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Belrose, Steven

Ms.Moore

English 12

25 April 2017

Isearch
What I knew

My path to construction management started long before my capstone project. It first

began when I was 5 years old. I went to Portugal with my mom to visit my uncle and his family

and, as we pulled up the street, we come upon enormous mansions, dirt, and giant yellow

vehicles. Instantly, I was amazed by the structure itself and everything about it. From the

architecture to the roof, front door, brick walls, and giant glass windows, it was perfection. When

we first arrived at my uncles house, I asked him, What are they doing to your neighborhood?

He told me that they were doing a lot of construction and building new houses as fast as they

could. I was quickly intrigued by construction and the process of building things.

As soon as we got back home, I forced my parents to buy me miniature construction

vehicles. They got me two different ones: a yellow bulldozer and a yellow pickup truck. I would

go out in my yard for hours at a time and play with them. I would scoop up dirt in the bulldozer

and pour it into the construction truck. I would run it all around my house creating giant piles of

dirt. I tried make small forts (as I called them) with the vehicles. I spent countless hours with

those miniature trucks. Even when it was cold and snowy outside, I would bring them in and

play with them on the hardwood floor. I would scratched the hardwood so badly we had to have

them redone.
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As I grew older, I became more and more obsessed with buildings and vehicles. Airports

were my favorite places because I saw so much construction and got to see planes. The

efficiency of airports amazed me, and I was both curious and fascinated at how so many people

could be moved around such a large area. The high-speed trains were one of my favorite things. I

loved watching us fly by the fans on the concrete walls of the train tunnels through the giant

window of the train.

Despite all of this, I never thought construction would be my professional path. I thought

for a long time that I would follow my mothers steps and become a lawyer but, after thinking

about it more, it started to become less appealing. It wasnt until a trip to St. Louis to visit family

that I rediscovered my passion for building things. My uncle and I were driving to his house

from the airport. It usually takes about 30 minutes, but it was rush hour and took nearly 3 hours.

Traffic is very annoying and one of the biggest wastes of time on Earth. Not only is it a major

time-waster, but it is also a major polluter. Sitting in this traffic made me think about global

warming and the destruction of our planet. The Earth is on a path to destruction through fossil

fuels, and it needs help to have a chance of being revived. My uncle, who works in the

construction business, told me that infrastructure and transportation have major effects on the

environment, and solving problems related to them would help the Earth in a very significant

way. He told me that new high-speed trains would be very important, as would more fuel

efficient cars and airplanes. He also described how infrastructure is the combination of

construction and engineering. In consideration of all that he told me, I knew I wanted to follow

his path and go into construction and specifically, work on infrastructure issues. I knew that I

wanted to be part of lasting public improvements that I could say I helped to build.

What I wanted to know


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There were so many different things that I wanted to learn about construction and life in

general from my capstone project. The most important thing that I wanted to learn was whether

or not construction management was something I could see myself doing. Since the beginning of

high school, I have been juggling what I wanted to do with my life. First, I thought business

would be the path for me, and that market analysis was something I was truly interested in. After

exploring business careers, I decided that business wasnt something I wanted to do because I

hate the thought of having to sit at a desk for the rest of my life. I then thought that I would

follow my mothers path and become a lawyer. However, after paying closer attention to what

she did on a daily basis, I became less interested. Reading documents over and over again,

making sure that every word was perfect in a contract or a document, wasnt appealing to me. I

really wanted to find something that I liked and could see myself enjoying for the foreseeable

future.

I also wanted to use my capstone project to help me decide where I was going to go to

college in the fall. I had no favorite college going into the project, and my mind was completely

open to anything. After I started to learn more about construction through my research, I realized

that my major was a starting point for picking a college. I wanted to learn which colleges had

good construction management programs and good civil engineering programs. Within those

programs, I wanted to know what kinds of classes I would have to take to receive those degrees,

and how those specific degrees could help me find a job. I also really wanted to figure out the

highest level of education needed for someone going into construction. Both of my parents were

highly educated and trained professionals in their own trades, and it has been a point of emphasis

from them to me that higher education gets us further in life. Would I be done with school after
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earning a four year degree, or would I need to pursue a graduate degree to get the most out of

this profession?

