Summary

Toni Crowe recounts her experience as an Electrical Engineering student with a natural talent for Mechanical Engineering, which led to a work-study position with a professor and a broader exploration of her academic interests.

Abstract

The web content describes Toni Crowe's unexpected proficiency in Mechanical Engineering while studying Electrical Engineering. Despite being a student of Electrical Engineering, she excelled in understanding mechanical forces, which caught the attention of her Mechanical Engineering professor. This led to her working for him, organizing classes, and correcting papers. Her innate ability to grasp force analysis without relying on formulas is highlighted, as is her initiative in improving the professor's office environment. The narrative emphasizes the importance of seizing opportunities, exploring various fields of study, and discovering one's talents and skills during the university years. Crowe encourages readers to peruse their university's course catalog, engage with professors, and consider courses that align with their skills and interests, even if it means accumulating more credits than necessary. She advocates for finding a profession that one can excel in, rather than just following passion.

Opinions

The author believes in the importance of recognizing and nurturing one's natural talents and skills beyond one's declared major.
Crowe values the exploration of different academic disciplines as a means of discovering one's professional calling.
She suggests that university is a time for self-discovery and that graduating with excess credits is a worthwhile trade-off for finding a profession that suits one's abilities.
The author implies that passion alone is not sufficient for career success; talent and skill are equally, if not more, important.
Crowe appreciates the practical experience gained through her work-study position, which complemented her academic learning and prepared her for the professional world.

ILLUMINATION BOOK CHAPTERS

From Zero to Family Hero

He Liked Me — Chapter 24

Background Image by Apicha — stock.adobe.com

“If you don’t see yourself as a winner, then you cannot perform as a winner.”

— Zig Ziglar

The Story

In mechanical engineering, you have to determine all the forces acting on various pieces of metal as you put them together. An engineer must understand what effects are in play when an object is experiencing a twist or a turn.

Although I was an Electrical Engineering student, I had an innate ability to determine mechanical engineering forces. My professor in Mechanical Engineering 102 noted that I could answer force questions without having to do the work. I didn’t need the formulas; I could look at a problem and know the answer. Showing my work was incredibly easy. I was getting hundred after hundred on the weekly quizzes while everyone else struggled.

When I introduced myself to the professor, I noticed he had stacks of papers that he was grading. As a student always on the lookout for a work-study job, I asked if there was an open position to help him. There was.

I applied for and got the position. I helped the professor organize his classes and correct papers. He was an older professor associated with mechanical engineering for his whole life. He was unusual in that he had come from industry. He had also written one of the most stellar texts on the subject.

Because work-study requires a minimum number of hours per week, I kept myself busy. I put together test questions and made copies for the professor. If I did not have enough hours in a week, I would come by his classes to help him pass out tests and quizzes.

I started to brighten up his dusty office, straightening all of the beautiful books that were stacked to the ceiling. I don’t know if you ever watched Andy Rooney on CBS, but his office looked exactly like that. Every wall was covered with books. It was a great place to be for a person who loved books as I did. I dusted and stacked them and even bought him a couple of cactus plants.

I did not take the final in my section. I didn’t take the last two tests because I wrote them. He said, “Well, you didn’t take the final. I may have to mark you down a bit.”

I said, “Fine, that’s cool.”

I still got an A. I got an A because I had taken the time to help the professor and had a natural understanding of forces and force analysis.

The Lesson

Look for opportunity every time you interface with someone on campus.

The Exercise

The exercise is to figure out what you are naturally good at while in university.

Take a moment and pull up your university’s course catalog. Read it like a book. Understand the course descriptions. Dig through them and see if there is anything that catches your eye, anything that makes your heart flutter at the idea of being in that class. If there is something like that, go and introduce yourself to the professor. Talk to them about the course. After you do, decide if you want to try that class and see if you have that skill.

Part of the first year of university is not being stuck in what you thought you wanted to do. It is about exploring all the things you could be and trying them out. This means you will probably graduate with more credits than you need. I graduated with more credits than I needed, but I tried many different things and found out that engineering was something I could do well. And that’s the key. You want a profession in something you can do well.

A lot of people say, “Find your passion and then follow your passion.” That’s not what I am saying. Find your talent. Find your skill. Write your suspected skills in your workbook.

Write your wishes in your workbook as well. Is there any set of courses that take advantage of your skills within the framework of your desires? If so, take a low-level course in that department to determine if you are a match.

I was not prepared to interview for a white-collar employee position. The university prepared me.

Toni Crowe All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and specific other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

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Toni Crowe retired as the Vice President of Operations to pursue her dream of being a writer. Toni has written six books, two of which won the 2019 Reader’s Choice Gold Awards. Her bestselling business book, “Bullets and Bosses Don’t Have Friends: How Do You Manage A Man Sitting With His Dick in His Hand?” was one of the winners. Her first book, “Never a $7 Whore” was the other.

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