I'm taking a class this quarter called Engineering in Geology Science. Half the class is civil engineers while the other half are geologists. I think this class more more catered to the geologists but I think I can still gain a lot from this class. Today, the professor went over basic soil mechanics and "how (geotechnical) engineers view the world." All the other civil engineers in the room were undergrads. The professor directed a lot of the questions to me and I really felt I understand the basics of geotechnical engineering. Even though I don't think I've done that much more academically than the undergrads, I think I have a much better feel for the material than they do somehow. I have definitely felt big leaps of understanding between last few internships. I think this constant switch from working and academics has done a lot more for me than I give credit to. I feel much more capable to solve problems, read engineering literature, and understanding concepts in general.
Before thinking about all this, part of me thought that school was got in the way of me learning on the job. Three months is a really short time and having to go back to school cuts into the learning process. And when you start a new job, there's so much more to learn than just the technical stuff. But apparently, I gain a lot more intellectually at school as well because I have felt better and better prepared for each successive internship than the last. So it's kind of sad that I will be stopping school indefinitely in about a year... scary thought!
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