Perhaps most importantly, I wanted to learn about the everyday life of a construction

manager. I really wanted to see what a job in construction management looks like, and what I

would do on a daily basis. When I am older, I really want to love what I do and enjoy every

aspect of my adult life. I would rather make less money and love what I do, than make a lot and

hate to go to work every day. Would I sit at a desk on a computer every day, or would I be out in

the field? I wanted to see how much human interaction I would have on a daily basis, and if I

would see something new every day. One of my biggest fears in life is that I have a job where all

I do is sit in a cubical by myself and look at a computer screen all day. Still, I did want to learn

how much money construction managers make. I wanted to know if it is enough to provide for a

family and an enjoyable life so that I could have the type of life-style I want to live.

Finally, I wanted to learn the difference between majoring in construction management

and majoring in civil engineering. I wanted to know how they overlapped, how they differed and

which major would best help me reach my goals. The University of Kansas has a great civil

engineering program, and Colorado State University has a great construction management

program. I was admitted to both programs, and I needed to know the benefits of each so that I

could make a decision on which college I wanted to attend.

During my capstone project, I learned many things that will help determine my future.

Most importantly, I learned that construction is something I want to pursue, and it fills all of my

necessities when looking for a career.

What I learned
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I started my research process by looking back at my main questions about construction

management. I wanted to research things that would help me understand the basics of

construction management. I went to the most popular and credible construction websites that

described the foundation of construction management. From there, I took the basics and

researched them more in depth. I took key words that I hadnt seen before and then researched

them more and more until I got the information I needed. The book I read was Construction

Management JumpStart. It was recommended to me by my mentor, and it gives all the basics of

construction management. It also goes into deep detail on most parts of construction

management. It has a lot of graphs and pictures which gives a good visualization into the

construction business and has a lot of updated statistics that kept me updated on important

aspects of the business. My mentors were a husband and wife couple who were recommended to

me by a family friend. They are experienced professionals who have been in the construction

business for over 20 years. They were a very nice contrast because I got two completely different

views. Mike Fangman, the husband, is a construction superintendent which is very similar to a

construction manager. He is currently in charge of the CDOT project in Aurora. He dropped out

of high school to start working in the construction business when he was 17, and he worked his

way up from the bottom. His story was very interesting, and it really made me think about how

important hard work is. Even if you start with nothing, you can become successful through

hardwork and dedication. His wife, Leslie Fangman, is a construction manager. She went to

Montana State University and got a civil engineering degree. Now, she spends most of her time

in the office putting proposals and contracts together. They are both very successful people that

helped me out tremendously. I didnt really look at anything during my research that wasnt

helpful. The only time I didnt learn something new about construction management is when I
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looked on websites like yahoo answers or wiki answers. The information on those sites did not

seem very credible and did not seem to be provided by experienced people.

I had high goals when starting the capstone project, and I was very determined to reach

those goals. A college degree in construction management is important because it provides the

necessary knowledge and skills that work experience alone can't provide. Employers increasingly

seek candidates who combine hands-on work experience with a bachelor's or master's degree in

construction science, construction management, or civil engineering (Tran). To decide where I

was going to start my career, I researched the construction management and civil engineering

programs for both The University of Kansas and Colorado State University. I have been admitted

to CSU and KU for construction management and civil engineering, respectively, and my

challenge was to determine which path I would follow and which type of program would be the

best for my goals.

Colorado State has a long legacy of a great construction management program. The

Construction Management (CM) program at Colorado State University is one of the top-ranked

programs in the nation (Khattab). Since its inception in 1946, over 5,000 students have

graduated with a bachelors degree in construction management (Khattab). It is the only

university in Colorado to be accredited by the American Council for Construction Education, and

many jobs have been found for students through that organization. Many students who have

graduated from CSU have become owners and CEOs of major construction companies. CSU also

has an option to obtain a Masters degree in construction management. The students who take

their education to the next level make an average of $16,750 more per year than those who do

not (Williams). Further, CSU is one of the few schools where you can achieve a Ph.D. in

Construction Engineering and Management.


