Today students are transactional and rightfully expect a good return on their investment in money and time. The Institute can step in by leveraging lectures, laboratories, exams, and internships to influence the students mindset. the fundamental issues of mathematics and grades will be addressed. Mathematics has been the key to engineering education as it gravitated from empiricism to science. The central issue here is the flexibility in dealing with mathematics. With the advent of software such as should core mathematics courses be taught as rigorously, with detailed proofs, as in earlier times Given that the type of mathematics required in different departments vary, should students from all departments be required to go through two to three common mathematics courses For example, electrical engineers need intimate knowledge of linear algebra and complex numbers, and metallurgical engineers Many students fear mathematical proofs. They simply memorize them without appreciating their elegance. Consequently, compulsory mathematics courses should cater to the needs of most departments. Moreover, it should be liberally sprinkled with engineering examples. Electives can be designed to serve the specific needs of different departments and the mathematically gifted students. For mathematics in engineering courses, my take is simple. Equations tell a story, dying to be told! Students need to understand the physical meaning of each term in an equation, understand their applicability, and solve them with software such as and This also helps engineers make quick ballpark solutions to complex problems, for example the extra force experienced by a ship from sudden gusts. Grades may not be synonymous with learning. Good grades often require strategies to ace exams. Barring a few exceptions, it also has to do with memorizing, mechanically solving problems, looking up previous years questions, and advice from seniors. A student can solve real Discovery has a beautiful video series Impossible Engineering. students can get a firsthand understanding of the challenges and the consequent innovations in some of the trickiest engineering projects such as the floating in Seattle or the high altitude Qinghai Tibet railway. Absolutely riveting engineering! Individual courses should also have a library of case studies, much like the management institutes. A case study of the design and manufacturing of different components of a Tesla and its integration would be extremely motivating. The use of software to make students aware of the design and dynamics of engineering systems can be truly insightful and inspiring. Cars have evolved from a boxy to more streamlined shapes to reduce air resistance drag for increased fuel efficiency and elegant looks. We may have mathematical equations for drag as a function of shape, but, as they say, seeing is believing. Using fluid dynamics software, a student can see how the pattern of air flow changes with body shape and results in changing drag. Moreover, software allows students to see through complex opaque reactors such as a high, diameter iron blast furnace which operates at a maximum temperature of around . The use of technical software, which requires core engineering knowledge, is prevalent in all spheres of engineering ranging from electronics to mining. Traditional Infosys and consulting Accenture companies have also started providing technical services in mining. Thus a career in technical software could be equally rewarding as a career in a typical software firm.