Being an Engineer Is About More Than Being Good at Math

Engineers don’t just solve problems all day. Engineers don’t just write technical reports. Engineers don’t just read through manuals and look through codes.

Engineers find ways to improve people’s lives. They find ways to improve how we move between Point A and Point B. They think of ideas that we once thought were impossible.

Being an engineer myself, I have been involved in major bridge projects that needed to be rebuilt to accommodate larger ships so they could make it to the ports. I have been involved in major airport redevelopment projects to replace aging terminals and infrastructure.

Even on a smaller scale, I have been involved in site development projects where better circulation was needed to help people move around a site, and simple repaving projects where roadways had severe potholes.

Yes, to some degree, all of these projects involved math.

We need to make sure roadway geometry meets specific requirements so vehicles can safely get to their destination.

We perform aircraft maneuvering simulations to make sure aircraft can geometrically fit into their parking positions and maneuver into position safely.

We make sure drainage pipes have the right slope so they aren’t too flat and unable to drain properly, or too steep, which could cause water to build up inside manhole structures and potentially overflow.

We also need to make sure utilities can geometrically fit within the space available.

All of this involves calculations, offsets, measuring vertical grades, working through extensive calculations, and so much more math. I still have my Professional Engineer practice handbook, which was more than 500 pages, as a reminder of just how much technical knowledge goes into becoming an engineer.

At the end of the day, engineers solve problems.

The projects we work on exist because there is a problem that needs to be solved.

But for whom are we solving the problem?

We are solving problems for people who don’t want to drive over potholes. We are solving problems caused by aging infrastructure.We are solving problems for communities that need better infrastructure.

We as engineers understand the math. We understand why we need to solve the problem.

People who aren’t engineers don’t always understand why disrupting daily life is needed to solve those problems.

The community isn’t made up of engineers, architects, and people with similar backgrounds. People take different paths in life. They didn’t go to school to work through the math we studied every night in the library while trying to cram for an exam.

Fixing potholes is easy to understand because it is something people experience directly. If you hit a pothole, you can easily end up with a flat tire. It is easy to understand why that road needs to be fixed.

But what happens when you don’t see what is being done? What happens when you are taking a shower and suddenly your building starts to rumble?

This was something I experienced when I was living in Manhattan near 83rd Street and Second Avenue.

I lived there during the construction of the Second Avenue Subway. This was a major underground subway project to extend the subway from 59th Street north through the Upper East Side. It was one of the biggest subway projects in New York City in decades.

I understood the need for the project because I am an engineer. I was also lucky enough to have an opportunity to visit the tunnels during construction. 

But one particular morning, while I was taking a shower, my building shook. It felt like an earthquake.

One of our picture frames actually fell off the wall inside our apartment because of the vibration.

I laughed it off because I understood what was happening. I knew that much of the work was taking place through rock, and one of the methods used to remove rock during construction is blasting with explosives.

But for someone who isn’t an engineer, they may experience it differently.

They may freak out. They may think it could damage their building. It could make them nervous or even scared.

As engineers, we could easily think: “Well, it needs to be done this way.” 

Just because.

But…

This is why it is so important to understand that being an engineer is about more than just math.

One of the most important things we can do as engineers is communicate our ideas. We need to present our ideas to people who may not understand what we understand. We need to explain why something needs to be done, especially when what we are doing may affect someone’s daily life.

Imagine living above a construction project and feeling your building shake because explosives are being used to remove rock to make room for a new subway station.

We may understand why it is necessary.

It takes practice.

But there are some things I have done that have helped me.

Think like a 5-year-old.

Break things down so someone who knows nothing about the subject can understand what you are talking about.

Present as much as you can.

Take opportunities to present your ideas, even when you don’t feel completely comfortable doing it.

Get up in front of people and speak.

The more you do it, the more comfortable you become.

Give yourself an opportunity to fail.

Not every presentation is going to go perfectly. That’s okay. Some of the best lessons come from the times when things don’t go the way you planned.

Get involved.

And what do I mean by this?

Not just in your community, but also in a professional organization. Get involved. Take on a leadership role. Put yourself in situations where you have to communicate and work with others.

You will hear this one a lot from me: READ!

Reading gives you different perspectives and helps you learn about things outside of engineering.

Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and communicate your ideas.

It is one of the best ways to learn.

“Knowledge is power is WRONG. APPLIED knowledge is power.” Rachel Hollis

Having the knowledge only gets you so far if you don’t know how to harness that knowledge and communicate it to the people who don’t understand it.

As engineers, we spend years learning the technical side of what we do. But being a great engineer is about more than knowing the math.

It’s about understanding the problem. It’s about understanding who you are solving the problem for. And it’s about being able to explain your solution to the people who are affected by it.

Engineering isn’t just about the math that proves it is the best.

It is about how you communicate why it is the best.

Stay tuned for my next blog, where I will dive deeper into what I practice and what has helped me communicate better.