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Hello all!

Here is another thread, as the last one was taking a while to load. I answered a bunch of questions at the end of Part II, so scroll down to the end.

For the newcomers, I graduated with degrees in chemical engineering and classics in 2003. I'm headed to law school in the fall.

All "mentors," feel free to introduce yourselves again.

By Calkidd (Calkidd) on Thursday, July 01, 2004 - 02:24 pm: Edit

On MIT master's programs (end of Engineering the Truth II): yes, you can indeed come in intending to do the MS as a terminal degree. It is going to be highly valuable in your engineering career too; even though it can be a "consolation" for people who failed qualifiers, it's still going to help with jobs, etc.

I think most engineering PhD programs have a similar policy.

By Dadofsam (Dadofsam) on Thursday, July 01, 2004 - 02:42 pm: Edit

"Mentors", introduce yourselves.

I am not an engineer but have worked with many, primarily chemical engineers.

My field is patent/intellectual property law.

By N8_D22 (N8_D22) on Friday, July 02, 2004 - 12:51 am: Edit

hi...i've been following this thread for a long time. If my question was already answered...u dont have to answer it.

I'm an incoming freshman this fall @ UC Davis. I am currently declared as a mechanical engineer. I am very interested, though, in material science. UC Davis offers a four year (...supposedly)dual major in both mech eng & material sci. I just want some feedback from anyone on how it sounds...job wise, as well as difficulty or anything else in general

thank you

By Wordsmith817 (Wordsmith817) on Friday, July 02, 2004 - 09:09 am: Edit

I'm copying my post from the end of the last thread and would certainly welcome any and all comments. H.S. rising sophomore son has his sights set on working as a designer in the automobile industry, or some other executive position in the auto world. He has all the preliminary stats of going to a good school and becoming a success.

Our concern is that there are so few jobs in design, that he may be setting himselef up for disappointment, difficulty in finding a job, etc. He is leaning toward mechanical engineering and then going on to grad school at some point for an MBA or graduate engineering...Any insights? Is this a reasonable path to follow? Are there actually jobs out there in designing cool cars??

We've read about the Clemson program with BMW which sounds intriguing, but we also have been told that schools in Michigan may lead to a foot in the door. He's interested in a 'normal' college, meaning all the fun and social life, activities, one normally associates with college.

Basic questions about working in the auto industry here.....Any help??

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Friday, July 02, 2004 - 01:26 pm: Edit

I wish I could help with that, but I know very little. Courses in CAD - computer aided design - would be very helpful. I do recall a prof. saying that car bodies can be designed with that.

Mechanical engineering would probably be a good choice. Maybe take electrical and computer courses as well - there is more computing power in a Ford Taurus than there was in Apollo 11. Obviously, electronics are becoming increasingly important in automobile design.

I do have one more suggestion: engineering psychology. From what I know, it teaches about ergonomics, how people interface with buttons, controls, etc. Might be something to look into.

If he is thinking about management, the MBA (especially after a few years of work) is a great idea.

I'm sorry that I can't offer more help, but my speciality is chemical - nothing to do with cars!

By Calkidd (Calkidd) on Friday, July 02, 2004 - 03:54 pm: Edit

It's probably "engineering physiology" (human biology, systems anatomy) rather than "engineering psychology".

By Henrybg (Henrybg) on Friday, July 02, 2004 - 11:21 pm: Edit

I'm quite new here on the forums, but am very interested in this thread. Wordsmith, I have a friend who just graduated from Kettering University in Michigan in Electrical Engineering, and he's had Co-ops in the auto industry since he started in 1999. There is no lack of jobs, and if he like 'cool' cars, he should definitly work at one of the big three because they need some help. I would say at UofMich. or Kettering, there would be more potential to work in Detriot at a car company. Actually, any of the Big 10 schools would provide the same opportunities.

Oh yeah, and if anyone has questions about Purdue, I'm a senior (one semester left) studying Computer Engineering and Music Theory. I'm working on some undergrad research in DSP alorithm design for audio systems and have a job where we are designing a web hosting management software suite . BOILER UP!

By Lyoha45 (Lyoha45) on Friday, July 02, 2004 - 11:44 pm: Edit

ive read that aerospace engineers are often hired for car companies.. i suppose they could handle the aerodynamics.

Henrybg - wat are these big 10? is boston univ one of them?

By Mimi (Mimi) on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 02:07 am: Edit

You guys remember Burning Sands? He was majoring in project engineering, or something like that, and he did patent law. Do you have to do that if you want to be a project engineer?

By Sammywu (Sammywu) on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 02:57 am: Edit

Hello CCers,

I read this thread so often that I see engineers and current engineering students giving people advices and answer questions. You guys are so GREAT.

I am going to major in EE starting this fall in USC. I just have a couple of questions hope you guys can answer.

So, is engineering a sink-or-swim major? It seems like engineering students have very little personal life instead they devote pretty much all of their time into studying. Is it true?

