16 motivating the student

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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 STUDY1 INTRODUCTION

We arent 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 fromworkshops and seminars, from reading books,

from trial and error.

Developing our effectiveness is a life long

process. 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 hiresare thus provided with the formal training, on- the

job training, close supervision, progressively more

challenging assignments and time to mature.

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?

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.


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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 theybecome effective and successful.

Within engineering education, this Sink or Swim

approach is not working.

Many of the engineering students fail to work up to

their full potential.

The good news, however, is that the process of

engineering education initiated recently a shift fromthe Sink or Swim paradigm to one of Student

Development. The engineering curriculum is getting

revised with the primary goal of enhancing student

success.


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2 KEYS TO SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING STUDY

What makes the difference?

One student with seemingly limited ability andpoor 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 differentiatesuccessful engineering students from

those who fail.

Determination

(Most Important)

Effort

Approach

Dont give up!

Work hard

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 persisteven 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, arelationship problem, or a health problem. You will

encounter some adversity and use it as a reason

(an excuse) for failing to do well.


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How can you ever expect to get somewhere

if you dont 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).

The Importance of Goal Setting:


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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.

Feelings leading to Thoughts leading to Action


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Examples of Negative Thoughts and the resulting

Non-productive Actions.

Negative Thought Non-Productive Action

Im so far behind, I dont get

anything out of my teachers

lectures.

Cut class

I learn better by studying by

myself.

Spend time studying alone and

not able to follow thoroughly

Subject is too hard; I just cant do

it.

Procrastinate; put off studying

Teachers dont seem to want to

help me. They make me feel

stupid.

Avoid seeking help from teachers

outside of class

I dont like having my life run asper a prepared plan.

Waste time by not schedulingyour time

I dont have time for student

organizations.

Avoid participation in student

organizations

Im not good at writing and dont

like doing it.

Avoid opportunities to develop

writing skills.


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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 topersist 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 succeedis how you handle adversity.

Believe in yourself. You can do it!


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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 oftheir ability (a natural quality that you have no

control over; that some people have it and other

people dont)?

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 tracedto 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.


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5 APPROACH:

Although some tasks will depend solely on effort,

your effectiveness and efficiency in accomplishing

most tasks will depend on both effort andapproach.

In other words, success in engineering study

requires not only that you work harder, but also

that you work smarter.

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, orwatch experts play.

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 meritoriousB.Tech. Degree?

You must develop a high level ofcommitment and motivation so you are

willing to make necessary choices and

personal scarifies.

You must learn how the educational systemworks and learn how to be effective as a

student.

Learning to be efficient and effective at the

task of studying engineering will haveenormous 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 professionalengineer.


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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 prepareyourself for your future.

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.

Whenever you make a conscious choice to avoid learning,

growing or developing, you are not getting away with

something you are working against yourself!


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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-evaluationand 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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7 ATTRIBUTES MODEL (COMBINES INPUTS

FROM STUDENTS, FACULTY AND INDUSTRY)

Institutional Assessment:

In todays tight fiscal climate, engineering institutes

are being urged to take up internal revenue

generation and are being held more accountable for

their productivity. Institutions are being asked to establish educational

objectives and outcomes and to show that these

objectives and outcomes are being met.

Similar to the student assessment of the degree towhich the student meets the educational objectives or

expectations set by the University.

Your engineering college may have a list of attributes

that it strives to impart to its students.


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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.

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 (Effectiveness incommunicating ideas).

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 andopen 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 andcapability 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).

f


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Relative Importance of these Attributes as ranked by

students, faculty and Industry Reps:R

ANKSTUDENTS FACULTY INDUSTRY REPS

1 Problem Solving Problem Solving Problem Solving

2 ComputerLiteracy Math/ScienceProficiency CommunicationSkills

3 Math/ScienceProficiency

CommunicationSkills

Ethics andProfessionalism

4 CommunicationSkills

Technical skills OpenMind/PositiveAttitude

5 Technical skills Motivation toContinue Learning

Math/ScienceProficiency

6 Motivation toContinue Learning

Ethics andProfessionalism

Technical skills

7 OpenMind/PositiveAttitude

Open Mind/PositiveAttitude

Motivation toContinueLearning8 Business

ManagementPractices

Computer Literacy BusinessManagementPractices

9 Ethics andProfessionalism

World Affairs andCultures

ComputerLiteracy

10. World Affairs andCultures

BusinessManagementPractices

World Affairsand Cultures

The most important attribute as recognized by all the

categories is Problem Solving.

Greatest gap between the view of Students and Industry:

Ethics and professionalism ranked #3 by Industry and # 9b students.


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8 EMPLOYMENT MODEL

The single most reason you have chosen to study

Engineering is the availability of jobs.

In view of this, you need to consider what factors areimportant 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)


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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.

