I had my own share of terror instructors but one I will always remember was the one I had while attending college. Thermodynamics is definitely amongst the hated subjects in Materials Engineering and for this you should have an immensely patient and considerate teacher. When classes began and the pains of enrollment was conquered, my friends who have been studying chemical engineering asked me if I had the very same professor like them for thermodynamics and I immediately replied that the Materials Engineering division head was assigned to our class. They reacted to the announcement seriously as if I told them the news that pizza was no longer offered at the food court.
I questioned them why they all had such long faces and they informed me that my classmates and I were certainly finished. And I told them that inspite of the infamous history of the division head for ruling with an iron fist, the very best people to take care of her are the ones right under her tutelage. They were skeptical yet I had my reasons for being confident that we could deal with the teacher fittingly without making use of childish tricks.
And so once during thermodynamics class, the professor gave us a surprise activity of figuring out which is far more convenient between the balanced or conventional flue heaters. There’s this immediate surprise with the question and yet we got back to our very stiff composure because her presence commands people not to move around much. Then the confusion and stress followed of whether the lady meant to ask it rhetorically or she was actually wanting us to give an answer.
One student answered that the conventional types should have chimneys then it could be installed whereas balanced flue heaters don’t require a chimney because a wall will do. Nevertheless, the professor contradicted that balanced heating units are more energy efficient and the other student defended that both of them use burners and treat air through convection therefore that is not much difference. Then at long last, someone answered neither of the two since if this is the case, powered flue heaters are more cost effective. This is the way we mostly survive another one hour of thermodynamics.
After the short discussion was settled, the professor then had that triumphant sparkle in her eye that appeared to expose some devious plots in her thoughts. I may absolutely claim that it was these moments of difficulty that changed it to something really worth remembering in the future.
Being in the engineering course usually means one must adhere to the subtle rule of working well with everybody or you might really fall behind. Learning before would be a system and everyone has a means of making contributions to that. It was in fact a principle that did stick not only throughout university life but after that too.