I had very good Engineering Professors in college who made us work an
endless amount of problems both analytical and practical. We did alot
of bitching and moaning about it as students, but it taught almost all
of us what we needed to know to be successful Engineers in our
respective fields of study. One of the hardest nosed Professors I ever
had was from Ohio State who had a PHD in Materials Science and
Mechanical Engineering. He did alot of research work at Princeton
University in Nano Technology. For the most part he forced us to teach
ourselves and he looked over our shoulders. I learned more in his
classes in Thermodynamics, Statics, Dynamics, and Fluid Power than I
did in any of my other classes and it has stuck with me to this day. So
he proved his point about the importance of his method of teaching. I
see him often and I still joke with him about it.

The funny part is that I am a Police Officer and not a Mechanical
Engineer by profession. Although at this time I am working on my
Masters in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. It will give me
something to do when I retire from Law Enforcement (-: .

Take Care...-Steve