Well, time flies really quickly when you don’t pay attention to it. I remember, when I first got here, I was thinking “how am I going to survive 9 months here?” Well 3 is gone now, and time still moving forward…At this time, it’s good to reflect on some of the things I’ve gathered in my course thus far. As a Civil Engineering student, I’ve learn to appreciate so many aspects of construction, from the mechanics to material selection to cost of project. One of the many things our surveying lecturer always tries to emphasize is the need to be accurate, because the client expects it to be accurate.
That reminded me of the time my dad gave me, my brother, and his friends a job as data collectors (we were hired to count cars at a particular stretch of road)…come to think of it, he was pretty brave to have given a million dollar project to a bunch of kids (maybe he though is wasn’t going to get through anyway). I remember distinctly that all of us started seriously enough…with our pens and paper, marking every car that whizzes by. However, the job eventually took its toll, and by noon, all of us were just lazing about…some proceeded to “manipulate” data so they could go to the shopping mall (I didn’t do that, just so you know). 8 years later, when I think about it, I thank God that the project never went through (although I think it still should have, that stretch is still always jammed). If it did, it might have cost the client serious amounts of money and put my dad’s job in jeopardy.
Being so young at the time, we neither saw the magnitude of our work, nor the seriousness of it. I guess at that time, being a pre-teen/teen…we had that all too familiar attitude of “couldn’t care less”…I think the mistake most young people make nowadays (or always for that matter), is that we think we can live a life without care or responsibility because we have youth on our side…and youth will bail us out whenever we are in trouble…however sooner or later youth runs out and your left with no more excuses for your irresponsibility.
So my advice to all my young readers (though I still consider myself young)…never make the mistake or cultivating the attitudes of “couldn’t care less” or “I don’t care” because one day that might be your biggest downfall…instead start learning to treat each situation with respect and dignity…and your efforts will definitely be rewarded.
That reminded me of the time my dad gave me, my brother, and his friends a job as data collectors (we were hired to count cars at a particular stretch of road)…come to think of it, he was pretty brave to have given a million dollar project to a bunch of kids (maybe he though is wasn’t going to get through anyway). I remember distinctly that all of us started seriously enough…with our pens and paper, marking every car that whizzes by. However, the job eventually took its toll, and by noon, all of us were just lazing about…some proceeded to “manipulate” data so they could go to the shopping mall (I didn’t do that, just so you know). 8 years later, when I think about it, I thank God that the project never went through (although I think it still should have, that stretch is still always jammed). If it did, it might have cost the client serious amounts of money and put my dad’s job in jeopardy.
Being so young at the time, we neither saw the magnitude of our work, nor the seriousness of it. I guess at that time, being a pre-teen/teen…we had that all too familiar attitude of “couldn’t care less”…I think the mistake most young people make nowadays (or always for that matter), is that we think we can live a life without care or responsibility because we have youth on our side…and youth will bail us out whenever we are in trouble…however sooner or later youth runs out and your left with no more excuses for your irresponsibility.
So my advice to all my young readers (though I still consider myself young)…never make the mistake or cultivating the attitudes of “couldn’t care less” or “I don’t care” because one day that might be your biggest downfall…instead start learning to treat each situation with respect and dignity…and your efforts will definitely be rewarded.
3 comments:
Wow, who were those lazy manupulative counters ? Mom and I had a good laugh at your confession and revelation.
Today, I attended a seminar on High Performance Concrete. The lecturer told us that future civil engineers would do much more than what we do now because of enviroemental concern, sustainable development, WTO requirement and Kyoto Protocol. It sure will be challenging !
i was a good car counter... anyway, have you all heard of this hollow core thing? its a new sort of concrete system...
Sam, I have not heard of it. Tell us more about this hollow core
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