Also, I wonder that how much a person make a year with a master in engineering? And would the salary be different from different schools (like UCLA v.s. UC Davis)


Lastly, usually how many hours is average for an engineering student to study a day? I guess that is like 10hrs.

Thanks a lot

I am getting so nervous as my school start at August 20th which is darn early.

By Platformdiver (Platformdiver) on Saturday, July 03, 2004 - 10:45 pm: Edit

Hello,

I'm thinking of attending Louisiana State this fall and majoring in biological engineering or mechanical engineering... although I'm actually interested more in biomedical (specifically biomechanics) ... should I undergrad in one of these majors and maybe go biomed grad school?

Also, advice concerning the career prospects of LSU's programs in biological or mechanical engineering?

By Cooldude (Cooldude) on Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 05:11 am: Edit

hey Ariesathena (i mean anyone) Which LAC's do you guys think are good for engineering??

By Sammywu (Sammywu) on Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 04:51 pm: Edit

Bucknell, Harvey Mudd, Swarthmore

By Henrybg (Henrybg) on Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 08:02 pm: Edit

Big10 == Purdue, Michigan, Michigan St., Ohio St., Northwestern, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, (notre dame..not really big 10), Indiana University...I think that's it.

Sammywu:
You know, that's the most common concern. I work 40+ hours a week in a job I have on the side, and am able to take a full class load, and get my work done. I sleep 4-6 hours a night during the school year, and am able to get out with friends maybe twice a week (as long as there are no projects). If you don't have a job, there's no real concern with time. One other thing to keep in mind is, although college is a huge change from High School, you can take as much time as you need Freshman and Sophomore years. I pledged a fraternity freshman year, and had plenty of time to do homework (although I chose not to ). Even now aday, as a senior...most of my classes are project based, so we have four or five really small homework assignments which clutter my time, and are a waste of it, so I don't do them.

Basically, what I'm saying is, to get a decent GPA (3-3.5/4.0), you don't have to spend every waking moment thinking of engineering..but you do have to work.

Also, work hard at the classes that pertain to your major in the beginning so you don't have to learn later. I'm a computer engineer, and didn't know how to program before I got to college, I had my roommate do the majority of homeworks for our freshman engineering C programming class....and it took a LOT of work to catch up the next year. I now TA the class I blew off, but don't follow my example!!

Hope this helps you guys.

By Sammywu (Sammywu) on Sunday, July 04, 2004 - 08:36 pm: Edit

-Henrybg

I won't take any jobs at college....so I think I should be ok

Thanks a lot for sharing your experience

By Pulaw (Pulaw) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 01:44 am: Edit

Hey everyone,

I think that everyone that's been contributing to these engineering threads has been doing a great job... it's really helpful to see what experienced students and engineers have to say.

My question... I'm going to be entering Georgia Tech this fall and I'm really interested in going into nanotechnology, but I really don't have a clue where to begin. What kind of an engineering major would be best for going into the field? Also, what types of jobs are available in nanotech right now (or will be in the future), and what do the prospects for making money look like?

Thanks!

By Im_Blue (Im_Blue) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 03:34 am: Edit

To Pulaw:
I'm a grad student in EE at Stanford now specializing in semiconductors (which is roughly what nanotechnology refers to). The most common majors to go into nanotech would be electrical, chemical, or mechanical engineering. A typical nanotech job might be designing some type of semiconductor or processor or working in fabrication. I can't say what the job market will look like, but these jobs tend to be among the highest paid starting salaries for a bachelors.

By Yellowjacket07 (Yellowjacket07) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 09:21 pm: Edit

Pulaw...I will be junior this fall at GT, good to hear that you will attending. At Georgia Tech the best major route to go if you are interested in nanotechnology would definitely have to be Electrical Engineering. As Im sure you know GT is world reknowned in the EE field. Good luck, your first year as I know you will definitely have your hands full at an institution where they teach you endure a tremendous amount of stress. What classes will you be taking your first year?

By Pulaw (Pulaw) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 09:57 pm: Edit

im_blue... thanks, I was thinking of going into EE to begin with, and semiconductor physics seems like an awesome field!

yellowjacket07... wow, it's neat to see someone on this board that actually goes to GT. I was plannning on majoring on EE to begin with, so I've got to take all the engineering core and stuff. Thing is, though, I'm coming in with AP credit for calc, physics, english, bio, history, probably some more that I don't know that tech gives credit for... and I've heard different things about exempting out of core classes like that. Some people tell me to retake the courses, especially calc, to get a feel for what classes at Tech are like and to get an easy A. Others tell me just to take the credit and move on. So, I'm really stuck as to what to do for now... I want a good GPA for grad school purposes, but I don't know what route to take. Any advice? Heh, one more thing... since you're at GT, what have been your experiences with the co-op program? Is it useful to do this? Thanks!

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Monday, July 05, 2004 - 10:50 pm: Edit

Nanotech:

The suggestions of mechanical, chemical, and electrical are great. I did chemical and do some work in nanotech. Most of the nanotech team has degrees in chemical or electrical; some in physics.