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Although it does not have an undergraduate construction management program, the

University of Kansas has one of the nations oldest engineering programs. The first graduating

class consisted of a civil engineer in 1873 (Bennett). Ever since then, the schools engineering

program has flourished. The University of Kansas does offer a masters degree in construction

management. Depending on the classes you take, it will take 5-7 years to graduate. In addition,

the civil engineering school at KU offers a Ph.D. degree that is an extension of the construction

management curriculum. This degree is a Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering,

Environmental Engineering, and Environmental Science and takes an average of 8.2 years to

complete (Bennett). It combines construction management and environmental science, which is

becoming increasingly important. Civil engineers were the first engineers to address

environmental issues and are the lead engineering discipline in treating water supplies to protect

public health (Bennett).

There are benefits to each type of degree, and I analyzed the benefits of each degree and

compared that to their costs, both in terms of money and time. 65% of professional construction

managers have only a bachelors degree, which requires 3-5 years of schooling, depending on the

institution (Chadukiewicz). A major benefit of a bachelors degree is that students complete their

degrees with the least amount of debt. The schooling is shorter, so the cost is much less.

However, since a bachelors degree is the lowest level construction management degree, there

isnt much of an advantage against the competition. A masters degree is the second most

prevalent degree in construction management, and 35% of construction managers have a

masters degree (Chadukiewicz). A masters degree in management is an advanced business

degree that can prepare you to oversee the operations and personnel of a construction company

or a construction department within a company (Chadukiewicz). Even though the schooling to


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obtain a masters degree is longer and more expensive, it can be very useful because it combines

the technical elements of construction management with business knowledge. Professionals

with a masters degree make an average of $30,000 a year more than those who have a

bachelors degree. (Chadukiewicz). In the field of construction management, there is no official

doctoral degree. However, once you have obtained a masters degree in construction

management, you can further your education by getting the Doctor of Philosophy in Civil

Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and Environmental Science. Professionals with a

degree in both of those categories can design, produce, and carry out their own projects from

start to finish, and the salaries for these professionals are astronomical. A student with a

doctoral degree makes an average of $60,000 more than those with a masters degree.

(Chadukiewicz). Doctoral degrees are much more expensive to obtain because they take twice as

long to complete. Even though it takes much more time, money, and effort to get a doctoral

degree, they are worth it in the end.

Construction managers are highly trained professionals with a broad range of skills.

Construction management entails the planning, scheduling, evaluation, and controlling of

construction tasks or activities to accomplish specific objectives by effectively allocating and

utilizing appropriate labor, material, and time resources in a manner that minimizes costs and

maximizes customer/owner satisfaction (Jackson 51). Construction managers often control

projects that cost hundreds of millions of dollars and involve over 500 employees at a time. The

consequences of a failed project can be very negative, harsh and costly. It is very important for a

construction manager to be knowledgeable both in the technical aspects of a project and in the

business objectives, including cost control and employee management. A well rounded education

is crucial to achieving this.


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There are six main project values to consider when conducting a project as a construction

manager, consisting of cost, time, quality, safety, scope, and function (Jackson 55). They all are

very important to delivering and carrying out a project. Cost is essential to predict and control

what the construction project will cost. Costs are established, targeted, and controlled by means

of an estimate or budget (Jackson 59). If costs get too high, the owner and investors will get

very angry, which could result in a loss of a job. Timing is also critical. As the saying goes,

time is money. For many projects, the speed with which the building can be brought on line is

more important than almost any factor (Jackson 67). When projects stretch out in time, the costs

will also stretch out and increase. Again, the consequences for timing errors can be very

negative. Quality is the most important thing when it comes to building a project. Quality is the

grab bag that covers all the aspects of the building not addressed by the other five values, such as

aesthetic impact, user perceptions, and appropriateness of building materials, and so on. Quality

is monitored and controlled by a variety of means, including specifications, punch lists,

inspections, tests, and user surveys (Jackson 75). If the quality is bad, everything goes wrong. In

construction management, the saying quality over quantity is very important. Even if

construction is behind schedule, the quality must be good enough to justify the delay. Otherwise,

you could end up with a terrible project that was a waste of both time and money. Despite the

importance of cost, time and quality, safety must come first. No matter how valuable a facility

or structure may be, it is never more valuable than the health and welfare of the people who build

and use the building (Jackson 81). There are many hazards and dangerous conditions at a

construction site which could very easily lead to serious injury or even death. You have to take

all necessary precautions; otherwise, you could find yourself and the project in serious trouble.

