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Engineering majors?

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Phil-X-
Posts: 7205 - Karma: 14,399
hey everyone, im a junior right now in HS and trying to find out what im gonna be doing for the rest of my life (not stressful or anything right?) ive taking multiple engineering courses and am pretty well off in it (drafting, cad, civil and aerospace next year) im thinking about going into a engineering major, however im not too sure what i want to do, so i was hopping that some of you could give me a few ideas. Weather its your career or your current major, i dont want to be stuck in a room the whole day id prefer a job thats much more laid back and fun, i know its asking for alot,
any help or advice would be much appreciated!
thanks!

TL;DR
what should i do with my life?
Apr 11 2010 4:22PM
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I.Love.Beezy
Posts: 2117 - Karma: 784
smoke weed. life isnt laid back and fun
Apr 11 2010 4:24PM
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Squid.
Posts: 1904 - Karma: 23
Luckily you normally don't have to declare a major until your sophomore year in college, and just about every good college has a good engineering program, so you have plenty of time to test the waters and figure out if you like it

it's one of the highest paying professions right out of college though
Apr 11 2010 4:24PM
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prontocuts.com
Posts: 5244 - Karma: 42
Take a solid intro to engr course, it help me decide what I wanted to do because all the assignments and projects implemented parts of each (electrical, mechanical, civil, and even computer)
Apr 11 2010 4:26PM
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popNfresh44
Posts: 3757 - Karma: 44
i'm in first year engineering, its really cool but its not slack and easy, academically. lots of math and physics.
Apr 11 2010 4:27PM
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Phil-X-
Posts: 7205 - Karma: 14,399
thanks for the help so far all
Apr 11 2010 4:28PM
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Sinuous
Posts: 439 - Karma: 82

Petroleum Engineering

That's my planned major, I'm a junior in H.S as well. There's only a dozen or schools in the country that offer that degree. If you want a combination of skiing and school go to Colorado School of Mines. It has a top 5 program. Not to mention P.E has the highest paying starting salary amongst all bachelor's degrees. If you're lucky like one of my buddies, you'll be making 100,000+ right out of college. You'll be making just under what a M.D makes without all of the excess schooling.

/

Apr 11 2010 4:29PM
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prontocuts.com
Posts: 5244 - Karma: 42
yeah, its not slack or easy, but no major should be. All the time I talk to guys who dropped out of engineering because they wanted to party all the time and wanted it easy

facepalm imo
Apr 11 2010 4:29PM
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prontocuts.com
Posts: 5244 - Karma: 42
I know some petro guys, its $$$$ but, dont do it for the money. Hell, dont even think about engineering if its about the money
Apr 11 2010 4:30PM
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MNS
Posts: 5386 - Karma: 3,241
engineering it a HUGE amount of work so be prepared to dedicate yourself. a full course load is 5 corses, most kids i know in engineeering take 6, and these courses are hard like physics and calculus and programming.

So im gonna give you some advice and i really hope you take it into immense consideration. Don't go to university with the idea in your mind that you've started what your going to do for the rest of your life! instead go there with a broad mind and submerge yourself in courses that interest you, and hopefully you will find what your looking for.

A couple reccomendations are:
-an aptitude test
-Join social sciences and take a bunch of courses your semi interested in, in you think you like engineering, take one or two courses in it, but dont dive head first into something you might not like!
Apr 11 2010 4:33PM
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Phil-X-
Posts: 7205 - Karma: 14,399
yea ive heard a bit about it, do mean like finding reserves and calculating depths etc etc?
Apr 11 2010 4:34PM
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An10a_Eng
Posts: 2505 - Karma: 26
first of all, college engineering courses are way, way, way harder than high school "engineering courses". but electrical and computer engineers are the most flexible in terms of career choices because EVERYTHING needs some sort of ECE. you can work in aerospace, medical, music, pretty much any industry you may want to with an electrical degree

Apr 11 2010 4:34PM
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MNS
Posts: 5386 - Karma: 3,241
this!
Apr 11 2010 4:34PM
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notadoctor
Posts: 404 - Karma: 642
ya i had to take 6 courses in my first semester and 5 in my second. Lots of work. Make sure it's something you want to do and that you're not just doing it for the money because from my experience most of those kids don't last.
Apr 11 2010 4:56PM
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ontwosticks
Posts: 915 - Karma: 95
Petroleum engineering pays bank right out of college and all,  but theres not a whole lot of shit you can do with it, you're pretty much stuck in a dying industry. And while CSM has a great program shit is literally 90% dudes.
 I agree with people above to take an intro engineering course to find out what each type of engineering entails cuz there are a lot of options out there. I'm a third year chemE and I love the work i've done, but i hate the fucking classes, shit is hard.
Apr 11 2010 6:19PM
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Gnarshred
Posts: 5670 - Karma: 18
You can still be laid back and have a fun job with an engineering degree, but you can also do almost anything else. My plan is to work my ass off for 4 years (electrical engineering) then see where I want to go with it. You aren't commiting to any job by getting any degree
Apr 11 2010 6:23PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
THe school aspect is very hard, time consuming, frustrating, sleep depriving, and hard.  Flat out just a ton of very difficult work.  Even the rediculously smart kids have to work their asses off.

