It’s starting to be very disheartening talking to a lot of my classmates and other people in younger classes in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. The common feeling is that the department is simply not doing enough to keep its undergrads happy. I’ve heard numerous stories of people under ridiculously high stress, with seemingly little to no support from the department. As a friend said to be recently, “they like to wait until you down before kicking you”.

It’s possible that this may be a simple case of an isolated disgruntled student. However, hearing the same complaint from various people of differing backgrounds, and educational strengths? That isn’t merely something that materialized out of the air. There’s a real problem here.

Consider this. A close friend and grad student had told me that the majority of grad students in the department come from foreign countries. The top three countries according to him? China, Iran, and Egypt. ECE seems unable to hold onto their students very well. The common complaint I hear is “I’ve had enough of this place.” I can relate. After 5 years of this department, I feel like I’m just another number. The department has taken my money, and I feel as if I haven’t received much in the way of returns. To quote another friend, “the worst thing is that there’s no payoff…it’s not like we’re in med school and there’s a promise of $$$ and (.)(.) when we’re done.”

More recently, I think I’m starting to notice some efforts to change this attitude. Over the past few terms, there has been one day set aside as a barbecue day of sorts. Still, these only happened later on in my undergrad career. By then…really, can the hearts of students who were long since lost be won back by a few poorly grilled burgers?

The answer is obvious.

I’ve spoken to friends in other Engineering disciplines. So frequently, they get all fired up and animated over why their department is so great. So many Civil Engineering students, for example, are able to specifically outline just why Civil is so great. There’s this sense in their voice that they truly love what they are doing. Same with many Mechanical Engineering students. A classmate and friend of mine once said, “it’s not that I’ve lost interest in computer or hardware, it’s this whole bullshit routine of never knowing if you’re ready for an exam and unbalanced work loads.”

There are many who are angry and feel trapped. Early on, upon entering the program, people are too busy scrambling and focusing just an attempt to just remain in the program. Midway, ECE students start to sense something is fishy, however, there really is no time to complain because the workloads get tougher. Late in the career, once people are actually able to formulate a series of arguments against the department, people are simply too exhausted to fight. After investing so many years, the aim is just to finish the last few terms and get the hell out of this God-forsaken place. We’ve been broken down.
I feel powerless. What can I do? Nothing, except focus and get out of here on schedule. How sad is that? This is not how university should be.