As far as university rankings go, Tech has remained amongst the top ten in the nation for a substantial amount of time. But what is it about Tech that lassos such good rankings?
What factors make a Tech graduate stand out from a host of other applicants for a particular job? Does the education instill the ability to think for oneself and apply that to real world problems?
The Tech education prepares students for the work force by enabling them with a specific set of skills applicable to the major in which they study.
The rigorous workload which a lot of students complain about, forces students to learn meticulous time management and other essential skills like dealing with pressure and meeting deadlines.
From start to finish, the mind of a student is continuously molded till he or she is equipped with the skills to think creatively and solve all sorts of problems.
Faculty and staff at Tech work tirelessly to make sure that students who graduate from Tech are prepared for situations they will face in the real world.
“I think there are two basic challenges that are unique to Tech that prepare students for the workforce. First, Tech educates students in science and especially the use of the scientific method. In the workplace an extremely valuable skill is the ability to observe a problem, think logically, and make decisions based on the information provided. Students who graduate from Tech are likely to use this type of analytical thinking to make decisions and this makes them a valuable asset to the company,” said Dr. Christine Ries, Chair of the School of Economics. “Second, Tech is unique because it offers design courses to students. These courses focus on a real problem and ask students to bring their perspectives to the problem and create solutions. Therefore, students are forced to draw on book learning and apply these concepts to the solution for the problem. This allows new ideas to spread from the university to the workforce. From these two unique challenges, Tech teaches students the principles of application, embodiment and solution communication.”
Professors also wish for their students to take away certain skills from their specific course material.
Dr. Ries, for example hopes that her students will take away “the ability to formulate and trust their own gifts and intuition,” from her class and understands that such skills will benefit students for their careers and the rest of their lives.
“Being at Tech really makes me think more analytically than I’ve ever had to before in my life. It’s a lot of work too, which I think any student at Tech knows. But at the same time, even though there is a lot of work involved, I know it will all be worth it in the end. So far I’ve been able to better manage my time, just because I had to learn over the course of the two years I’ve been here,” said Timothy Milholn, a second-year BME major.
“An education from Tech is more beneficial than you realize while you are still in school. Tech prepared me for the work force and it was easy for me to find a job soon after graduation because I had good skills and knew how to market them. That’s something Tech taught me too- how to market myself and make my skills appealing to businesses,” said Miles Phillips, STaC alum ’11.