How to become an engineer: Or the theoretical and practical training necessary in fitting for the duties of the civil engineer. The opinions of ... the courses of study in the technical schools

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1915. Excerpt: ... himself to the point of going back to the school after having once tasted the pleasures of success in business. Where this has been done, however, it has been almost invariably the fact, if I may judge from my own observation of quite a number of cases, the result is a most encouraging one. Could this plan be generally adopted, it would not only be decidedly better for the young man himself, but it would prove vastly better for the schools. The greatest difficulty met with in carrying out a satisfactory course of technical instruction in the schools, is that of finding students who have sufficient ripeness of intellect and of judgment, and sufficient physical strength to comprehend readily, grasp fully, and retain perfectly, the principles which are presented to them. Boys are sent to technical schools without well-developed habits of study, with insufficient and superficial preparation, with minds unripe and with bodies still taxing their systems by the drain of that vital power needed in carrying on the operations of physical development. Were the last considered plan adopted, they would come to this work, which demands all the powers of maturity, with body and mind full developed, and with an understanding of the extent, difficulty, and importance of the work to be done which would insure vastly better performance, and the accomplishment of vastly more in the time assigned to the course. The work of the instructor would be rendered more easy and more satisfactory to both himself and his pupil. The time would be far better utilized, and the greatest good would be accomplished in the given time and by the expenditure o) the given amount of time and funds. It is in this direction, I am pleased to find, that our President is looking for higher efficiency i...