Another Off Topic Post

[Donut]

I seem to be full of these non-WOK topics. I get so bored during the day when I'm trying to stall doing homework though. Anyway.....

The last time I posted something about School I think I remember getting a response from some people that have heard of/used MATLAB. From this I'm assuming you are either a Mechanical Engineer or in a field that has something to do with it.

My question is, would it be worth it to learn AutoCAD on my own?

My current track does not involve teaching ACAD. My school has stopped teaching it to ME's and has gone to teaching Solidworks. While I agree knowing some Solidworks in a very good thing, I kinda feel that not knowing ACAD might hurt me when searching for a job. I'm looking for an internship for the summer and most of the places that I look at require ACAD and Solidworks is a bonus. I really need an internship this summer!!!

Any thoughts would be helpful.

Donut

BTW: How do some of you guys Program so much so often? I can't stand doing a program a week for my Intro to C++ class. I absolutely hate it. Not to mention spending at least an hour trying to figure out an array because it starts at 0 and not 1(MATLAB starts at 1).

[Brykovian]

BTW: How do some of you guys Program so much so often? I can't stand doing a program a week for my Intro to C++ class. I absolutely hate it. Not to mention spending at least an hour trying to figure out an array because it starts at 0 and not 1(MATLAB starts at 1).

I think your attitude would change if you started getting paid for it in something other than "good grades".

FWIW ... I started Uni with a comp-sci major and dropped it about half way through my second year, mainly because I had gotten overly frustrated with waiting for a spot in the computer lab (no "IBM compatible" computer at home + 65 students in the program + 7 comps in the lab back in those days meant ... hard to get on the comp when needed) and I got a bit of bad career advice around that time. I switched over to a degree communications, expecting to write/direct/produce for radio/TV/movies. And now I'm a business systems analyst and programmer -- go figure.

[gm_al]

Bryk, you forgot to say: 'and a bloody good game designer' (and a coding wiz afaik)

Nowadays you gotta learn learn learn to stay on top of things. Siemens (my employer) is currently laying off over 10% of their coders/managers, and we are all a bit worried in the office. However I hope not to be struck by it, simply because I really worked hard to make the company spend money in my education (and they might want to see some return on that investment). I made a full education on usability engineering, project management (in various degrees), coding stuff (Java, .NET, XML etc.) and quite a few other things they agreed to pay me. Right now Im working for two research projects on multi-modality, while learning PHP and Flash for fun when I can. Not much more I can do I guess to be considered as 'active'. However there is no guarantee, the employment situation is next to catastrophic here. Queen Pea, my lovely wife, has a degree in economics and it took her over 7 months and 200 personal interviews to find a halfway decent new job. In those seven months the employment agency suggested exactly ZERO job opportunities to her.

So you shouldnt be asking if learning ACAD is needed ot not - you should already be starting with it.

PS: my fallback strategy is of course living out of the money WOK and my downlines bring me, LOL !

[korexus]

TK and I use Matlab occasionally. Mainly because THEY make us. *Shudder*

AutoCAD is supposed to be much more powerful and useful. It also looks great on a CV. The only question is whether you can teach yourself to use it to a suitably high level. - I couldn't, I'm far too lazy!

So try teaching it to yourself, that can't hurt. Then if you run into trouble either beyotch and moan at your college until they teach it to you or beyotch and moan at someone else until that person teaches it to you. I find bitching and moaning can get you far in life if you pick the right targets!


Hope that was some help, somehow...


korexus.

[Edit.] Stupid word sensor! I'm sure you get what I mean... [/Edit]