Finding a way
Yesterday, I had lunch with my good friend Anyzoom at the C-1 café to celebrate coming to the end of his study, and having just been to a very positive job application. C-1 is one of my favourite haunts, not only because the coffee is excellent, but because it's close to polytech, and there are a number of unbelievably cute girls who work there.
We drank coffee and kept an eye on the scenery, talking about the project he had been working on in his final year, and what project I might end up undertaking in this, my final year. I have been struggling to find my niche in the engineering degree. In this final year, we get to pick our specialties: communications, electrical, electronics, control systems, computer engineering/ embedded systems. The problem is that I find all of these areas interesting, but due to the polytech's lack of resources, I know that not all of these streams will be run this year. Ideally, I'd like to study electrical engineering, but with a focus on renewable energy, power system planning and load analysis.
If you have been reading this blog for a while, you will know (or have figured out) that I believe in being as independent as possible. This was one of the main points in undertaking the Week of Penury. Independence extending to being far less reliant on resources external to each household: growing food in the garden to offset rising produce prices; being less reliant on mains electricity; using more benign forms of transportation; shifting the 'work-life' balance, in favour of 'life', and so on. The coming transition might not come easy—in fact, it will in all probability be downright difficult—but it needn't be miserable. All sorts of things can be accomplished through foresight, co-operation and willingness to act. Taking the larger view, my project is therefore already defined for me: Get through the year of study and get into this area.
We also talked about resistance to change, and how economics, vested interests and fear slow the uptake of proactive initiatives. Corporate interests. I figure that there must be a way to build these groups—who wish to continue profiting from the status quo—out of the system. And I must be involved in doing it.
Although I don't recognise the authority of the U.S. or its military, I have to admire the mottoes associated with the U.S. Naval Construction Force, otherwise known as the Seabees:
I believe there is a way to accommodate not only my engineering aspirations, but also my philosophy of life, in this coming time. I know I'll be working against the grain, but the outcome if successful will be worth it. Find a way!
We drank coffee and kept an eye on the scenery, talking about the project he had been working on in his final year, and what project I might end up undertaking in this, my final year. I have been struggling to find my niche in the engineering degree. In this final year, we get to pick our specialties: communications, electrical, electronics, control systems, computer engineering/ embedded systems. The problem is that I find all of these areas interesting, but due to the polytech's lack of resources, I know that not all of these streams will be run this year. Ideally, I'd like to study electrical engineering, but with a focus on renewable energy, power system planning and load analysis.
If you have been reading this blog for a while, you will know (or have figured out) that I believe in being as independent as possible. This was one of the main points in undertaking the Week of Penury. Independence extending to being far less reliant on resources external to each household: growing food in the garden to offset rising produce prices; being less reliant on mains electricity; using more benign forms of transportation; shifting the 'work-life' balance, in favour of 'life', and so on. The coming transition might not come easy—in fact, it will in all probability be downright difficult—but it needn't be miserable. All sorts of things can be accomplished through foresight, co-operation and willingness to act. Taking the larger view, my project is therefore already defined for me: Get through the year of study and get into this area.
We also talked about resistance to change, and how economics, vested interests and fear slow the uptake of proactive initiatives. Corporate interests. I figure that there must be a way to build these groups—who wish to continue profiting from the status quo—out of the system. And I must be involved in doing it.
Although I don't recognise the authority of the U.S. or its military, I have to admire the mottoes associated with the U.S. Naval Construction Force, otherwise known as the Seabees:
"With willing hearts and skillful hands, the difficult we do at once, the impossible takes a bit longer, miracles by appointment only."
"We will either find a way or make one."
I believe there is a way to accommodate not only my engineering aspirations, but also my philosophy of life, in this coming time. I know I'll be working against the grain, but the outcome if successful will be worth it. Find a way!
posted by J.L. at 12:13 pm
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