Problem solving / logic processing is VERY highly emphasized here. There is a seperate engineering class that we took first semester freshman year that is only about problem solving...the retention rate in engr past that class is very low. The tools in that one were Matlab, Excel (used to it's full potential) and Unix.

As far as this cs class goes, as you suggest Adam , we are required to use flowcharts and structure charts prior to coding, most of the time. I suppose they do help a bit.

ot, MEs still have to take Fortran...minus the punchcards .

Thanks for the words of wisdom.