintaining my G.P.A and start working as a full-time employee. After few years however, I would like to be a part of something important. I want to use my knowledge to make an impact on people’s life. I haven’t decided on how exactly I am going to do it, but my plan is to polish my skills and gain more experience in field to prepare for the opportunity. I want to work in an environment where I can have opportunities for constant growth and travel.

 

Engineering fields often tend to ignore values like cultural knowledge and arts studies, but at Iowa State University, every computer engineering student has to take five general education classes in order to fulfill the degree requirements. I started my general education classes with UST110X, as an international student, it was a required class for me. This class helps you setting up pace , planning study schedules and familiarizing with American culture. I have also taken a class focused on Religion studies, while these classes do not directly add value to my engineering career it did help me a lot in growing as a person.

 

These classes give you a sense of vast religious population in states and makes you think from other’s perspective. I believe anyone living in states should take some classes to overcome prejudices and become a better employee at the workplace. When you look at different people and what problems they are facing, you might get motivated to work hard. Such classes also teach you skills like time management and study plans which are often neglected by core classes. These values cannot only help you during school but can improve your work efficiency too.

 

My most favorite class however was COM S 343 Philosophy of technology. The class talks about important issues in computer networks and security and how philosophers thought about it. For example, a big chunk of class time is dedicated to discussing about patents and privacy. As a computer engineer I believe these issues should be more openly discussed outside the classes. This class provide a platform for students to express their views on important topics like cyber security and think about it from other’s perspective.

 

At first, I was doubtful of to what values will these class add to my engineering degree but now I can certainly evaluate a difference. I appreciate an opportunity to interact with other majors as it has helped me develop both as a person and an engineer. Now I can think about technical issues with even more context. I think it is important for an engineer to make calculated decisions and be able to work independently. Strategic planning and valid reasoning needs to be more appreciated in the workplace.