Introduction
To the modern engineers or engineering students, the idea of whole life concept is a hotchpotch of a hoard of interrelated concepts. As a concept, Whole Life includes some guidelines and elements that one needs to achieve higher levels of success in life. For instance, among the things that one needs are on the Whole Life Concept, passion, engineering knowledge, and application of the knowledge in one’s life. Passion is an important ingredient that one needs in Whole Life Concept, as it directs the effort and determination. Passion coupled with a wealth of engineering knowledge, and an exceptional ability to apply to the knowledge are important in achieving immense success in Whole Life Concept. Finally, one also needs to assess the impact that the passion, engineering knowledge, and its application have on the community or society.
Passion
Passion is the driving motive that directs one’s effort towards the achievement of set goals. Growing up in my family, I was surrounded by architectural books because my father was a master’s student at a local university . Often, my father would come home with great house models and plans that always caught my attention as a child. I always wanted to play with them, but my father could not allow me, for the reasons I came to understand later on; he needed to submit them to the professors for marking and grading. At times, my father came with models home and gave them to me; those that he gave me had already been presented to the professor and marked. I was always fascinated by the drawings and the plans that my father brought home; little by little, I developed a great love for architecture. As young as I was, while my age mates had not realized what they want to do in life, I already knew that I wanted to do what my father did; be an architect. Through the experience I had with my father, and the discussions we had had together, I knew that to achieve my goals; I needed to improve my scientific and mathematical skills. In middle schools; my mathematical and scientific skills had immensely improved. My mathematical and scientific skills increased tremendously; when the time came for me to pursue my academic dream, I choose to become a civil engineer, because it is the best discipline I ever wanted to pursue. The culture in which I grew up modeled me and created a great passion for mathematics and scientific studies. Today, enjoy civil enjoying because of the upbringing I got from my father.
Engineering Knowledge and Its Impact on the Society
My passion for civil engineering was developed by the people I grew up. I was fascinated by the types of amazing works done by other existing engineer. I was amazed by the fact that most of the roads, bridges, and structures build across the country were all masterminded by the people who pursued engineering in school. At one point, I wanted to be part of the great minds that developed great plans for the cities and towns in my country. For instance, I wanted to develop the best plan for a road in my town to help reduce the traffic congestions that caused delays to the people.
My father often told me that I needed to take my academics seriously if I wanted to become a great civil engineer. He constantly reminded me that engineers are great people with the ability to make tremendous changes and development of the communities across the world. He would site among the great people who made great contributions to the engineering world such as Thomas Edison. He used to tell me that because of Edison, many people across the universe can see light when the sun is gone and that I could also help in solving social problems affecting people using amazing engineering skills, but first I needed to master the knowledge, as well as its application . This advice stuck with me all the way to school, I developed great passion for engineering classes because of the advice that my father gave me. I read scientific books and did mathematics with the desire to become a civil engineer.
Today, I reckon that despite having a wealth of engineering knowledge, I also need to improve on my communication and management skills because they are also important in achieving my whole life concept goals . For example, I will have to work with many people when executing my designs and ideas. I will have to share my knowledge with many people; some who do not have basic engineering knowledge. Therefore, I have to improve on my communication and management skills, if I want to make a great civil engineer who can come up with great ideas and marshal collective efforts from other people to complete my projects.
Therefore, I will use my engineering knowledge to create a plan for the major roads in my town to help curb the menace of traffic jams. Many people, including my father get to work late because of the congested city roads. Others have to cut short their sleep by waking up early in the morning in an effort to beat the traffic congestions. I hope that the plan I come up with will remove the menace from the city roads by allowing free movement of cars.
- Freeberg, Ernest. 2013. The Age of Edison: electric light and the invention of modern America. New York [u.a.]: Penguin Press.
- Institution of Civil Engineers (Great Britain). 2016. Proceedings. Part 1, Part 1. London: Institution of Civil Engineers.
