Engineering Majors?

[getyashinebox]

Originally Posted by best hands in the game

Originally Posted by GetYaShinebox

Originally Posted by best hands in the game

 Currently in HS AP Cal, compared to what im doing now, what will i see in college if i choose to major in mechanical or electrical?

For me, AP Calc in HS was equivalent to my "Calc 1" course in college (I was allowed to skip it)

After that, there's still a full year of Calc (Calc 2 & 3), then a full year of differential equations and linear algebra.

So there's a lot after the material in ap calc

did you get by just by studying? or tutor help and study groups? my current cal class is difficult as hell because the teacher sucks(hes has an engineering degree from TAMU) i dont even know how to get a derivative

i mean, im willling to dedicate myself to it, but will it be too much to catch up on?
what college year did you start cal?

I just kinda got it, but groups/tutors were pretty popular.

it's def too early to worry if youre struggling in the beginning ... just do your best to get a lot of help and bang out tons of problems and it'll click eventually.

 

[maddog35]

One thing that I found that helped a lot was joining organizations. Not only can you meet fellow classmates but also higher class students who can help. Also great way to network. Such orgs are ASME, IEEE, ASCE, ANS, NSBE, SHPE, SWE

 

[so nyuh shi dae]

Originally Posted by ThrowedInDaGame

Worst: Biomedical Engieering. BME = you better go to med school because a EE can do a lot of the jobs you can do.

BME's don't necessarily focus on EE. BME is really broad.

 

[best hands in the game]

Originally Posted by best hands in the game

You guys say getting an engineering degree is tough due to the math. or if you're not great at math it will take hard work. Currently in HS AP Cal, compared to what im doing now, what will i see in college if i choose to major in mechanical or electrical?

also , the jobs you can get are very "broad" but what exactly are you guys doing? like can you show me some of the daily work thats put in front of you?

also since these companys look at your college GPA, how much weight does your school/engineering program rep weigh when it comes to being hired?

please

 

[buggz05]

My experience with everyday common working Engineers (EE and CE), is that they work long hours with good pay, but the work (logging test results, reformatting documents, quality assurance on schematics AKA copying and pasting) that they do is pretty simple if your a true engineer (as in your a natural at math and understand the logistics etc). They seem to work alot, but have alot of freetime and money to spend on drugs and alchohol.

But not to thread jack:

I picked Computer Graphics and Motion Technology. This will allow me to either go the Software Engineering route for my Masters, or the Electrical Engineering route. But honestly, I'm thinking about scratching all of that, because most of Engineering and Design I can learn from research. I'm contemplating Nuerosciences or Cognitive Sciences as a PhD (very very very broad, it will be what I make of it, and I do mostly production/media). By the time I get there, the times of the market will tell me if that is a good idea or not. And if not, I goto Physics as a PhD. *(Any thoughts?)* I want to invent. I plan on pretty much being an Entreprenuer and constantly Educating myself my whole life. That's pretty much what my father did in the Military and in Academics. He never stopped going to school and was always at the top of his position. He finished with 3 PhD's (Math, War Strategy, Education), and now at the age of 53 has 2 semi-cake jobs without the responsibility. Sounds like a plan.

 

[babe ruthless]

Posting to learn some more in here hopefully. 2nd year CE major here.

 

[throwedindagame]

Originally Posted by BK201

Originally Posted by Its That Dude

Name I Koop wrote:

Is it really that necessary to fish for lulz in this type of thread?

I've read all the posts in this thread and damn you guys are really inspiring me to become an engineer.

I really have an interest in learning how computers, or general electronics work. I went into college not having a clue what I wanted to do until my friend who is an engineering major started talking about it. I was never good at math but that was primarily because I did not put in the effort to get good grades.

I'm a freshman right now attending a CSU. We are on a quarter system so in my first quarter I got a F, D, F.

