CLO 2: Practices of Civil Engineers in relation to their interaction with society

Civil engineers brought huge impact to bringing change to our society through designing and building structures such as dams, skyscrapers, tunnels, and even bridges to make the societal flow harmonious and full of effect. To be specific, according to Opadola (2018), the roles that civil engineers should practice in relation to their interaction with the society are as follows:

Construct different infrastructures and buildings that gives services for public use.
Undertake preliminary studies of possible plans leading to a recommended scheme.
Mandate of preparing contract documents for civil engineering projects.
Find ways to deliver the needed infrastructure when there is little or no money to pay for it.
Find solution to complex problems and implement them.
Support the economic development and the standard of living of the people.

Align with this, he also stated the usual practices of Civil Engineers in relation to their interaction with society through their major roles or specification which are the following:

Consultant engineers who focus on design work and generally spend more time in the office or working with clients.
Contractors who are more involved in keeping an eye on the physical construction and are usually based on site.

Taking everything into account without practicing their major roles, a civil engineer may not interact well with the society.

References:

About Civil Engineering. (n.d.). Retrieved December 23, 2020, from

https://www.asce.org/about_civil_engineering/

Opadola, M. (2018, February 15). The Role Of Civil Engineers In Society : Engineering Practice And Ethics. Retrieved December 23, 2020, from

http://eprints.covenantuniversity.edu.ng/10475/2/The Role Of Civil Engineers In Society.pdf

In connection with that, I interviewed a Civil Engineer to fully know what are their practices that he applied in the work field.

Interview with a Civil Engineer

@Photo Courtesy - Felix Bocacao

Felix Bocacao

Licensed Civil Engineer

Where did you go to school for engineering?

University of Nueva Caceres (Batch 2016)

What was the college process like when applying as a perspective engineering major? What helped you get accepted? What did schools look for?

Applying to that school was not easy for me. A student like me should attain a certain grade in order to be accepted in that school. Aside from that, a student like me must be able to pass the qualification exam.

Could you elaborate on the college experience while learning to become an engineer? What is the engineering student's daily life like?

As a student at that time, I was just like some of the typical students out there who find it challenging to pass requirements on time that is why we need to be manageable in using our time. Aside from that, it was important also to me to have leisure time or to make myself enjoy with my colleagues to combat the stress brought by the academic workloads.

What is your current occupation?

I am a project engineer for RKX Odiamar Construction. A private entity that focuses on public works or government projects.

Generally, what does your job entail?

I do a site survey, manpower organization, distribution of workload, and equipment workload distribution.

How does your training in engineering help you with your job?

Before when I was in college, I was the former President of the PICE-UNC Student Chapter. I handle so many things and associate with other students. I also had my on the job training at E. Garcia Construction Corporation which also is a private entity that focuses on public works, mainly government projects that helped me to be easily hired at my current job today because of my background, specifically my work experience.

If you could do anything differently to have better prepared yourself for a professional life as an engineer, what would it be? What advice would you give a high school student looking into engineering?

I am at my current job now because of what I did before and I wouldn't do anything differently to change it. An advice that I could give to a high school student looking into engineering is to not be intimidated by how difficult the course itself. If you hate mathematics, that's ok. Don't let uncertainties hinder you from becoming an engineer as long as you are willing to sacrifice your time to accept failures and learn from it. In the end, college life does not precedes completion, it precedes learning.

#EngineerOnField

@Photo Courtesy - Felix Bocacao

Reference:

Interview with a Civil Engineer - Engineering a Career. (n.d.). Retrieved January 01, 2021, from

https://sites.google.com/site/engineeringacareer/interview-with-a-civil-engineer

Reflection on Learning

After knowing the practices of civil engineers specifically to the person I interviewed, it is now reflected in my mind what civil engineers do in the future. To be a civil engineer does not only entail on having the acquired knowledge or intelligence about a certain thing, it is about applying what you learned. As a student, I still have inconsistencies in what I do want to do in the future, and having this kind of output helped me to fully understand what it feels like to be a civil engineer someday. At first glance, I was hesitant to interview because my interviewee is a family member but since I wanted to know more about what engineers practice, it gives me the courage to try to know.

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