滑大的ECE的本科生不写毕业论文，没有论文答辩，有人说了，真幸福呀~ Wait a minute，我们看看他们毕设做什么先。

滑铁卢大学电子与计算机工程系的每个准备毕业的本科生必须参加一个一年期的 4th-year Design Project~ ，高年级的本科生要参加学习一系列的项目设计课程，这些课程包括：a.”Engineering Design Concepts” 学生组建4人小组，确定一个项目课题，讨论需求，可行性和可用资源，完成使项目获得批准的流程；b. “Engineering Design Project” 小组合作，进行项目的原型开发；c. “Engineering Design Symposium”学生完成项目后进行汇报。

Symposium是名副其实的会议形式，每年的一月份在DC举行。大厅里有学生展台，每个小组把自己的原型产品拿出来配合各种手段进行现场演示和解说，持续一天。学生们着正装，胸牌上注明他们所属的小组和项目名称。任何人包括全校的学生老师和社会来访者都可以随意参观提问，中午会有午餐提供。每个小组要准备一个20分钟的报告，15分钟自述，5分钟回答问题，两位或更多的相关领域教授会出席并评分。分四个分会场，若干个sessions。最后根据评分情况，大会会向前三名的队伍颁奖，一等奖2000加元。

值得一提的是，完成项目的资金，需要学生们自己去筹措资金，争取赞助或者投资，如果没有办法拉到funding，学生只能自己掏腰包。听起来是不是很现实~ 更像是一种商业化的运作行为，而少了很多学生气。绝大部分项目都具有相当的实用意义和应用价值，很多idea非常吸引人，稍加修饰就是一个很好的start up项目。虽然很多方面还稍显稚嫩，考虑问题还不够全面，但是回想自己本科毕设的时候，和他们比起来，嫩了那还真不是一两个级别。

回到有人说真幸福的时候，不得不说这是一种幸福，少去了很多不必要的形式化繁文缛节，一切都是那么的面向现实。学生们实打实的去完成一个个极富挑战性和现实价值的项目，其中的收获不言自明。比起我记忆中的本科毕设论文写作，孰好孰坏？又有人说了，小组里会不会有人不出力或者跟着混的，先看看ECE的毕业要求：

• Take a full course load each Academic Term;
• Pass or clear all required courses (Core Courses, CSEs, and TEs, and WKRPT);
• You may not proceed with more than two uncleared failures in courses with either the default or DRNA designations (including WKRPT);
• Take five Complementary Studies Electives (CSEs) (MSCI 261 does not count as one of the five required CSE, it satisfies the List-B complementary-studies requirement);
• Take six Technical Electives (TEs);
• Maintain an Engineering Average of 60% (a Quest Average of 59.5%) in all Academic Terms after 1A;
• Receive credit for five PDEng Courses (for students in the Class of 2009+);
• Satisfy all required milestones:
• • WHMIS,
  • ELPE,
  • TPM,
  • Five Co-op Work Terms , and
  • Four Work-term Reports; and
• Submit an intent to graduate form.

注意红色加粗的要求：5个学期的实习。能完成实习任务的人，还会对设计项目没有贡献么？在这里没有混的一说，要么用功努力毕业，要么无法完成学业。话说滑大只有一半左右的人会顺利毕业而已。

毕业典礼上，毕业生会收到毕业象征Iron Ring [1] ，有句话非常喜欢：” This is where you will be awarded the coveted iron ring which signifies that not only did you graduate from university, but you graduated as an engineer.”

说句心里话，我喜欢这样的毕业设计形式~

—————————————————————–

[1] Iron Ring:

The Iron Ring is a symbolic ring worn by many Canadian engineers. Obtaining the ring is an optional endeavour – the ring is not a prerequisite for practicing professional engineering in Canada.

The Ring is given as part of “The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer” [1], written by Rudyard Kipling. Many believe that the rings are made from the steel of a beam from the Quebec Bridge, which collapsed during construction in 1907, killing 75 construction workers, due to poor planning and design by the overseeing engineers; however, this is not the case. This misunderstanding may have its roots in a common practice of attaching a symbol of an engineering failure, such as a bolt from that bridge, to the chain that is held by participants in the ritual. The Ring is a symbol of both pride and humility for the engineering profession.

