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Post by Hung Kieu on May 8, 2013 1:08:31 GMT -5
Are you happy with engineering? Why did you choose to go into engineering? If you could go back, would you do anything differently knowing what you know now?
If I could go back, I would go down a different path in my electrical engineering degree. I also would have worked harder in my 2nd year (brutal year!).
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Post by Ashley on May 8, 2013 1:20:16 GMT -5
Honestly, I choose engineering because growing up, my parents told me I was an airhead, and I thought that if I got an engineering degree, it'd show them I wasn't an airhead and that I'm smart. I've just finished my second year of mechanical engineering, I have a job doing undergraduate research at my college and so far, I'm not sure if I like it or not. I can do it. I don't like math though. I like learning how things work, I like taking things apart, but I don't like designing, at least-- I'm not comfortable doing it, maybe once I finish my degree I'll be more comfortable with it.
If I could go back to when I chose a major, I wouldn't do engineering. If I could have any job in the world, I'd be a veterinarian or a zoo keeper. I'm hoping someday I'll find a way to use my engineering degree to help animals. But, I've heard that just having a degree can get you a lot of jobs, nevertheless having an engineering degree. I figure if I get out into industry and I don't like what I'm doing, I will go back to school or see if I can find a job doing what I love.
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Post by bfranc37 on May 8, 2013 1:30:48 GMT -5
At first, I chose engineering because I heard math and science was the way to go to get a job. And since I enjoyed physics in high school I started gravitating towards engineering. Eventually, I decided to do electrical engineering because even though I enjoyed the conceptual parts of physics, I hated mechanics. And after looking into circuit analysis, it wasn't so bad.
I'm currently a sophomore and have just started an internship at National Grid working with some Distribution Design engineers and it's been very exciting but a lot of work. If I could go back to my senior year in high school I would have just done something like biology because lately I've become enamored with the idea of working in the FBI and being someone that solves cases. I wouldn't know what to do for grad school if I did that though.
My current (haha pun not intended but oh well) state is content overall though. As long as I succeed, I'm happy with engineering.
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Post by ph7ptzero on May 8, 2013 3:25:54 GMT -5
Graduated with BS Civil Engineering in 1976. Had 6 quarters as co-op. Always been a consulting engineer for a number of different firms (except brief time with Army COE), some of the firms I was a principal in. In general, it has been satisfying. Mostly municipal. I can look at a large number of facilities around the country ranging from landfills to airports to water and waste water plants and say, I had a hand or lead on that. What I liked about civil was that it involved a great deal of activities beyond what one would think of as engineering. I have written a number of system development charge programs and sewer use ordinances for example and worked with city councils, mayors, etc. helping with their emergencies or routine annual capital improvement plans. Have done a lot of rate studies which have a big effect on communities. Some of my water and waste water master plans will guide the development in communities for the next 20 years. In consulting, there is a lot of interaction with municipal staff, elected officials and the public. Served as city engineer for small towns that could not afford one on staff.
Working in smaller firms, one had to be a "jack of all trades" doing structural, mechanical, electrical, environmental, etc. Big projects had to bring in specialists sure, but most everyday projects a quick consult with a friend of the firm electrical contractor for example, would get us to specs and plans, bidding and construction management. Working in large firms would not have been as varied or interesting I think. As a consulting engineer, one had to be a good salesman too since we had to market and acquire clients (and keep them).
If I had to do over, hum....med school perhaps ha ha ha, but I come from a family of modest means, I was 1st to go to college, and engineering offered the greatest return for just 4 years. Because of the money I made co-oping and grading/lab teaching at school, I had a little money in the bank when I graduated so my parents were only out the first year of my education. I HATED my brief time with the Corp of Engineers. A large outfit like that will not allow creativity or merit advancement. Anyway, hope that is of interest to some of you students. Good luck and wishes for happy careers to all of you youngsters. I have only a few years left to go now.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 8, 2013 5:16:54 GMT -5
Are you happy with engineering? Why did you choose to go into engineering? If you could go back, would you do anything differently knowing what you know now? If I could go back, I would go down a different path in my electrical engineering degree. I also would have worked harder in my 2nd year (brutal year!). Why I chose engineering?I chose to go into engineering because it was recommended to me by my guidance counselor in high school because my math and physics grades were A's. Prior to my senior year, I had no idea what engineering even was... I thought it dealt with trains. Upon doing some research, I actually found the field quite interesting; however it wasn't enough to sell me on it though. I ended up declaring my major as Chemistry/Pre-med on my application the Spring of my senior year. Over the summer I decided to take a two credit engineering design course and ended up loving every minute of it, so I switched to engineering permanently. I wasn't always on an Aerospace track though. I changed my mind over the next year, which is why I'm behind a year in my studies. Why I chose Aerospace?Once I switched into engineering, I had to take a required engineering exploration course that examined the different areas of engineering. Electrical is what appealed to me originally. I ended up declaring Electrical as my major and registered for the second year first semester courses in that major. I found that I wasn't happy in Circuit Analysis. I hated doing my homework and I frequently got bored in my EE classes. One of my friends who was a junior in Aerospace at the time told me that if I wasn't happy that I should consider changing my major. He told me that I might like Aerospace and let me borrow his sophomore Intro to Flight book. I found the material in that book to be intellectually stimulating and interesting so I decided to look into the major a little bit more. I found a few pdfs of the books for the Aero major and read through some chapters in them; my interest didn't decline so I switched majors. Since Aero courses are offered once per year, I spent the next semester getting ahead in Math and basic engineering mechanics. I enrolled in Aerospace courses that following Fall semester and found that I loved going to class. I haven't looked back since. Would I do anything differently?Yes. I'd have paid attention a little bit more in engineering exploration. My first impression of Aerospace was a negative one, so I immediately tossed out the possibility of majoring in it. Am I happy?I was my first year in General Engineering. I wasn't my only semester in Electrical. I was after I decided to pursue Aerospace. I'm coming upon my junior year in the Fall, which is supposedly the hardest series of courses in one semester in any program at my university. I'm not sure how long the happiness will last.
