I finished up my junior year by turning in my Structures II final exam yesterday at 10 am. I slept from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in an attempt to show my body some gratitude for putting up with the crap I did to it over the last 9 months.

For those of you who don't understand exactly, let me explain:

My junior year in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Kansas is the most difficult academic marathon in existence.

Reread that last sentence and let it sink in

No seriously, reread it

Are we on the same page? Now let me explain before you pronounce me outlandish.

The coursework itself is ominous. 18.2 & 17.3 hours of purely engineering courses in some of the most difficult aspects; electronic circuits, aerodynamics, structural analysis, aircraft stability and control, jet propulsion, the list goes on. Not exactly birds of a feather are they?

And bear in mind that 18 hours of engineering work generally means 36 hours of work outside the classroom. Unless you're in aerospace, then it means about 45. And we're talking actual work, not studying or memorizing, actual work. Typing lab reports, calculating induced drag coefficients (Lift Coefficient^2/(pi*Aspect Ratio*Oswald's Efficiency Factor) for those of you keeping track at home), finite element analysis of arbitrary wing structures, 40-page weekly stability assignment, you name it and I've done it. And that is just to complete assignments, saying nothing of comprehension for the tests, because you'd have to add at least 10-15 extra hours a week if you want to understand the analysis you're doing. The school workload alone is enough to kill small rodents and liberal arts students.

Now consider the fact that you're competing against the best and brightest students in the country. Because after all, the standard University stoners and existential lost souls don't exactly call the School of Engineering home. (And don't play word games here, in any curved class you are essentially 'competing' against you're classmates).

Now consider the fact that I have a part-time job, and spend 20 hours a week dealing with whiny professor's computer problems.

Add it all up and now tell me you disagree with my assessment.

18 hours in class, 45 hours doing homework, 10 hours for comprehension, 20 hours of paid work = 93 hours of productive time per week. That's equivalent of working 13 hours days, 7 days a week, in one of the world’s most difficult areas of study

Show me somebody who does that, and I'll show you another aerospace engineer. There is a reason that 91% of freshman entering the AE program don't graduate within 4 years. Yes, 91, it's not a misprint. There were 67 people in my freshman class. 6 of us are graduating next year.

In conclusion:

Kyle = not lazy