The Ring is worn on the little finger of the working hand, where the facets act as a sharp reminder of obligation while the engineer works. This is particularly true of recently obligated engineers, whose rings still bear facets nearly sharp enough to be considered serrations.

The Iron Ring was originally made from iron, but graduating engineering students are now usually given stainless steel rings, which do not rust. Only Camp 1 continues to provide the option of iron. Protocol dictates that the rings should be returned by retired engineers or by the families of deceased engineers. Some camps offer such iron rings or so obligated “experienced” rings, but they are now rare due to both medical and practical (industrial/construction site) complications.

The Ring itself is small and understated, designed as a constant reminder rather than a piece of jewellery. The Rings were originally hammered manually with a rough outer surface to further dispel the notion of them being worn as a trinket. The modern machined ring design emulates this manual process with a unique pattern. Twelve half-circle facets are carved into the top and bottom of the outer surface, with the two halves offset by one facet radius. To an untrained eye this appears to be manually hammered.

(from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Ring)

感冒通常是不怕的，不过还是快点好起来吧，今天打球有点儿有气无力的，还碰到一个黑人扣将，在我头顶扣了不下两个。吃了传说中睡得香的黑片，等待困意的来临，还是继续码字吧。不知道什么时候才能把欠下的文字补完。

也许我以后也像paopao，BX他们那样写月记吧，以我的细腻手法不知道会写多长出来。

所以我决定在补完计划完成前，也把当天的事情写一点出来，避免越攒越多。

本来以为感冒了，吃点儿清淡的，做了白菜粉丝汤。因为没有精神头，对做饭的热情也实在很低了。不过今天吃到了某同学承诺的酱牛肉~ ~ ~直接导致我严重呈现恐怖的馋鬼状态，下周准备大开杀戒了。

呃……还是先还债吧

—这是一条表示开始还债的分割线^^—

当时的情况是这样的，逛过EIT以后，被司机大叔充分激发的小宇宙开始恢复平静了，因此有些困倦了，所以之后的记忆估计也是混沌状态，现在也实在不记得接下来的顺序了。

我想大概是顺着EIT南门出来去看了图书馆吧。

图书馆名字叫做Dana Porter Library，是滑大的标志性建筑，在Waterloo大概很远就可以瞧见这个building，是UW最高的建筑，当然我没有和学校里的烟囱比较过（虽然我感觉烟囱比较高一些）

惭愧的是，过来一个半月了，还没进去过呢……

听说里面自习室阅览室靠窗的位置很抢手……听说而已，并没有亲见……也许将来有事没事儿应该进去看一眼的

不管怎么说，看Lib的感觉一直是仰视的，也算是蛮漂亮的了

私下里以为，这个要比央视的大裤衩漂亮一点不？好吧，其实我对大裤衩没有一点爱~

学校的信息亭上总是贴满了各种招贴，在这里实质性的活动很多，不像国内很多学生会的活动很渣很形式化

Grad. House 学生可以借来搞活动，平时里面总是有人闲聊，喝啤酒等等，JL说她从来没去过。好吧，估计我这样的”好”孩子也不大有机会去吧……

William M. Tatham Centre for Co-operative Education and Career Services 名字够长吧，记不住？恩~我其实也只知道它叫TC，不过这个可是滑大最厉害的系统了，Co-op，其他学校想学都学不好的说

SCH South Campus Hall，印象最深的是里面有家UW纪念品店，东西蛮好的，价格真是贵的离谱，基本都是made in China，一根钥匙绳，在外面买1Dollar，在这里买打了UW标的就要$5.99，抢劫啊。有UW logo的衣服比Nike，Adidas都要贵差不多一倍。

说到Logo，我想起来这张还没放上来，学校”门口”的大灯箱

—这是一条突然的分割线—

插播，”黑片”挺骗人的，都过去一个钟头了，俺越来越精神了。明天还和冠冠同学约了上午陪他去Shopping的

看来要强睡了！

—公益广告—

请大家不要随意乱涂口香糖，我今天踩了一脚……

—！决定强睡—

明天有时间再接着写了

未完待续~