I enjoyed hearing about the challenges faced by previous ESW interns. Having worked in Nigeria the past summer, I can identify with the unexpected barriers to productivity. I was struck by Nick talking about their struggle to duct tape a battery system together. My impression is that 30-60% of time is spent on overcoming these obstacles. To me, that’s part of the fun and excitement of development work — it’s something new every day.
Someone asked where the previous interns acquired the skills necessary to perform their jobs. I will reiterate what was said previously: you learn much of it on the job. This is true of any typical engineering job. I worked as a bridge designer for a year before returning to graduate school. About a month into my work, my supervisor drops a 900-pg design manual on my desk with a loud WHUMP! “Read this,” he said. While I didn’t get through everyone, it goes to show just how little you can know when you get into a job, and how that’s okay.
Knowing how to learn and research is one of the most valuable skills you can get from Stanford and this class. You will always encounter times when you need to do something by the end of the day, but you have no idea how to do it. It takes a certain skill set to pull resources, quickly synthesize information, and apply it as necessary. You will be practicing this skill set in the class. Most of the time, the answer to your questions will not be in the form of an equation in a textbook. The art of engineering lies in drawing information from technical resources and applying it in a logical and useful way.
Stanford Anam City Project | Nigeria 