I spent a semester studying engineering in ME-37100: Computer Aided Design Course. As part of a class assignment, I read three articles that discussed the role of independent judgment in engineering. The articles I referenced are: “A Question of Credibility,” by Jack Thornton, “The Mathematical of Structural Engineers,” by Julie Gainsburg, and “How Engineers Lose Touch” by Eugene Ferguson. The purpose of this article is to relate the descriptions in these articles to my experiences in the course and my expectations for an engineering career. The articles mentioned above were very enjoyable to read because the stories were so familiar. I will refer to Thornton's article which deals with finite element analysis. Thornton explained how finite element analysis (FEA) has become ubiquitous in engineering analysis because it “helps ensure against risky underdesign and costly overdesign.” (Thornton 2010). I had to do some finite element analysis in this course and will probably have to do more during my engineering career. One of the biggest problems I have...