Job wise, if you plan on making any money you will need a PE(professional engineering license) and a masters.  because of this you will be responible for designs and if anything goes wrong, its your ass.  Nothing about engineering is laidback.  There is just lesser degrees of intense. 

I plan on trying to get a job with a state Department of Transportation because it is less work than the private sector, i can live in cool areas, but i wont get paid near as much.

The brightside is that the workplace is 10x easier and less stressful than the schooling. 
Apr 11 2010 7:19PM
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larsen.
Posts: 120 - Karma: 26
ya i'm in high school and i have no idea what i want to go into. i mean i'd kill be able to stay in the ski industry. like ski design or some thing like that. but i'm guessing its not every easy to get into haha.
Apr 11 2010 8:09PM
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Crack.
Posts: 6020 - Karma: 84
haha yea you'll be making 100k+ but good luck finding a job
Apr 11 2010 8:11PM
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prontocuts.com
Posts: 5244 - Karma: 42
Its one of the most in demand jobs right now
Apr 11 2010 8:14PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,248
it wont be in 50 years imo, petroleum isnt going to be around forever.

Biomedical and "green" engineering are going to be and already are in highest demand. imo.
Apr 11 2010 8:21PM
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Crack.
Posts: 6020 - Karma: 84
and yet somehow I seem to hear that about almost every job out there..
Apr 11 2010 8:33PM
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snowfreak14
Posts: 370 - Karma: 209
im not sure how many people are actually engineers or are just acting like they know but it really is a fucking hard major.  I go to Union College and its one of the best engineering school in the nation(claim).  not every school you go to has a good engineering program, in fact many have five year programs that force you to learn at a different school half way through the program.  regardless engineering will break you down and spit you out and unless you really love it you will switch after the first year.  if you can stick with it you will make fucking bank from the second to finish and it really is one of the best jobs and in demand right now.  my friend just graduated last year and is making over 100,000 his first year.  Not to bad.
Apr 11 2010 9:14PM
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prontocuts.com
Posts: 5244 - Karma: 42
Don't be an idiot, take an economics class.
Apr 11 2010 9:15PM
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ECfreeski3
Posts: 12019 - Karma: 126
???
Apr 11 2010 9:21PM
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prontocuts.com
Posts: 5244 - Karma: 42
http://economics.about.com/cs/macroeconomics/a/run_out_of_oil.htm
Apr 11 2010 9:26PM
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jmath
Posts: 112 - Karma: 11
I'm in my second year of Geological Engineering. It's really awesome, not as much math as other disciplines but there is a lot more of just stuff you need to know. First year sucked. Just about failed out of it, but this year I'm getting mid 70's on everything.

In summary, Engineering is tough but totally worth it.
Apr 11 2010 9:38PM
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p.jones
Posts: 614 - Karma: 16
this is sorta off topic from the thread, but if you get into engineering is there time to do anything besides school? like is there any time for partying?
Apr 11 2010 9:41PM
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bermbuster49
Posts: 7445 - Karma: 90
haha thats the spirit!!


i was a Mechanical Engineering major this past fall at the University of Delaware, but it only took me one semester to realize i didnt wanna do that anymore hahah.  its a hard major to take, its a lot of work, but i think you will deff. make maaaaaad $$$$$$.

will it be laid back and fun? maybe, probably not, but as fast.steeze said, just work hard and come home to a well deserved bowl of (insert your choice of heads here)
Apr 11 2010 9:42PM
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zepscratch
Posts: 3517 - Karma: 36
im junior mechanical eng major.

if you like math/science, and are good at them, then engineering's not bad. it might be alot of work but in the end it'll pay off with a good job. if your interested in the field, or can't think of anything better.. go for it
Apr 11 2010 9:44PM
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Gnarshred
Posts: 5670 - Karma: 18
way too much haha
Apr 11 2010 9:45PM
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Shreddysaurus
Posts: 2120 - Karma: 59
my step mom is a civil engineer i think. she designs sewage systems for new suburban communities. She has a schedule just like any other job but it doesnt seem like she enjoys it too much. makes bank tho
Apr 11 2010 9:47PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
u mean geotech???

THere are basically only a few TRUE engineering disciplines:  Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Bio, and Computer.