This quarter I got a B+, A(maybe), C. These grades are only towards the general education program that I'm in but do you think my rocky start into college might affect how much I get paid after I graduate?
Due to my crappy start to college my gpa is like 1.2 cumulative excluding the A I expect to receive.

How time consuming was your undergraduate studies for your degree? Were you hitting the books 24/7 or where you doing chunks of work here and there on a consistent basis?


I've pulled several all-nighters.......I'm not even a big procrastinator, there is just a lot to do.....especially when you get to Senior Design.


During my 18 hour semesters, I spent a couple of Saturday nights studying. It can get brutal, some schools/disciplines are also more intense than other. Some schools are notorious for being harder than others

For majors, In terms of difficulty, I'd rank it:

Tier 1: Chem E, EE/Compe E, Nuclear
Tier 2: AE, ME, BME
Tier 3: Civil, Industrial/Systems

However, Tier 3 is still faaaaar harder then any business or liberal arts major.

 

[buggz05]

I rarely went to class and only studied before test... (don't think of me as a model) but I aced everyone. Honestly, it's ALL math and spacial recognition basically. If your good at that then you'll be ok with studies. If not, your going to be hitting books 24/7 and still may need help.
EDIT: I didn't get to the Senior level 

, switched majors.

 

[bxbadboy90]

Its good to get some info from fellow Nt'ers. I was also thinking about going into the engineering field. I was trying to pursue a degree in Business Information Technology Management but with the grades I've been getting it doesn't seem like I will be able to get in my school's business program. Mechanical engineering would be another career I would be interested in but I'm kinda intimidated because I heard it was hard and dont really want to switch my major to something else just to be unsuccessful at it..But we'll see what happens.

 

[acidicality]

I graduated in Mechanical Engineering last year.

Pros:
-Stable career, very stable pay, and pays more than most (if not all) majors with just a Bachelors
-Good work environment, depends on the company, but in general it's less stressful.
-Even you don't want to do engineering stuff, there's a lot of other fields you can get into if you like.
-Good job market (even though it's still not as good as it could be)

Cons:
-Undergrad is much tougher compared to people in other majors...i.e. you won't have as good a social life as other people because you'll be much more busy and much more involved in your schoolwork. But IMO it's worth it.
-Lots of math. If you don't like math and science don't get into engineering.
-Work with nerds and socially awkward people. We are engineers after all

That being said, I interned after graduation for a couple months but I've been looking for work ever since.

But in the meantime I've also been studying for the FE exam to keep myself busy and also to keep myself sharp technically. I had a pretty good GPA and I graduated from a top UC school, but the economy is just tough and there's a lot of competition out there for all the good jobs.

I definitely agree about joining a club relating to your major. It's a good way to network and also make friends. And also be sure to make friends in your classes and find a core group of people to hang out with, study, etc. After graduation, the people I've met through my classes and projects have been the ones I've been keeping in touch with the most and networking with.

 

[elcatfisho]

Can anyone give me any advice on majoring in Chemistry? I hear horror stories about general chem and organic chem but then again I also hear people who say they are not that bad.

I'm not completely sure if I want to do science in a health field or if I want to do engineering. I understand both take a lot of work (Currently enrolled in Pre-pharmacy for next year but seriously considering switching to pre-medicine).

 

[acidicality]

I personally don't think general chem is bad at all. I've heard people complain a lot about o-chem but I think it's mainly because there's so much you have to memorize.

 

[curiousgeorg3]

BK201 wrote:

---

Originally Posted by Its That Dude

Name I Koop wrote:

I'm a freshman right now attending a CSU. We are on a quarter system so in my first quarter I got a F, D, F.

This quarter I got a B+, A(maybe), C. These grades are only towards the general education program that I'm in but do you think my rocky start into college might affect how much I get paid after I graduate?
Due to my crappy start to college my gpa is like 1.2 cumulative excluding the A I expect to receive.