Safety issues could cause a project to be completely shut down. Scope is monitored and
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controlled by means of an architectural program, which identifies the space needs and tracks

compliance of the building design with those needs (Jackson 86). Scope is important because it

defines exactly what the project consists of and what the project should look like when it is

completed. Using scope effectively by defining it precisely before the project starts will lead to

high end-user satisfaction. It is critical to the execution of the architects design. Finally, function

consists of the all-around smoothness of the construction project. Function is monitored and

controlled by means of process flow diagrams and utilization analyses, which document

efficiency of the processes that will be performed in the completed facility (Jackson 91). If you

and your crews function is consistent and of high quality, the building will also be high quality.

Without good function, everything will fall apart in a construction project. Construction

managers have very detailed and complicated jobs. They have hundreds of employees to take

care of, and they also are in control of projects that can cost hundreds of millions of dollars. If

they mess up, the entire project could be affected, costing many jobs and a great deal of money.

While those are the six most important elements that a construction manager must

comply with, they dont all come into play on an everyday basis. Thats the single thing I love

about my job most. I never have the same day twice (L. Fangman). That is why construction

managers have very fascinating jobs. The projects they work on are always developing, and

every day is a new day. On a daily basis, I could see two or three things that Ive never seen

before on a job site (M. Fangman). As a construction manager, you have to go with the flow of

things sometimes. Projects dont go the way they were planned all the time, and finding solutions

to those problems is a main part of the job. Problem solving is very important in construction,

almost nothing goes as planned (M. Fangman). Problems frequently arise on a construction site

because so many things are happening simultaneously. Somebody missed a couple of screws or
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didnt read the design plans correctly, and the whole project could be in jeopardy. It is a

construction managers job to quickly solve the issue and come up with a plan that will keep the

project going. The job of a construction manager changes almost every day. Each day you move

farther and farther along a project, and each day you have to be prepared for anything. No day

will ever be the same, and thats one of the hardest parts of the job (L. Fangman). On a daily

basis, construction managers have to deal with things they have never seen before. That is one of

the hardest things in life, being prepared for the unexpected. It is a very important part of the job,

and what a construction manager does on a daily basis.

Another very important part of any job consideration is how much money they make.

Managing a construction project from start to finish is a weighty responsibility, and construction

managers make comfortable salaries. In 2015, their median salary was $87,400. The highest-paid

in the profession made $155,200, and those earning bottom-rung salaries still earned around

$52,350 (U.S News). Construction managers make a very good living. This job involves a lot of

responsibilities and a lot of pressure to succeed and, in return, construction managers are paid

very well if they complete their tasks on time. $87,400 a year is a very good living in most parts

of the United States, and a person could live very comfortably off of that. The top-paying

metropolitan areas for this occupation include Atlantic City, New Jersey; Winchester, Virginia;

and Newark, New Jersey (U.S News). Salaries for construction managers widely vary,

depending on where you live. There are certain areas in the country, especially on the east coast,

where construction is thriving. They are putting huge amounts of money into construction, and

that is why construction managers on the east coast make so much money. While looking for a

job, it is very important to look at these statistics to determine where the most money can be

made.
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One of my most immediate goals with this capstone project was to decide whether to

pursue a construction management degree at CSU or a civil engineering degree at KU. I learned

that, while construction managers and civil engineers can have very similar jobs, they can also

have very different ones. Both majors will give you the opportunity to enter the construction

business, but the construction management major will focus more on the business aspects of

construction, while civil engineering will focus more on design (Dixon). Construction managers

have to deal with budgeting and money more so than civil engineers. A construction manager

must be strict with a budget, and the manager needs a strong business education for that part of

the job. Civil engineers do not generally deal with money issues or the business side of projects.

