Esther Ninshuti: Course Reflection

When I started this class, I really was not sure what to expect. I had never taken an AE class and at the time, I did not know much about BIM or Intelligent Buildings. I believe I have learnt a lot from this class and I have been able to acquire skills that I did not have prior to this term. This term I was able to learn about a wide range of topics including sensors, 3D Printing, Databases, the effect of BIM, among others. This reflection will outline aspects of the class that I enjoyed, those I did not and how I will apply my new found knowledge in the future.

One of my favorite parts of the class was the guest speakers. It was great to see what Professor Mitchell had been discussing a week prior, and what we had researched on for the blogs, being discussed by people who apply the knowledge in the industry.

As Ryan mentioned, Professor Mitchel did say that you’ll get from this class what you put into it. This particularly applies to me when it comes to the final project. Even though the class was not specifically about Revit, one of my personal goals was to better understand what BIM programs like it can do. My project heavily relied on Revit and through that I was able to expand my skills and expose myself to the options that I have with Revit.

Another skill that I was able to develop is the use of Microsoft Access. Even though I would not call myself an expert, it is still good to understand how databases work and how they are created. Even though I may not have to make a database from scratch in the future, it is important to understand what goes into making one and the relationships between different entries.

When it comes to my future in the industry, what we learnt in this class got me excited about how BIM is changing the face of structural engineering. Overall, I truly enjoyed this class and have come out of it more knowledgeable about what is being done to make the whole life cycle of buildings more intelligent. 

Comments:

Ryan: I'm glad that you reminded us that Prof Mitchel said at the beginning of the term that you'll get out of this class what you put into it. Looking back, that has definitely been true. And I agree with you about the guest speakers. It was great to see the real world applications of what we are learning. 

Teddy: It's great that you were able to learn about 3D Printing and were able to pursue it for your project. I think in this class we were all able to find something to be excited about.