How time consuming was your undergraduate studies for your degree? Were you hitting the books 24/7 or where you doing chunks of work here and there on a consistent basis?


dont you need to do an internal transfer to get into your school's engineering program? dont mean to be a debbie downer, but a 1.2 gpa is not gonna cut it. i think most schools require >3.0 gpa to do an internal transfer. 

 

[drunken cow]

Doing Aerospace Engineering.
Currently a Senior but is taking the five year route.
Far from the model student. Gpa is subpar, I live off the saying "Cs make degrees" for Engineering.
I suck at math, suck at calculus, suck at programming.
Its just something in me that drives me to prove myself that I can finish something this difficult.
I first entered college trying to be an architect, got declined. Was in liberal and finish out my basics paying liberal arts tuition(smart idea)
Took me my sophomore year to transfer into Engineering, by then I finish all my prereqs, basics.

I hang out with more business/liberal students than engineering. The only other person I know in engineering is my friend from middle school and we been riding the same boat
since we both got into aerospace.

If I could go back. I would have done something medical, optometrist or something.
I would rank Engineering as one of the hardest, if not hardest, major to finish in college.
15-18 Hours semesters just to finish in 4 years. Thats why you hear a lot of engineer majors finish in five years cause thats stupid ******ed to take that many hours for 8 semesters.

Hopefully when it is all set and done, by May 12', I can walk down the aisle with a B.S in ASE.

I dont care what anyone says.

ASE and ChemE is the hardest of all engineering. Aerospace takes account of ME materials, Civil E structural analysis, and EE programing and circuitry. Were making stuff fly here...

Too bad the ASE job field is will slim, but once your in, your basically set for life.

Other than Petroleum, ASE is good money, check out this link.

http://www.comcast.net/sl...vironmental-engineering/

 

[jayjunkie]

Currently a 3rd year CE major. My dream job is to work for the Cali High Speed Rail Project. Anyone in the Bay, got a lead on some summer internships

Also, any NTers minor in Math? Considering all the Math classes engineers take, did anyone consider taking that extra step? I'm considering it but math is

right now for me.

 

[airmaxplus]

how far do you need to get in calculus?

 

[4everyoung]

is civil the easiest/broadest engineering field to study? and if it is does that mean it will be harder to find a job and less money?

 

[jfmartimcdandruff]

anybody in here do any internships?

 

[ag 47]

I've pulled several all-nighters.......I'm not even a big procrastinator, there is just a lot to do.....especially when you get to Senior Design.



Yes

..20 units this past quarter and working 20 hours a week...not a fun combo. I have a pyramid of Monster energy drinks in my room right now.

Civil Major here, graduating in June. Currently looking for internships/entry-level positions while studying for the FE (Fun Exam)

.

The pro's have already been addressed. Check out money magazine to see why Civil ranked #6 for the Best Jobs in America (2010).
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2010/snapshots/6.html

The con's.
-This major will require discipline and time. I won't say it's extremely difficult because anything you chose to do in college will require time and commitment.


But, if you find a group of friends in your classes, these people will often become your study partners. Study with them. I know I didn't my first couple of years
because I wanted to prove I could do it. Well, my grades suffered going that route as I struggled to grasp concepts. Studying with others allows you bounce questions
back and forth, plus it will prepare you better for actual life after college.

To the guy who wants to work on the high-speed rail, check CalTrans. I'm pretty sure they're involved with that project, but it will take time before that projects is even started.
They're currently having trouble sharing land for terminals with local city transportation.

 

[juve9ile18]

If you have the drive to do it, you can. I was a Chemistry major during my undergrad years. Took 16 units a semester for 5 years to receive my B.S in Chemistry and a minor in math. During that time I also took engineering courses such as Thermodynamics (very similar to Physical Chemistry "PChem"....probably the hardest course ever). I was in every school party Thursday to Friday. I worked 24 hours part time every week and still had time to kick it with friends and study. The key is TIME MANAGEMENT! Not everyone is good with this, which is why a lot of people fail. You have to set your priorities and have a game plan everyday/week/semester. I can't count how many nights I pulled all nighters (going to a party that gets out at 2am and going back straight to the dorm to finish a lab report due at 8am).