Engineers design and plan projects. Design terms and special visualizations are a very important

part of a civil engineers job. Precision in the designs will make or break a project. Civil

engineers are not in the field as much as construction managers, and are usually in the office

designing projects.

Why this is important to me

I learned more than I ever thought that I would during the capstone project. The

information I gathered through this project is very important to me because it will determine a

big part of my future. My big question going into the capstone project was whether or not

construction management was for me. That question was definitely answered by the end of the

project.

I definitely see myself being a construction manager when I am older. I learned that a

construction managers job changes every day, and that is very interesting to me. As I said

before, one of my biggest fears is sitting at a desk doing the same thing every day. By meeting
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with my mentors, I found that their jobs change daily. It was very interesting to see how much

their job varies. One of the days I was with my mentor, we went out on the site and did normal

overseeing duties. A couple of hours later, we were in meetings. I found it very fascinating how

much my mentor could do in one day. By being on the site, I could also see how nice and

friendly people in the construction business are. Colleagues were always asking me questions

and were always conversing, which I thought was nice. I enjoy being in a conversationalist

environment where I am learning things every second from other people. It really made me want

to be a construction manager even more and have all of those different experiences on a daily

basis.

I was late to make a decision on where I am attending college in the fall, and this project

is what made my decision for me. After learning the differences between a construction manager

and civil engineer, I decided to focus my studies more towards civil engineering. My mentor told

me that a degree in civil engineering is more beneficial because you can still do construction

management while having an engineering license, but you cant be an engineer if you only have

a construction management degree. She also told me that it is easier to get a construction

management job with a civil engineering degree and that civil engineers make more money. That

is why I chose The University of Kansas. I plan on studying civil engineering very intensely

there. They have a good civil engineering program, and they also offer a masters degree in

construction management. Once I finish my engineering curriculum, I plan on staying at KU for

two more years to obtain a masters in construction management. This will also mean that I will

have to take business classes as an undergraduate to become a well-rounded construction

manager. This will open a lot of doors for me down the road and will help me find the kind of job

I want when I am older. It will allow me to be a more versatile candidate while looking for a job.
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This project is very important to me because it could be the start of something great.

Another reason why what I learned is so important to me is because it could lead to a possible

internship. Both of my mentors said that, once I complete my first year of college, I should

contact them about a possible internship. They have summer internships for college students who

want to get into construction management, and the company they work for is a very successful

one. If I can get an internship over the summer, it will put me in a great position to succeed.

Internships mean more field experience, and that is the most important thing in construction

management.

What I learned is very important to me because it has already shaped my future. I now

know where I am going to college, and I also know that I have an internship next summer if I

want one. I learned more throughout this process than I thought was possible at the beginning.

This project is one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.
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Works Cited

Bennett, Caroline R. "Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering."

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering. University of Kansas, 23

Feb. 2016. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.

Best Construction Jobs. "How Much Can a Construction Manager Expect to Get Paid?" U.S.

News & World Report. U.S. News & World Report, 25 Jan. 2016. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

Chadukiewicz, Michael. "Construction Management Degrees." Construction Management

Degree. Construction Management Worldwide, 14 Oct. 2016. Web. 06 Mar. 2017.

Dixon, Ken. "Construction Management vs. Civil Engineer." College Confidential. College

Confidential, 3 Jan. 2008. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

Fangman, Leslie. Personal interview. 17 Mar. 2017.

Fangman, Michael. Personal interview. 21 Apr. 2017.

Jackson, Barbara. Construction Management JumpStart. 2nd ed. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing,

Inc., 2010. Print.

Khattab, Mostafa. "Students." Students - Department of Construction Management - College of

Health and Human Sciences - Colorado State University. Colorado State University, 01 Jan.

2017. Web. 27 Feb. 2017.

Tran, Danny. "Construction Management Majors Guide." Worldwidelearn.com. Jake Ravani, 12

Mar. 2015. Web. 05 Mar. 2017.

Williams, Terri. "Graduate Degree Holders Make $17,000 More Per Year Than Bachelor's

Degree Holders | GoodCall News." Good Call. Good Call, 28 July 2015. Web. 30 Apr. 2017.

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