Mike Steehler

Reflection

Senior Thesis Reflection

The Capstone Senior Thesis Project is an extremely valuable part of Penn State's highly regarded Architectural Engineering program. It allows students to branch out from traditional coursework and apply the knowledge and skills they have gained over the course of their college careers to actual building design. Thesis work was extremely challenging and required the devotion of a vast amount of energy and personal time. However, the experience and knowledge gained are an invaluable asset to students entering the professional field. Skills gained include interaction with design professionals, communication of the design results and procedures, and professionalism, as well as the specific engineering design practice.

After completing the thesis project, I am both relieved to be finished and proud of what I have accomplished over the past year. I feel that the project was effective in tying together the knowledge I have gained over the past five years in the AE program, and has prepared me for a successful career in the structural design of buildings. If I could offer advice to students doing thesis in the future, it would be to start early and get help early. The knowledge and skills gained in coursework are important tools, but use idealized conditions and are very different from actual building conditions and design practice. Since the thesis work is done entirely on your own time, it is important to balance your time wisely and follow your schedule as best as you can to avoid feeling overwhelmed late in the semester when coursework in other classes gets heavier. When complete, however, the Capstone Senior Thesis Project is a rewarding experience.

CPEP & Discussion Board Reflection

The CPEP website was a required part of the thesis project. It is a convenient way for prospective employers, other students, family, and friends to see the progress I have made over the past year as well as see the work I am capable of doing. The websites of former students were also a helpful tool to compare the work they have completed to my own and to understand the expectations of each assignment. In addtion, the CPEP website helps the job search by allowing employers to have access to my resume and the work I have completed.

The Discussion Board allows students to interact with design professionals across the country. By corresponding with actual designers, a better understanding of the design procedure could be gained. Even when I didn't have specific questions to post, reading the advice from professionals to other students was extremely helpful. The discussion board also allowed better communication of course information, meeting times, and deadlines.

I would again like to thank all who have helped me with my thesis project, including SWBR Architects & Engineers, the University of Rochester, LeChase Construction, the entire AE faculty, and most importantly my friends and family for all of their support.