If you aren’t facing Challenges you are not Learning

Its true if you aren’t facing a problem you aren’t learning.

You are busy learning the new catia software, you are going smoothly in all your tutorials. But as you progress through your tutorials do you feel “am I learning something new, am I growing. Am I facing a problem that I wanted to solve.”

If you are not hindered by a problem you aren't growing. Solving a problem, is the best way to grow and learn.

I have always said that real learning only comes when you are working on a real time projects and are facing the day to day real challenges.

My CAD learning accelerated when I was assigned on a real life project of CAD modeling of mixed flow compressor. Previously I was learning the solidworks software with tutorials in my spare time, but the real lessons I learnt came when I faces some real problem working on modeling that compressor.

The constraints of the projects presents you to try out new things. So always challenge yourself. Always strike to work on a problem. This is the only way you will truly learn a tool or a subject.

If your boss or mentor in your training period is not giving you any challenging and interesting work. Give yourself interesting assignments, put restrictions and work on something that do have real value for you you or others.

Do the tutorials but make them hard. Put your own constraint. The barriers you put might be of time based or resource based. This will help you grow.

Time constraint is the easy one. You can say you will complete a certain job in 10 minutes. The resource based constraint can be that in your next modeling project you will not use the toolbars shortcuts at all. Or you can say that you will do the next modeling of the FEA model by scripting. You can put a restriction that in your next tutorial you will not touch the mouse.

So by limiting the time or putting restriction on the tools that you can use you can challenge yourself to solve the problems. This will only help you grow.

Try it. It really works.

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Saras trainer aircraft crashes near Bangalore

A plane crash near Bengaluru on Friday claimed three lives. The Saras trainer aircraft which took off from the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited airport on Friday afternoon crashed in the outskirts of Bengaluru fifteen minutes after it took off.

Read More Here

Take a Test

The best way to see how much you have learnt, how you are progressing is to take a test.

I did this often in my AeSI days. In fact this was what my Mathematics teacher in class X,XI and XII did when he gave us 3 problems to solve before he began his class. I learnt more from his revision technique than anything else. If you also want to employ it in your studies then read How to study mathematics.

Why taking a test is so successful? It not only keeps you informed about your progress but doing that helps your brain to stay away from the routine and it keeps your brain cells some exercises.

So take test as often as you can, close your books and take up a mental stock of the concepts you learnt. How they fit in your life? How can you explain them to your younger sibling?

The best question to see if you have really understand the concept of something then just answer yourself mentally how will you explain the concept to your grand mother?

I did this exercise a lot and many concepts that I explained through this mental exercise are still intact in my mind. Explain the working of gas turbine engine, What is FEM, explain oblique and normal shock waves, what is moment of inertia were some of the topics that I employed this trick.

So carry on this exercise next time, when you begin your study, take a simple test and mentally rehearse what you learnt in the particular subject the previous day!!!

This was one of the tricks that I employed? Share what you do?

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Further Studies in US,UK,Canada & Australia after AeSI

Couple of weeks back, a reader of this blog had some questions regarding the validity of AeSI degree abroad and where to pursue a Masters in Aeronautical/Aerospace engineering?

 

 

 

Is AMAeSI valid/approved abroad? If yes, what else will I need to apply? When should I start?

So I forwarded her mail to Bishnujee who I think was in the best position to answers her queries. Well here’s the reply that Bishnujee gave.

Yes you can pursue MS/MSc programme in any of the countries abroad. The programme is accredited for further studies & employment not only in India but also beyond Indian subcontinent.

You need to apply early for US,Canadian Universities as the admission in these countries close a year in advance. In UK admission process is faster and it may be completed in less than a month. Some of the basic check you need to do before you plan to pursue your MS/MSc programme. How the program is going to benefit you in your future career and whether the country has liberal Immigration policy which will allow you to switch to Employment after completion of studies.
Immigration policy changes from time to time and so do careful research on this front before you decide to pursue MS/MSc program. Also try applying for Scholarship/Assistantships whenever you decide to pursue such program as it might be costly option to pursue same without any support. There are numerous bodies like Royal Aeronautical Society,IMech,UK ,AIAA(USA),CASI (Canada) administers scholarships for Qualified Engineers. Usually they cover full tuition fees and maintenance fees for full programme. Only if you are not successful you should consider option of Bank Loan or whatever other means as Scholarship is purely on merit. Aeronautical Engineers from The Aeronautical Society of India are treated at par with same level as very best of Universities awarding Aero Degree world wide. It all comes down to your interview process with the awarding body for same. Try doing search on Google or other search engine about Immigration policy of that country before thinking of pursuing MS/MSc in those location.

Some European countries has strict immigration policy,its better to consider UK as it has swiftest immigration policy for Degree Engineers who completed MSc there. Also they make you academically eligible for CEng(EC-UK),but you will need to be working in Aerospace sector for 7-10 years after MSc from UK University to be eligible to be interviewed or tested by them for CEng.

