An engineering education is not about getting answers, but about learning how to solve problems. Sound problem solving practices will result in better learning as well as better results. The following homework standards have been adopted for all courses taught in the MET program. Failure to follow these standards will result in the homework assignment being returned ungraded or penalized at the discretion of the instructor.

  1. Use engineering paper (Ampad) for all written homework. Write only on the appropriate side.
  2. All writing and diagrams should be clear and legible. Work should be well organized. Initial (or sign) and date on cover (or first page). Signing your work indicates the work is your own – not plagiarized.
  3. Staple all pages with the problems in order. Computer output can be either placed in order or in an appendix. All pages should be numbered, and the course number, section number, your name, the date and the problem number should be on each page.
  4. Summarize the problem. Your instructor should be able to solve the problem without referring to the text or homework handout. List all “given” data and state the objective, “to find.”
  5. Clearly state any assumptions you made in the analysis.
  6. Reference where any properties or constants were obtained (for example, table or figure numbers).
  7. Start each problem with the basic governing equations in symbolic form. Reduce them (if appropriate), then substitute numeric values.
  8. Clearly reveal your thinking. Your instructor should be able to follow the entire problem without asking what you did. Lengthy paragraphs are not necessary; a few words as a note will suffice.
  9. Show all of your work, with units, including algebra. In most cases diagrams are necessary. The instructor should not have to guess how you arrived at an answer.
  10. Clearly delineate the “answer” by some method such as box, underline, etc. Include units in your answers.
  11. Clearly delineate where each problem ends and the next problem begins.


Follow these guidelines unless you are otherwise instructed by your individual instructors or on specific course syllabi.