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Post by WanderingRonin on May 8, 2013 5:23:21 GMT -5
I chose engineering because I want to go into Biomedical Engineering so I can help people and hopefully save/change someone's life! I went through a huge roundabout decision because i wanted to help people... but didn't want to be a surgeon cause you literally hold their lives in your hand... General doctor seemed kinda boring for me.... trauma seemed horrifying... so I found BioMed Eng Hopefully one day I'll design something that will make someone's life easier or better in any way, then I'd feel like I succeeded As far as changing something goes... I'm conflicted with that. I'd work harder in my second year (just finished it) but at the same time I'd want to be more balanced and enjoy things more. So I'd work harder... but have more free time.... Yeah that wouldn't work haha If I were to change fields I'd probably go into medicine seeing as that's the only other field I was ever interested in. Even looked at doing a MD/PhD program haha
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Post by aleedx on May 8, 2013 6:13:34 GMT -5
Reason? Well, I am the guy which is like ~HEY ! Show me the beast!.. As, I heard Engineering is the hardest specialization/career. ~AHA! Thats the beast?! . And, they told me that I cannot do it because in my high school I am a Biology Guy. They said, the subjects are too hard. ~So the beast has a thick armor? And, then late of my high school I defeated another beast- High School Physics. And, I looked at my fist.. and.. IM READY FOR THE REAL BEAST!
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Satish
Junior Member
Posts: 30
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Post by Satish on May 8, 2013 19:02:56 GMT -5
I chose engineering because I can't see myself doing anything else, I do have a natural ability for it and am most comfortable with it, with that being said, I would have studied harder from the start especially year 2...and I probably would have gone into more programming than power systems.
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Post by juggernaut on May 8, 2013 23:43:17 GMT -5
Being an ME, people think that I work on cars. I usually explain that it involves machinery, controls, economics, and transport phenomena. Then, I get called Sheldon. I luv it.
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gabe
New Member
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Post by gabe on May 9, 2013 0:17:14 GMT -5
I was supposed to be a scientist. I was convinced that was my life's calling, to aid in the fight against disease and ignorance. I can almost attribute my shift to engineering wholeheartedly to my sophmore year of high school. My impression of my biology professor did plenty to push me away from pure science, while my new engineering teacher persuaded me to take up engineering. It's been a wild ride and I've never given it a second thought since.
If I could go back, I would actually take mechanical engineering and computer science. Since my field of interest is robotics, it sucks having to do the programming on the side.
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apache2k12
Junior Member
a chemical engineering student who don't like chemistry
Posts: 47
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Post by apache2k12 on May 9, 2013 0:58:04 GMT -5
i chose engineering because i like outdoor and field work ,, and ChE is gonna provide me that chance
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apache2k12
Junior Member
a chemical engineering student who don't like chemistry
Posts: 47
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Post by apache2k12 on May 9, 2013 0:58:53 GMT -5
if i could go back , i would probably do what i am doing now . i am contented
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Post by Robinet on May 9, 2013 14:41:34 GMT -5
Why? I just finished the military service and couldn't find work for my education, so I started studying again.
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Post by Hellfire on May 22, 2013 7:19:41 GMT -5
Why Engineering? ... This is going to be a lenghthy post My dad was an ASE certified Mechanic all of my life, so my exposure to mechanics has been vast. I was ASE certified in a few subsystems in high school. Being a mechanic is repetitive ... VERY repetitive. I wasn't happy. I was bored. I wasn't learning anything new. So I joined the Army. I was a rotary wing aircraft mechanic (namely, Apache) while I was in the service. After I got out of the service, by chance I found a job at a testing unit with Aircraft. It was while doing this job that I finally figured out that Engineering was the way to go for me. I chose Mechanincal because I was that Nerd who stole my parents Electronics and took them apart. This also goes back to my mechanical exposure and experience. I am happy with what I am doing. I come to work knowing that I am going to have a good day. They haven't placed me in the Engineering Department yet, but I will move departments as soon as my degree is done. I enjoy the people I work with, what I do and as geeky as it sounds, I enjoy Math and Physics.
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Post by Alleviation on May 23, 2013 7:39:30 GMT -5
I am happy so much with Engineering, not because of my teachers who keep giving a surprise exam. Its because of my friends. :>
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