University of Maryland
Physical Sciences Complex
College Park, MD
John Melching|Construction Management|Senior Thesis
 

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Reflection

 

 

Thesis Reflection:

My experience with the AE senior thesis program was not similar to most others. After the first semester's work, I unfortunately had to postpone my research and studies with the senior thesis in lieu of focusing more on personal matters at the time.

The report took me almost two years to complete because of this. I am very happy that the work is now completed, and I am also happy to say that I am pleased with the results. The experience within the major, while difficult, I think has given me the necessary skills to compete in the workforce after my education. The collaborative aspects of the project, meeting deadlines, and perhaps most importantly, understanding and dealing with the stressors that arise from this type of work, are all things that I refined over my last two years at Penn State. I am very fortunate to have had the patience and understanding of the AE faculty during my time at Penn State, as well as their technical expertise in subjects that I required help with.

Overall, I think the completion of the Penn State AE senior thesis marks a milestone for every student, and is something that many other students from other schools may not have. This undoubtedly gives the Penn State gradauate a leg up on the competition, and that is always appreciated.

CPEP Reflection:

I must admit, I first thought the idea of creating and maintaing a website for thesis was abnormal. The hasty introduction to the necessary knowledge and coding of the website was done in a make-shift manner. Many of the students, including myself, were forced to take additional classes, or teach themselves how to use HTML properly. This could be improved by enouraging students to take HTML classes VERY early in their education, regardless of major. Obviously the web industry is the largest on the planet, so the skills will always be useful.

In terms of my own website, I am happy with the appearance and maintenance of it. It was a useful tool to easily convey information to my professors, and to show to future employers.

This link will also take you to a completed ABET Survey.

 
News and Updates
7/6/2012 Owner Permission Obtained
7/28/2012 Project Docs Obtained
9/13/2012 CPEP Front Page Complete
9/17/2012 Building Statistics Uploaded
9/24/2012 Tech 1 Uploaded
10/21/2012 Tech 2 Uploaded
10/21/2012 Building Abstract Uploaded
11/13/2012 Tech 3 Uploaded
12/14/2012 Proposal Uploaded
12/14/2012 Building Stat Part 2 Uploaded
2/12/2014 Revised Proposal Uploaded
4/9/2014 Final Report Uploaded
4/13/2014 Presentation Uploaded
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

 

 

 
Senior Thesis Main Penn State Home AE Department AE Computer Labs Contact Me
Note: While great efforts have been taken to provide accurate and complete information on the pages of CPEP, please be aware that the information contained herewith is considered a work‐inprogress
for this thesis project. Modifications and changes related to the original building designs and construction methodologies for this senior thesis project are solely the interpretation of John Melching.
Changes and discrepancies in no way imply that the original design contained errors or was flawed. Differing assumptions, code references, requirements, and methodologies have been incorporated into this thesis project; therefore, investigation results may vary from the original design.