US used to be good destination for pursuing MS in Aerospace though Immigration policy has been changing and getting tougher here.H1B Work Visa has now been under Lottery system which was different during 2004 when I landed here just based on Job Offer from Boeing Company in Seattle and they sponsored for my H1B & Green Card without any lottery system which makes it bit game of luck and not the safest thing to do in life. NASA,Boeing,Lockheed Martin accepts your AeSI Degree at par with ABET accrediated BSc Aeronautical (Honours) Degree from US University.So you guys should be fine on that part and most US Universities like UK one have listed AeSI as Degree Awarding Insititution from India.

I hope it clarifies the situation for you.

Thanks Bishnujee!!

If you any questions comments regarding this feel free to comment, we can definitely find an answer.

Being honest about your AeSI results Helps

Being honest was one of the first thing that I discussed in my last post.

In November last month I received a scrap from someone who asked my help on what he was doing in AeSI. The guy was very distressed. His AeSI exams were not going well. But this was not his major source of worry. His major worry was what his parents will think?

Apparently his parents had high hopes regarding the degree and its good my parents too were happy. But what was worse in this guys case was after each exam result, instead of telling them his actual score he fueled there false hopes stating good results.

That not the correct way.

This very thing was some of my friends in AeSI but I always resisted this. So accept the truth and have the courage to tell about it  to your parents.

Don't  put in the unnecessary pressure on yourself by being dishonest about your progress.

What you can do?

I always have my marks sheets sent at my home address so my parents had the clear knowledge of my progress. And this way I was not the one who broke the news to my parents and this helped me explain my marks to them more clearly. So be honest whatever be your results!!

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• 3 things to do when you receive the result.

Kind of Questions that Aerospace Engineers can expect in Technical Interview

A while back Bishnujee wrote an email regarding the kind of questions that aerospace engineers can expect in his or her technical interviews. Most of these technical interview questions stress on basic and sound understanding of Aerodynamics, Aircraft Structures & Performance related questions. Apart from that he had some very specific points that you might want to keep in mind while preparing for a technical interview as an aerospace engineer, so here’s an excerpt from the email

Normal questions range from basic Aerodynamics questions usually involved with Circulation & Vortex of airflow, generation of aerodynamics loads from laser scanning of aerospace vehicles, Aircraft structures questions test on Validation of Finite Element Models techniques,advantages & disadvantaged of Hi Loks fasteners over solid rivets, material corrosion issues to dissimilarities in materials, then queries involved on individual experience and academic subjects depending on there background.

There are questions on of use of A & B  stress allowable in determining the Margin of Safety of your calculations and basis for using same. There are further question on comparative behavior and properties of 2024-T3,6061,7075 alloys and there application in various sections of airplane.

Well I had my share of interviews and for a propulsion or aero-mechanical stream engineer from AeSI following are the question that cropped up in most of the interviews. Explain Brayton cycle? What is entropy? Explain second law of thermodynamics? Explain working of a gas turbine engine? What’s the basic principle on which compressors works? What's the effect of nozzle on gas turbine performance? What are the loads acting on a compressor blade, on a turbine blade? What's the usual material of compressor and turbine? Why is it used? What is service ceiling? How to determine the range of an aircraft? What are the different stages of aircraft flight/

Well these are some of the question that I have faced in my technical interviews. As I said in this post, most of the question crop up from your resume, so when preparing for an interview do scrutinize it and get all the basics ready.

If you want a specific book or subject you want to look at for the preparation then I will recommend introduction to flights by John D Anderson. its good and covers most of the topics.

Quit AeSI

While I was at my native place back in November, someone from AeSI explained the desperate situation he was in.

The guy is from a small town with big dreams and was lured into AeSI with high hopes by the institutions that I have already talked about here in this blog. So were his parents and after sometime he realized the truth of AeSI to be a tough nut to crack and on repeated attempt he was unable to pass some subjects but his parents were under impression that their son is doing good and in the growing aerospace sector and had great future.

But the guy was under great pressure because of this and he wrote under that pressure that he wanted to quit AeSI but couldn't because of the shame and sense of betrayal before his parents. He asked me what to do?

At that time I had no answer. I was stunned by the desperation of that guy. I could see through his words and can visualize exactly what he was feeling and what situation he was in. I have seen a friend and batch mate of mine who was in the same situation long back.

At that time I thought why was I not in that position, why I never felt that even though I had my share of AeSI blues and surprises. And the fact that rose from that introspection was from day one I began AeSI, I made it a point to not to lie or withheld any information regarding my subjects and results from my parents. This decision of not keeping my parents in the dark was one the main strength that stood by me even when AeSI surprised me with its marks. During those times when I had only one subject to cross one of the milestones of AeSI, the pressure I was equal or similar that one must feel if compressed in a piston. For me since the mark sheet always went to my parents, I knew they know and there understanding acted as my escape valves.