I did the same thing in grad school. I took 12 units 500-600 grad level courses with 1 3-unit 300 level course each semester, TAed 2 courses (Matlab & Thermodynamics) first semester, Matlab and Mass transport second and third semester. Last semester I TAed Matlab, Plant reactor class and had 9-units of thesis research. While doing all that I was still partying and traveling too party locations during breaks. You have to know how to balance yourself. I graduated with a 3.8 GPA.

One tip for the undergrads, study in groups if you can. 2 heads are better than 1. You will learn so much quicker and retain things since you will most likely do teach backs to other members in the study group.

 

[babe ruthless]

^I had to take 4 Calc classes and a Linear analysis/differential equations class.

 

[jhobson5]

I had to Take 3 Calc classes, Probability and Statistics, Differential Equations, and Engineering Math.

To this day the only thing I really use on a dailey basis is simple multiplication and division. In college they teach you all the pratical things you need to know(hence why its hard a information to learn), but once you start working its all about experience.

And to be honest it does matter what college you go to. I went Colorado School of Mines which is well known Engineering school, and that alone in every interview I have been to makes people say wow. So it all depends.  

 

[juve9ile18]

Originally Posted by Babe Ruthless

^I had to take 4 Calc classes and a Linear analysis/differential equations class.

Same here. I took the 4 calc classes, linear algebra, DE 1 an 2, 3 physics, 2 Pchem all as an undergrad. In grad school for ChemE, I took this one advanced Eng course that incorporated all those classes into 1.

 

[bkdan1]

Originally Posted by ThrowedInDaGame

I've pulled several all-nighters.......I'm not even a big procrastinator, there is just a lot to do.....especially when you get to Senior Design.


During my 18 hour semesters, I spent a couple of Saturday nights studying. It can get brutal, some schools/disciplines are also more intense than other. Some schools are notorious for being harder than others

For majors, In terms of difficulty, I'd rank it:

Tier 1: Chem E, EE/Compe E, Nuclear
Tier 2: AE, ME, BME
Tier 3: Civil, Industrial/Systems

However, Tier 3 is still faaaaar harder then any business or liberal arts major.

This is if you're lucky. Most engineering majors would spend even more time studying or doing research/work/all-nighters just to get things done. OP listen to him, I've attended the same school he did and I can vouch for everything he has mentioned in this thread. As for my background, I graduated last year with a degree in Aerospace Engineering. I've seen people come and go because they couldn't handle the workload or discovered engineering was not something they wanted to do for the rest of their lives. As others said previously, it takes a lot of dedication and motivation to stay. You don't have to like math, but you better be good at it. (BTW, AE is definitely in Tier 1. It requires basic knowledge from every other branch of engineering ranging from Mechanical to Chemical to Electrical. Not Industrial though, for obvious reasons #cheapshot).

 

[yungchris504]

I graduated May of 2010 and landed a field service job with PLC (Programmable Logic Controllers) I more or less travel the U.S and Caribeean and repair our system that provides remote control of their Main Engine, Generators and Valves as well as give them Alarm and Monitoring from inside their Cargo Rooms and Engine Control Rooms. Companies purchase our system because it allows the crew members to run the Ship in what is considered unmanned conditions.

The job is really a technician job but since I have a degree I get paid more. My base is 48k but with OT and other benefits I can hit 6 figures easily (I made close to 50k only working 6 months).

The con with this job is a ton of traveling but it is also a pro. I am now returning from St.Maarten on the companies dime and I was able to stay a day in between since I was able to complete the job early while still getting paid.

The courses now that I look back on them were not difficult at all. You learn a lot through the working in the industry but as far as schooling goes it gives you the tools to have a foundation and the company builds from there.

I landed this job 3 months before I graduated through a career fair like many others.