Group Project

By now everyone has turned in their projects and is waiting for a grade. We all work for a grade and I especially do so, which is why I choose to do such simple and easy grading projects. I factor in the time that it takes to do the work and then see if it is worth doing it for the grade I can get from it. To do this project a second time is what I'm thinking of it as but it's based off of a different topic. I thought the truss was already a lot of work but now I have to find a totally different topic to base my group project on. I wouldn't mind doing a mass flow system since I was pretty fine doing it on the test and homework. However, there is the chance I find a team that wants to do something extraordinary and cool. I'm down with any idea but also worried that it could be too much for our group to handle. Chances of this getting into my resume is guaranteed but maybe doing something that interests me might help in contributing in my future career. I have yet to find a job or career that I want to follow and maybe this might help. I want to start early but even that may prove difficult since I have to take three tests this week, linear next week and then I can get started on the project. That is without saying that two of my other classes that have yet to announce their midterms dates doesn't add onto the amount of studying I will have to do. Good Luck to everyone on their group projects. 

  

Spring Break and Final Project Update

I was able to finish the project early, and barely. The homework just before the break wasn't hard but the graph was difficult to do in MatLab. I had to make sure I had enough time to finish the project because it was a lot of work. My project ended being around 25 pages I think. Mainly pictures and graphs, most of the writing/typing portion was the discussion and procedure/reasoning pages which were around 4 pages in total I think. I was lucky enough to finish it early, I doubt anyone else turned it in early but there could be someone who did. If you're doing a truss, don't choose to do the entire bridge, I did half but even that was a lot. It could have been reduced a lot more, maybe to a fourth of eighth of it. That would make the work a lot less, like maybe max would be ten equations, I was dealing with a 29 equations problem. After finishing the project I was able to find that not all bridges can be determined through a single governing equation. One of my bridges ended up being statically indeterminate. Either I drew the FBD wrong or it can only be solved as an indeterminate bridge. I ended up making a design choice for the bridge, basically made another equation that would make it determinate. I said that one member is a zero force member and that would be used as a design decision so that it can be there for a safety factor. That made the bridge determinate, I thought about taking a member out and solving it that way but that made me solve the bridge all over again. I ended up doing that until I thought about the design decision. It took me a while to remember I could do that and I was already solving it without the member. I was scared my numbers and my matrix would mess up but it ended up working out. I wish I could do that bridge another time as a indeterminate so that I can properly judge its maximum load. Finishing the project made me a little lazy over the spring break, that is why I decided to do this blog. I haven't done anything related to school til today (Friday). My spring break has been somewhat relaxing, whenever I get the chance to relax my parents think I need work. They told me to do taxes, bills, and help make appointments for them, like they wanted to see an optometrist this week. The breaks almost over and I really don't want it to end but I look forward to summer break. It is longer and I always get to do what ever I want then because that's also the time when my parent's are on vacation so they choose not to do work or give me work. For now I will continue my work and hopefully finish all of the work given over the break so that when I get back I don't have too much to do.

Individual Project

As you may or may not know, my project that I decided to do was a truss. I know, very original and never done before but all jokes aside it's supposed to be simple. I highly doubt I made this project or my project in particular hard but the research and the amount of work needed to be put into this project is insane. To be able to do the bare minimum, I think takes at least 20 hours to be able to finish this. This is a number I thought about since it should take about 1 hour to think about what you want to do and then write the proposal, then 3-4 hours to research the topic, and finally 1-2 hours to obtain the research you need and place it in a table, graph, etc. Then there is the process of doing the actual work which is close to 10+ hours depending on the amount simplification of work you intend to do. Even after this you have to type, or write all of this in and turn it in which is about another 2 hours. This may seem like I'm complaining but I enjoy this project. It's very broad, in a sense that your research is up to you, the topic is up to you, and the amount of work is up to you. I did a bridge and although it may seem easy it has many components. I'd say I'm close to half way done, but that's because I didn't spend too much time at home doing the work but rather in school. The amount of time I've put into this project is about 7 hours, if I spent more time on this then this would be really enjoyable and easy. A recommended option might be not to have homework due that week or maybe make it optional/extra credit. Of course, that idea sounds bad but I think having that much work plus other work is insane. I'm keeping up with it but others might have it worse. People that have CAD, Dynamic Systems, Fluids, and other work, good luck and hope you pass. Back to the project, I have done a decent amount of work but got stuck on a joint on the bridge, I'll probably have it worked out soon enough since I plan on turning it in early. It's a two unknown with two equation problem but the two equations are the same. I want to turn the assignment in early for the extra credit and hopefully give the professor less work since I know doing the projects are hard but grading them are too. Although, I'd hate to give a professor homework over the break, but they get that option.