Everything else is a straight up joke.  Really though...
Apr 11 2010 10:00PM
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chapz
Posts: 10182 - Karma: 66
do explain...
there is a such thing as a geological engineer? do you know what geology is?!

what about aerospace? materials? mining? electrical? there are shitloads of branches of engineering types. just because someone is a mechanical engineer, doesn't mean that's all they are? once you take the common courses, its up to you to specialize in what you like.
Apr 11 2010 10:09PM
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Inbred_Redneck
Posts: 2776 - Karma: 28
He means that you should just take a general engineering course such as Civil, Electrical, or Mechanical and branch out after you get one of those.

Specialized engineering degrees are just that SPECIALIZED. If you hope to find a job in the future you better get a general engineering degree.

I wanted to do Aerospace, but then realized that i would have an unlikely chance of finding a job.
Apr 11 2010 10:13PM
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Inbred_Redneck
Posts: 2776 - Karma: 28
I'm talking about degrees here, not courses by the way. You can get as specific as you want with an engineering degree, but at the end of the day Mechanical, Electric, Civil, Bio, and Computer are all that everyone is looking for.
Apr 11 2010 10:14PM
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H8CH
Posts: 2709 - Karma: 218
This kid knows what's up... I'm a senior engineer for an oil co... It's a great life, plus you get to go to work on choppers a lot! Good luck, remember this though- a degree only proves you have the ability to learn at a certain level, the real learning starts when you graduate and start working, trust me, I graduated nearly 8 years ago!! I'm 30 btw....
Apr 11 2010 10:54PM
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An10a_Eng
Posts: 2505 - Karma: 26
depending on the type of engineering, once you hit the actual classes, it makes all the calcs and physics seem easy.
Apr 11 2010 10:57PM
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Sugarloaf1906
Posts: 102 - Karma: 26
I'm a sophomore mech e at umaine and I love it. I was never really challenged in high school so it was pretty mind opening once I got to college and took classes like thermo, fluids, diff eqs, etc. If you want to party like kids in other majors or be able to ski a good amount you really have to learn excellent time management skills. Work hard, play hard. I get all of my work done during the week when my friends are out goofing off playing disc, toking and such when I'm stuck in the books monday morning to friday afternoon. I still get out and have fun friday and saturday and make it to the mountain 2 days a week though. good luck
Apr 12 2010 12:20AM
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Tasche
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 99
A lot of ignorance in this thread.

I got my undergrad in petroleum from CSM and now I work for a small e&p in Denver. If you have any questions about the oil industry, CSM, or engineering in general I will try my best to answer them.
Apr 12 2010 1:11AM
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fdsa
Posts: 686 - Karma: 19
This is at best a conditionally true statement.

You do NOT need your PE to work as an engineer in MANY industries. Nor do you need your masters.

As an ECE major, I was offered $92K to start at ExxonMobil because of my 3 Co-Op rotations with them.

No masters or PE.

Top things, coming from a kid who is at the top of his class at UT Knoxville in the ECE dept.

1. Don't do it for the money

2. Go to a school with a good Co-Op program and participate in it.

3. Know how to interview well and ensure that your resume is up to snuff.

4. Be prepared to work your ass off.
Apr 12 2010 3:00AM
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bubonj
Posts: 38 - Karma: 10
you can smoke weed everyday and destroy engineering.. you want a challenge?
try a professional degree that you can't get into right from high school..

im an engineering student, im considering becoming a teacher. kthxbye.
Apr 12 2010 9:38AM
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nickyp
Posts: 5673 - Karma: 215
In the UK, Chemical Engineering has the highest graduate starting salary.


Globalisation and perfect competition (a tricky assumption) lead me to believe it is likely to be the same in a lot of other places.


But srsly, until we can extract exatly 100% of the energy from oil, there will be positive labour demand in the industry.
Apr 12 2010 9:47AM
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VT_FLO
Posts: 3806 - Karma: 147
first of all, it's hoping. Second off, it's whether.

third, engineering is generally an indoors job that isn't laid back. my bro's electrical
Apr 12 2010 9:50AM
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4frntmorrison
Posts: 660 - Karma: 10
This. I'm going to a school without one and there are poor chances of getting an internship here unless you want to work for a coal mine or the oil and gas industry. Definitely go somewhere with a good co-op program. I here stories from people that participate in one, and it makes me hate myself.
Apr 12 2010 12:21PM
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icon1234
Posts: 3081 - Karma: 1,475
My roommate is a chemical engineer, and based on my observations it seems like a miserable experience. His schedule and work load is horrific and exhausting; be prepared to take the maximum credit hours every semester just so you can finish college in a reasonable timeframe. Given he is very smart and has a 4.0, so I am guessing that his work load is on the upper end of the spectrum. However, if you plan on getting C's and just getting the degree good luck finding a job.

Also my employer, who also is my math tutor, is an electrical engineer. The amount of information he retained from college regrading math and physics is truly astonishing. The way his mind works makes me believe that it is something that not many people can do successfully.

