Mohave County miner. [volume] (Mineral Park, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1882-1918, 1910-06-04
Problems Of the Ysune craduate.


For the graduating students of our
colleges and universities, real life is
about to begin. They will soon be un-
loaded onto the world and must get
off their coats and see what they can
make of themselves. Some may sac
cept positions" but by far the greater
number will be forced to "hunt jobs.
Gilded air castles will fall and the
stern realities of life will take their
place. 1t is now that the young man
must show his mettle. The law of
survival of the fittest will have an op-
portunity to operate.
We are, of course, most concerned
with the welfare of the graduates of
the mining schools, VINO are about to
enter the ranks of the mining and
metallurgical engineers of the coming
few decades. The college does not
make the engineer, it merely furnish
es the man with part of the material
which he must use in making. himself.
The college does its part, but it can't
make an engineer out of anyone who
has not the ability or the inclination.
This occasional cry against college
education is the result of a distorted
vision. The fact that many men have
become brilliant successes who never
saw the inside of college, and that
many college graduates are failures is
in itself no proof that college train
ing is unnecessary, or that it is detri-
mental. The difference in most cases
lies in the man rather than in the in
stitution. Not that college methods
are always perfect, for they are not,
but the colleges supply learning that
most young men could not or would
not get elsewhere. The college can
not supply much practical experience.
This must be gotten outside.
II is true that the graduate fresh
from the college often has an exagger-
ated idea of his own knowledge and
Importance, due to the exuberance of
youth, but contact with actual cOndi-
tions and experienced men soon brings
him to proper realization of his true
worth. When this stage has been
reached advancement can begin. Hard
knocks, disappointments and discOur-
agements must be expected, but they
are part of life's training and the one
who falls before them is not fit for the
life of an engineer. The man with the
proper spirit will not stay down. but
will rise and tackle the difficulty again,
strengthened by his past experiences.
Confidence comes through knowledge
gained by doing. Successes and fail
ures alike instruct by illustrating how
things ought TO be done and how they
ought not to be done.
In college the greatest attention is
usually given to instruction in funda-
mental subjects and theoretical consid-
erations, all of which is necessary.
The students are shown, where poSSi-
BILE, by visits to mining regions, mines
mills, etc, now this knowledge has
been and can be applied in practical
work. All this is important, but does
not take the place of practical ex-
perience. In practice it is found that
rules must be modified to make them
applicable under various conditions.
These notifications cannot all be
learned from books, and the professor,
will not be there to give assistance.
By keeping eyes and ears open these
tricks of the trade can be picked up.
Contact with men of experience in
business. and practical work in the
mine aud mill, is often associated with
disagreeable and temper-trying cpl
sodes and the exercise of self-control
is important. Many mean men will be
met, but often their meanness is only
apparent. They are teaching the in
experienced man his business and his
place. They may be sharp about it.
but if one is willing to take them for
what they are worth he will very
likely be the gamer. When these
men are really able contact with them
is beneficial. They administer some
of the necessary disipline and take out
the conceit. The way in which the
would-be engineer accepts the many
difficult situations that are sure to
come TO him in the first years after
graduation from college will determine
his fitness for his chosen work.-Min-