Tip #13 For Better Chemical Engineering: Problem Solving

First off you should want to solve problems. If you don’t like to solve problems you are going to most likely be miserable as an engineer. If you are in classes right now you are probably wondering, as I did, why the heck your professors are making you do problem sets that take 10-15 hours to complete, and make you search several sources (textbooks, computer programs, online resources, even scientific papers) to complete one single problem. Well the answer to this is one they never told me during my years at Michigan, or at least not loud enough it would wake me up.

You do all that problem solving and looking up to train your mind to look at problems from all angles. Of course you’re never going to be asked to solve a mass transfer problem without referencing a formula, but if you know that the formula is there, you can begin to see the problem from that angle before you even know the answer. Think of all those problems you are doing as a way to increase your mental toolbox. Every ME problem you do, or CHE problem allows you another look at a very similar problem. You’ve also more than likely said, “All these problems are the same” in some sort of frustration. When you’re on the job you may only have access to 50% of the tools needed. If you didn’t do problems to prepare yourself you wouldn’t be able to tell your boss, he who signs you paychecks and OKs bonuses, “here’s the answer, if we just go at it from this obscure angle it’s simple.”