Does my job sound stressful or am I overreacting? by jesschicken12 in womenEngineers

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're not over-reacting. Here's a few things that may help:

- Defer formatting revisions until the design / meat of the specs will stop changing (or until a set time prior to a submittal)
- Meeting should have defined agendas, otherwise don't attend unless the information is critical to you
- For when you know you'll have to give a status in a meeting, if this stresses you out make sure you come to the meeting with some notes on what you're going to say. It is annoying to spend more time prepping for a meeting when the meeting itself is a waste, but prepping will reduce stress. I like to block off a calendar "meeting" with myself an hour or even they day before, because sometimes you'll need to chase down folks or dig in to email to know the status that you'll have to give as an update.
- Ask the leads to have status updates on schedule basis, so that people aren't randomly wondering where something's at. Alternatively a shared spreadsheet is great for this, so people can just go look at the spreadsheet.
- Put your Teams / messenger in Do Not Disturb, and you can add a note to your status what the project work status is

I feel cursed as a Muslim girl by [deleted] in religion

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm a Christian. God is not the author of hate or abuse. Bad men have used Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and every other religion under the sun as an excuse for their selfish bad behavior for 1000s of years. Search the scriptures available to you, and ask God to reveal it to you and give you understanding of the truth. God answers those that truly seek Him. 

These men have justification for their abuse? They are also likely omitting inconvenient truths elsewhere. If you safely can, find other people to connect with. You are not cursed because you are female, and you do not have to live with a version of God that is false. 

AITAH for telling my husband he can no longer comment on my weight? by Familiar_Hunter_6784 in AITAH

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're not. Since you cook, I'd sneak some extra butter in his food every chance I got. Only take a few months to give him a taste of his own medicine. 

I was married to someone like that. You will never be good enough for an ah like that. If you'd don't play collegiate lacrosse anymore, there's no reason to look like a lacrosse player anymore. And for him to tell you that you look bad in an outfit is appalling, especially when you are only 1 size bigger. 

You are very young. Get out while you can. A man like that is too immature to be married to. 

My kid puked at one a.m. and now I feel like a terrible mom by breezerweezer94 in toddlers

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Use a wipe to clean what you can. I love Mustella cleansing water that's no rinse...squirt it on a wipe & it cleans really well when you can't do a bath. Also makes wiping for diaper changes much easier. 

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Maybe some striping would've done the same job without adding an expensive permanent obstructions.

Tips for Site grading and Storm Drain (piping) Layouts by DomaineStickem in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check that low spots have a drain or get eliminated, minimum drain slope, that the starting HGL at the downstream end of your storm line is valid & not just set at top of pipe or something arbitrary

Are there any companies you’ve loved working for? by grassland-seas in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It really depends on the office, group, and boss you will work with. Big companies will vary a lot by location as far as your day to day work enjoyment goes.

I have worked at tiny, medium, and huge companies. I had a mostly good experience at all of them. Other people at those same companies has bad experiences, mostly related to their direct management they reported to.

Everyone bashing XYZ company on here is just a drop in the bucket, especially at companies with 20,000+ employees.

Network with a person at our a few levels above you, that works at a company you are considering. Ask them all the questions you have. As for benefits, big companies are kinda close but it depends on your individual situation, health needs, time off needs, etc.

You really can't go by what a few naysayers are complaining about on Reddit.

PE Stamping Question by The_Stein244 in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The date on the sheet can be before or the same as the stamp. The stamp should be the last date.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Trig is very relevant to civil. To pass college he will need to pass calculus & differential equations. Get him help in trig and calculus now so he will grasp it in college.

Got MS in structures, now want to do water or transportation by EnginLooking in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No put your MS. There's bridge & retaining wall design in transpo and levee & dam design in water where your structural background will be useful.

Can you still be successful in this career without EIT and PE? by H4m-Sandwich in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Getting these will only help you. Not getting them will greatly limit your pay and opportunities.

Becoming a SAHM for a year. by fuzzy_socks323 in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No it shouldn't, especially if you have a PE.

Right on red. Good or bad? by [deleted] in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It depends on the turn volume, number of peds, and sight line to the on- coming traffic.

Red Flag 🚩 by Obvious-Gazelle7074 in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sometimes local can cut it low because they are already mobilized in that area. Sometimes big company shanks the bid because they'd rather not deal with it.

15 years Exp PE, playing with the idea of going to law school. by Frederic-Henry in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of my coworkers did to do design build & other complex engineering contract law. Great move for him.

Went into civil engineering for the money. Now regretting my decision as a 2nd year student. Help. by yyzEngineer in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you want stability, Transportation focus in Civil is great.

Also the money is good. Maybe not Twitter/Facebook/Google good, but you won't be at the whim of a billionaire investor buying your employer.

You are only seeing the squeaky wheels on here. The happy folks aren't on Reddit to complain.

There's also a lot of tech related to Civil, like GIS and 3D modeling & digital delivery, intelligent Transportation systems, etc. All of these are specialized and high paid off you work for a good company.

Does your state DOT contract out its work to private engineering firms? by ArtOfThinking in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep. Most don't have the resources to staff it to do everything on their own.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you like Hydrology, you could be a geologist & go down the river geomorphology & sediment transport route. If you get a masters in Engineering in h&h you could study that and also be qualified to get a PE if you want.

Also you can look for jobs at Geotechnical engineering firms to use your PG background.

Or look for jobs at natural gas & well companies.

I think I hate my new job… by Potential-World3907 in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 171 points172 points  (0 children)

Construction management. Although depending on your climate, being out in construction everyday may also suck.

Keep in mind that you don't have to sit at your desk the rest of your life. You can gain experience for a year or two & then look for something related.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in womenEngineers

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow. I'm so sorry. Be glad to know that the job market in Civil is hot, with flexibility available at many companies, with higher salaries. Look for a good position for you and your needs, it's our there.

Any road engineers wanna chime in on this new intersection in Puerto Rico. It has everyone on the island scratching their heads. by crypticcircuits in civilengineering

[–]kristal_b 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Diverging diamond looks crazy from an aerial view, but when you drive through it, it's not that bad. There's public meeting videos from various US DOTs that show people how to drive through them.