Yes my parents had little idea about AeSI and its functioning and they freaked out when I failed or the marks were not good enough but I kept them in confidence, if it was my fault I admitted and I showed them the overall results and the whole picture so slowly they knew AeSI.

So what I can advice the guy is to be honest and come clear to his parents and if you can do it now. Do it. yes its tough but keep at it and bring them in confidence and march forward without any fear or worry.

If you can’t do any of this then Quit AeSI. Yes this is the options that I have seen 4 of batch mates execute when they felt they couldn’t take it any more and now all of them are doing great in there respective fields. One a professor, one working in managerial position and another one has began his own business. So decide for yourself. Life does not begin or end with AeSI.

What will you tell the guy? Please post in your comments? what he should do? Should he be honest and hang on or cruise out? do share your views in the comment.

Software,Training and AeSI graduates

Someone from Hyderabad AeSI had the following queries

hello sir ,

I have just completed my AESI, IN HYDERABAD I came to know about this site and registered myself today. I have not received my final marks list  yet. I have seen that you have done many programming languages . I haven't done nothing other than the course. I don't have any proper guidance here in Hyderabad. so please tell me should I learn any soft wares ?.and  some of my friends told that we would get an apprentice training letter after completing the course,is it true.And do companies take AeSI fresher? are their jobs for AeSI graduates. I have so many doubts,please give me guidance. hoping that you will send a reply soon

Instead of replying to his question in an individual email I thought its better if I answer them here so others too can join in the discussion.

Please tell me should I learn any softwares ?

By all means learn software, they are the tools of the trade so one shouldn’t be shy in learning them. So what are the software that AeSI graduate should learn. I have already mentioned software tools used by aeronautical engineers list, you can start with these. For computer language please do go ahead and at least have one language under your belt. Here in the post titled SUCHANDSUCH where I elaborated why you should learn a programming language.

If you don’t have access to any of the software tools mentioned and are apprehensive of any programming language then by all means take up excel as this is the most used tool in the engineering domain. This is one of the software that will be very much be a part of your work life so learn it, excel in it.

 

Some of my friends told that we would get an apprentice training letter after completing the course,is it true

Yes its true, You might want to see the notification on AeSI’s website at aerosocietyindia.com for information in this regards. Moreover having certificates and training before getting a job is always a good thing, They are some of the things that a new graduate of AeSI can highlight in his or her resume apart from the educations. This is also an opportunity when you acquire skills required for the industry.

 

And do companies take AeSI fresher's?

Yes they do. Just as any other engineering graduate you have a chance to be a in any company. In all aerospace companies that are in India, you will at least find one AeSI engineer. So take heart and go ahead. All you need to get a job after AeSI graduation is confidence+skills. Here’s a list of companies that I have in this blog where I mentioned some of the companies AeSI graduates are working in. Its bit old and need updating, but I am sure it will give you and idea about the spread of AeSI graduates in the Indian and world aerospace industry.

 

Are there jobs for AeSI graduates?

By all means, jobs are available for AeSI Graduates. You do have the best knowledge, you just need to add on the other skills to get off to a great start. I will recommend reading this series that I had a while back to set yourself to a great start in your career. As I have already sated ideally landing in a job just after your graduations depends on what you do in the your last semester. So read it here.

Well this were some of the answers that  I knew answers too, I have barely scratched the surface, I am sure many of senior AeSI graduates will have there own inputs so sing them here in the comments. What do you think? How is the industry receiving AeSI graduates?

 

• What should you do about gaps in your resume?

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Job Searching and Preparation for Job Interview

Job searching and preparation for the job interview should go hand in hand.

When you are searching for a job? Begin your preparation at the same time or well ahead of time. Sometime the short notice and a quick call can ruin the interview if you aren't well prepared.

Now you will ask how can I prepare if I don't know for which job I am preparing for?

Well use your resume as the job preparation guide. Its the one document from which your interview will begin and it is the place where the whole discussion technical or otherwise will hover around.

So begin your preparation from your resume. This not only focuses your actions but is much better than waiting for the interview call.

So if you are planning to get to the interviews in a month or two time then, get your resume updated and begin your interview preparation based on that resume.

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• Confidence + degree + skills = job
• Questions they ask in GE interview

What is this credit crisis? Explained in Simple English

Recession, economic crisis, job los, slow GDP growth, No tax cuts for job out sourcing companies and all that are the common terms that are going around in all the news channels and newspapers. And it all began with something called credit crisis.

So what is this credit crisis? What happened in the US that is now affecting everyone. I didn’t understood any of this until I saw this video.

Its an animation which explains the credit crisis in simple terms for the lay man.

Jonathan Jarvis sure did a good job and enlightened us on what is this credit crisis

 

The Crisis of Credit Visualized from Jonathan Jarvis on Vimeo.

If you are not able to see the Video, Please do click here

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