School :(

[Lindsey]

Hey girls, I just need to vent because I'm SO STRESSED OUT! I'm graduating finally in December, and on top of the heavy heavy courseload this semester, I'm also working on my final technical project in my free time. In December I have to present this project to all the engineering students, faculty, and people from the industry. My project is the structural design of a three-storey arts center.
My project advisor happens to be the head of the engineering department. He is expecting SO MUCH from me! Especially after approving a classmate's idea to just design a deck for a house! After submitting my proposal, he wasn't happy that I wanted to use steel for the whole structure, saying that might be too easy. I told him I'd research more and think about it. I set up a meeting for this morning to interview another instructor of mine with a PhD in structural engineering. He told me steel would be the best to use. I had another meeting this morning (thank goodness for cancelled classes!) with my advisor. He told me to find a more complex design! Basically, he told me to find an architect's design that looks all artsy and crazy and decide how to make it work structurally! For goodness sake, I'm not even an engineer! I'm a technologist! This project has to be done in a month - beam, column, joist, bolt, and weld designs. ONE month. I don't even have a plan yet
I think I'm going to sit down in December, and sleep for a month.

[Kimberley]

They're pushing you because they KNOW that you can do it. Sometimes we feel like we're about to break but you seem to be a smart and intellegent woman. You'll get it done and you'll pass with flying colors.

[Lindsey]

Thanks! I just wish I could believe it myself. If only days had 50 hours in them... I just finished typing out an interview and I have to write up a project report, a draft report, and do an assignment for another class. I've been looking online for 3hours for a 3-storey building design and I've found NOTHING.
I'm a little bitter that my classmate got off so easily with her project because she's 4 months pregnant.

[Mandy]

Don't doubt yourself, they know you can do it, and we know you can do it, just set your mind to it, you are almost there You go girl

[Marilyn]

If it's supposed to be an art center, why don't you make it a little artsy and incorporate an inverse stair step, cantalever design for either the exterior or use it on the interior. The Hyatt Regency Downtown San Francisco is has a right angle triangular footprint. They used the stair step, cantalever design for the interior of the longest wall. The lobby is open all the way to the top floor. It's a very interesting design. This should be structurally challenging and very do-able. Your adviser might go for that.

Just a thought. I've been out of pure engineering too long to help with calculations, but thought I'd throw this idea out there for you to think about.

Wishing you the very best. You do seem like a very together person. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!! We're rooting for you!!!!!!

[Lindsey]

Originally Posted by Marilyn

If it's supposed to be an art center, why don't you make it a little artsy and incorporate an inverse stair step, cantalever design for either the exterior or use it on the interior. The Hyatt Regency Downtown San Francisco is has a right angle triangular footprint. They used the stair step, cantalever design for the interior of the longest wall. The lobby is open all the way to the top floor. It's a very interesting design. This should be structurally challenging and very do-able. Your adviser might go for that.

Just a thought. I've been out of pure engineering too long to help with calculations, but thought I'd throw this idea out there for you to think about.

Wishing you the very best. You do seem like a very together person. YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!! We're rooting for you!!!!!!

Thanks for the idea! I'll try to draw up some plans by the end of the week or on the weekend and try to meet with my advisor next week. I should be okay with the calculations, except I'm pretty new to weld calculations. So it's a good thing I'm dating an engineer who works for a big welding company, who is nice enough to offer to help me out