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

9. STUDENT INVOLVEMENT MODEL

You want to get quality education i.e., to have theknowledge, skills and attributes that will result in your

being highly sought after by employers.

What do we mean by quality or excellence in

education?

An excellent education is one that maximizes

students intellectual and personal development

possible only through Student Involvement:


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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

Definition of Student Involvement :


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Involved Student:

An involved student is one who devotes

considerable energy to studying, spends a lot of

time on campus, participates actively in studentorganizations, 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 POTENTIALFOR SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING STUDY

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


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Item Description Rating

Personal Importance

a Writing Skills

b Oral Communication Skills

c Ability to work with other People

d Commitment to become anEngineer

e Personal and Ethical Standards

f. Positive Attitude

g Computer Skills

h Proficiency in Mathematics andScience

i Participation in Student

Organizations

j Degree you work Collaborativelywith other students

k Time and Energy devoted tostudying Engineering Subjects

l Time spent on Campus

m Overall percentage of Marks(Grade Point Average)

a. Rate yourself on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being highest) on

the following:


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Rate the items above on a scale of 0 to 10 (10 being high)

as to their relative importance.

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 greatestattention. III quadrant contains items that need least

attention.

Items needing

least attentionItems needing

greatest attention


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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 theplan.

# Items needing greatest

Attention

Items needing least

attention

NEW CAREER RULES


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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 areadding to your company; you cant be an

overhead.

Rule 5 : Age and experience will not be respected,

always be prepared for a young upstart who

can do things better.

EMERGING CAREER OPTIONS


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EMERGING CAREER OPTIONS

OPTIONS ON COMPLETION OF UG DEGREE

The following options present themselves to AnEngineering Graduate:

Job: in private sector, public sector,

government (central/state), teaching, R&D

Self-employment: as an entrepreneur.

Training (Apprentice)

Further studies: in India or abroad (externalbrain drain); in technology or management or

business ( internal brain drain). For most post-

graduate 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, familyconsiderations, 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.

WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR


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WHAT TO WATCH OUT FOR

Advice to prospective employees and job seekers:

(a) Hiring: Potential employers may reject you if youshow any of the following qualities:

You want very clear job descriptions and very clear

lines of authority.

You have experience in only one single function.

Your work experience has all been in a single

industry sector.

You have worked in big firms; you havent

experienced turbulent situations.

You want permanent employment and not a

contract.


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(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.

A package which has the firm taking care of

issues like housing.

The taxable component is low and the tax-free

component is high.

A salary structure with a minimum fixed

increment every year.


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(c) Redundancy: You could end up losing your job

even if you are doing well because:

Your company is merging with anothercompany.

Your firm is moving into a new business, and

your department doesnt fit in.

Your firm has dropped its plans for a new

business and doesnt need you.

The work your department does can be

outsourced. Internal restructuring to reduce the

duplication in your company.


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(b) The ING Phase:

During his gainful employment, the emphasisis on coping, creating, delivering, designing,

developing, managing, manufacturing,

planning, servicing.

Along with the ICS subjects, during thisphase, human relations and human values

matter.

For many Engineers, this is a traumaticexperience, but most of them overcome it in a

few years.


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(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 duringthe phase.

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR A SUCCESSFUL CAREER


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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 adegree. 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 todays emphasis on non-hierarchical teamwork.

Invest in developing your people skills.

B h t bl ff F l ti t t


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Be honest, never bluff: For long-time respect, get

some basic values.

Be realistic in your expectations: Everything comes

with time; dont expect miracles. Learn some marketing: A persons 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 newtools, 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 re-

defined. The future belongs to the person who can

manage himself best.

AZIM PREMJIS TEN GOLDEN RULES


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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 dreamsis 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 cant 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.

Learn to work in teams The challenges ahead are so


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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.

Take care of yourself. The stress a young personfaces 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..

Persevere. It can make miracles happen.

Have a broader social vision. While earning is

important, we must use it for the larger good of our

society.

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

become vulnerable to making bad judgments.

AZIM PREMJIS PRESCRIPTION FOR SUCCESS


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(Given to the IIT, Roorkee graduates in 2003)

Success = Customer Delight + Hard Work + Luck

Learn to excel in everything that you do. Make

Excellence a Habit.

Dont lose heart if you lose; but dont forget the

lessons learned.

Iron doesnt become steel without going through

fire; you must be prepared to undergo the test of

fire, if you want to succeed in life.

BILL GATES ON 10 THINGS SCHOOLS DONT TEACH


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(Advice to the graduating class during a school convocation)

1. Life is not fair get used to it.

2. The world wont 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 wont be a vice-president with a

car, phone until you earn both.

4. If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get aboss. He doesnt have tenure.

5. If you mess up, its not your parents fault, so dont

whine about your mistakes, learn from them.


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