The variational approach, including the direct methods and finite elements, is one of the main tools of engineering analysis. However, it is difficult to appreciate not only for seniors but for graduate students too. It is possible to make this subject easier to understand with the help of symbolic manipulation codes (SMC). The easiness with which these codes provide analytical results allow for a student or researcher to focus on the ideas rather than on calculational difficulties. The very process of programming with SMC encourages appreciation of the qualitative aspects of investigations. Saving time and effort, they enable undergraduates to deal with the subjects generally regarded as graduate courses. There is a habitual aspect too. These days it is more convenient for a student (researcher) to work with a keyboard than with a pencil. Moreover, semantic features of the codes may allow for generalizations of the standard techniques, which would be impossible to achieve without the computer's help.