When I look back at my classes so far, my estimating class has easily been one of the most beneficial. Engineering 103, which focused a lot on coding, is probably the opposite. It wasn’t a bad class, but I just don’t see myself ever using coding on a construction job site, it was also super tedious.
Estimating felt useful because I could clearly see how it connects to what I’ll actually be doing in my career. Learning how to do takeoffs, analyze costs, and put together bids is something I’ll use all the time. This week’s training material talks about how important transfer of training is, meaning how well what you learn actually applies to the job. Estimating had strong transfer because it was practical and realistic. We worked through real-world examples and actually practiced the skills, which also makes training more effective (Week 6, Lecture 1 – Training).
Engineering 103 didn’t really have that same connection for me. From a needs assessment standpoint, the content didn’t match the tasks I’ll be performing in my future role. Effective training starts with identifying what skills are actually needed (Week 6, Lecture 1 – Training). Coding just doesn’t align with my path in construction engineering, so it was harder to stay motivated.
Overall, I’ve realized that training feels most valuable when you can see exactly how it fits into your future. When there’s a clear connection to real work, it sticks. When there isn’t, it’s tough to stay engaged.
Thanks for reading!