June 7, 2013
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Just In Case You Didn’t Know…
I’m a helluva engineer!
I’ve spent my summer so far in field session. The first week was for MSHA certification – required training to work in a mine. I’m now certified for underground, surface, coal, and metal/nonmetal.
Yes, the classes were exactly as exciting as you’d think.
After that I worked extensively with Mine Sight, which is some weird 4-tran and CAD cross… It’s used for project planning, which is a very necessary step for mining but isn’t hands-on enough for me.
Finally I got to work in the actual mine, scaling (knocking down loose rock) and surveying. It’s really difficult to survey underground for 8-10 hours a day – the darkness and the radical shifts in back height mean setting up and shooting takes nearly twice as long as on the surface. Plus the huge variants in temperature and pressure are pretty uncomfortable. That said, I did a pretty damn good job. After a few all nighters, the surveys were submitted with little error.
CONFESSION: I was talking to one of the guys I live with, that I’m not sure I still want to be an engineer. Considering I’m half-way through the degree, though, I want to finish it. I figure a mining engineering bachelors from one of the top national schools is a good foundation for any graduate school. For that matter, I am good at what I do, and if I get a job with the right company, I wouldn’t mind doing it. But eventually I’d like to go back to school for German – maybe I could be a translator for international engineering firms? We’ll see.
I still have my whole life ahead of me, right?
Right now, I’m trying to have some fun. And I’m succeeding.
May
Comments (6)
youre doing awesome! you are so smart, you can do anything you put your mind to. <3
Sometimes you got to go through life and find out the things you dont like and that dont fit you, just as much as the things that you do like and do fit you. I wanted to do Youth Ministry initially; however, now I am doing Hospital Chaplaincy and really enjoying it. But for a little while I felt like I was giving up.. but I guess it didn’t really “fit” me as much as Chaplaincy does.
It’s always nice to have a plan B in your back pocket in case you don’t find the perfect fit for what you want to do. Definitely finish school and earn your degree, then go from there
I think it’s so cool what you’re doing. I’ve never actually read about an engineering/mining degree before and I just think what you’re doing is pretty neat.
Just take it day by day. It’s always better to die doing what you love, than to die just doing whatever. Like you said, you have your whole life ahead of you. There’s plenty of time to figure things out. Just do what works for you right now, and don’t let anyone try to convince you otherwise.
Stay strong!
@unstoppableobsession - Thanks sweetie
@Doubledb - I know you’re right. I’m good at engineering, and I’m even better at writing. Engineering needs more good writers than any of the liberal arts does. Guess we’ll just wait and see!
@Dustin_wind - Thanks, that’s the plan!
@lovemeeevikeee - Thanks
I actually didn’t really look into it until I had already been accepted into my university for Civil Engineering – I thought Mining was just something stinky old men did with pickaxes. Whoops.
@VomitingRazorBlades - Thanks for the support hun!
May