So in conclusion if your in high school, math and physics should be your "favorite" classes. In addition you should have no trouble getting A's in these courses. The reason being is because you will be taking math classes for a good amount of your time in college all the way into the upper levels. You can expect lots of work, and a hectic schedule.

Good Luck
Apr 12 2010 12:34PM
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General_Ripper
Posts: 3327 - Karma: 189
pretty good observation...
Apr 12 2010 12:45PM
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H8CH
Posts: 2709 - Karma: 218

Don't let some of this negativity about being hard work etc put you off - remember, nothing in life worth doing is going to come easily, or else everyone would be doing it.

You're not alone on these courses, you have an awesome support network in your course friends and teachers / profs etc... there doors are always open and they want you to succeed, they also don't expect you to know everything, get everything etc straight away....  I had to do Dam Engineering....  imagine what it is like to design a dam, by hand...  one of my assignments was this...  was epic... but i got through it with my course buddies, we helped each other out... and it is a very satisfying feeling to pull that shit off, then when one of your none course buddies doing something like media studies see's it and just goes wtf...   it feels good, like a real achievement.

Now i'm working.... and it's the same...  it takes 5 years to design a subsea system, but the day they flick the switch and start producing oil through kit you worked on and influenced... 6000 ft down on the ocean floor...  and it doesn't blow up immediately.. ha....  well, that feels freakin sick dude...  then you get the Chopper ride back to the beach after a few weeks offshore... and hit bars and clubs like a roller.... champagne campaign....  

Everything in life worth doing, is not going to be easy.....

Apr 12 2010 12:50PM
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prontocuts.com
Posts: 5244 - Karma: 42
truth truth truth truth truth truth truth truth truth truth truth truth truth truth
Apr 12 2010 12:54PM
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AlexF
Posts: 271 - Karma: 206
As you're not sure what field to get into you're lucky you're in the US as you don't need to decide straight away. A lot of the maths and physics in Engineering is common to most fields. Do those core engineering classes and have a look at some of the more specialised courses to see what interests you.

As far as salary goes its true that Engineering degrees have the highest starting salaries. BUT, it also depends on how high your GPa/class of degree is (as well as how highly regarded your university is). If you do a subject because of the salary but don't enjoy it you won't work as hard and probably won't get as good a GPa/degree class.

To get the most out of your degree I think you should find what interests you most as you'll enjoy it more and do better. I did a BENg in Materials Science and Engineering, an MSc in Composite materials and am about to finish a PhD in Mechanical Engineering (My research is investigating and modelling the behaviour of 3D woven composites for use in Aerospace). I specialise in composite materials because all the engineering products that I think are interesting (e.g. F1 cars, anything aerospace, wind turbines,skis etc...) are dependent on composites. The fact that the composites industry is growing massively is a nice bonus too. Figure out what aspects of engineering interest you and choose your courses to reflect that.

I've got a bunch of friends in Engineering and their hours are pretty normal. I've also got a lot of friends who did engineering degrees and then went to work for Investment Banks and Hedge funds (these guys recruit very heavily from my University) and their hours are ridiculously long but they make silly amounts of money although a lot of them don't really like their jobs (a couple love it though).

Doing an Engineering degree doesn't mean that you can't have a life. In fact I'd say its critical that you do (and not just for your sanity). Your degree is only part of getting a job. A good Engineering degree from a good University will open a lot of doors and get you interviews. Once your in that interview you'll need to show there's more to you than your degree and this is where having a life outside of work is key. Doing something outside of work that can demonstrate leadership, self-motivation, application, generosity (be it a team captain, organising events, pursuing a sport of art to a very high level, charity work etc...). The mates of mine who've done the best as far as getting a good salary, getting promoted and enjoying their work did well on their courses but were also successful out of work, e.g. captain of my Uni's rugby club, captain of the road biking team, played International level rugby (although very few people are going to be lucky enough to be this talented) Student Union president etc...Like work, don't get involved with something if you don't enjoy it. If you do it will seem like work and that defeats the purpose (I suppose its still something to put on your CV but I think thats a bullshit reason). If you apply yourself to something you do enjoy (for me it was our rugby team) then it won't feel like work, in fact I think it made me enjoy it more.
Apr 12 2010 1:04PM
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cubber
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 638

my pops is a eng. professor at SCSU, and my brothers have all got engineering degrees in one area or another, but don't necessarily stick to that area.

example: my bro is a mechE degree but is in a manufacturing position, the two are very close, and he could get in with all kinds of other companies that might need a specific area, but there is so much overlap in the engineering areas that you won't be stuck.

i'm only in 2nd year but so far my engineering classes have been hella more interesting than the other useless gen eds

Apr 12 2010 1:12PM
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