Biotech:

Go into chemical engineering or biological engineering. I'll go on my usual rant which pertains to both this and nanotech: do a normal engineering major undergrad. Go for chemical, electrical/computer, civil, environmental, mechanical, aerospace, or similar. Do NOT go for the new ones - nanotech, biotech (maybe?), etc. Employers like to know what courses you've taken, and it's much easier to know that when you have an accredited degree in an easily identifiable major. Save the specifics for grad school or electives.

Liberal arts schools for engineering:

I went to Tufts and loved it. Honestly, I'm not sure about many programmes. Mostly, look for the majority of the degrees being ABET accredited, and look for a separate engineering school. That usually means that engineers will have different requirements (which you need to really learn engin. - you don't learn engineering by doing world history, culture, language, writing, humanities, and social sciences cores) - more math, science, and credits.

In Massachusetts, there are only a handful of engineering schools: UMass Amherst, UMass Lowell, BU, Tufts, MIT, WPI, Northeastern. Some schools, like BC, Holy Cross, Harvard, Smith have engineering, but I don't think that the people who come out of there do engineering as a profession. My engin. firm pretty much has only ULowell, Tufts, MIT, and Northeastern grads (though there are a few others, mostly out of state).

So... I really don't know how well I can answer your question. I might be able to help evaluate certain schools, but can't help with much else.

By Yellowjacket07 (Yellowjacket07) on Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 02:00 pm: Edit

Pulaw...that's good that you are coming in with some credit. My advice would be to definitely use the credit towards the physics classes (both 2211 and 2212) as they are definite weedout classes that give even the brightest students a great deal of unnecessary difficulty. As for the calc credit I wouldn't necessarily take that credit because at GT calc is taught a completely different way than it was in high school. Depending on the professor your exams and homework could be based entirely on proofs. So I would say that if your high school dealt with proofs and the such considerably, then go ahead and take it. Be forewarned though that even if you do decide to take the Calc I over again, that it is not an easy A. However, it will be easier to grasp at that pace since you have had exposure to it, thus making it more likely to get an A in Calc I first semester than in Calc 2. I also came in with AP credit in Calc but chose not to use it. As I said before, GT has somehow found a way to make a simple subject extraordinarily difficult, so that is your initial warning. As for the co-op program, you wont find a better one in the country. The obvious advantages are great work experience at reputable corporations, a break from stressful classes. A few of the disadvantages include perhaps having to relocate to another state, and it will take you longer to graduate. I personally have gone the internship route because that semester long break would make me lazy. You cannot go wrong with either route though.

By Everybody (Everybody) on Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 02:26 pm: Edit

im in a similar situation to puulaw except that im going to jhu and i dont yet know what engineering i want to do. i can get credit for calc, phys and chem. should i take the credit or do the classes over? im mostly thinking about mechanical, chemical and materials. any advice?

i also want to know what the job prospects are in these fields and if i should also satisfy premed requirements to keep more options open. thanks for your help in advance

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Tuesday, July 06, 2004 - 04:52 pm: Edit

If you want to be a physician, do not be an engineer. Simply put, med schools are far too GPA driven, and you'll end up with a worse GPA than your liberal arts friends. They will skate into med school; you'll struggle.

If you want to be a chemical engineer, re-take chem, as you'll learn it in greater depth at college and it will give you a more solid foundation (which is the most important part). Calc - you can probably place out of a semester or two without a problem if you feel confident in it. Physics - depends, someone else might be able to give better advice than I.

Job prospects for chemical are great; mechanical and materials, to my knowledge, are certainly quite solid as well. Materials, by the way, does combine elements of chemical and mechanical. You can always do either undergrad and then masters or phd in materials.

By Takiusproteus (Takiusproteus) on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 08:06 pm: Edit

Do engineers have the same opportunities and preparation to enter upper-management as liberal art people? Assuming they both have MBAs, of course.
Thanks!

By Steveruleworld (Steveruleworld) on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 08:18 pm: Edit

Interesting thread, i've been following for a little while. Anyways, I'm going into UC Berkeley next year and planning on majoring in Nuclear Engineering, and maybe doubling in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science(one major). After a bit of research i found out that a lot of the Nuke plant engineers are closing in on time to retire. Has anyone seen this happening? Also, Fusion has always been a major interest of mine, does anyone know of what opportunites there are for that.

By Calkidd (Calkidd) on Wednesday, July 07, 2004 - 09:58 pm: Edit

Steveruleworld - My understanding with fusion is that we aren't far enough along with the actual physics of how this technology will work that a nuclear engineer would deal with it as much as a physicist would. I don't know about the future of fission technology either (although nuclear engineering has had a role in medical imaging in the recent past). EECS would definately help you get a job (particularly Berkeley EECS), but I'm not sure how you'll combine that with NucE. NucE and ChemE have a double major though, that you might consider.

I will echo Ariesathena's general sentiments on doing a speciality major. I would even go so far as to say "don't do biological engineering, stick with chemE." When times are good, sure, any engineer can get a job, but hey, take a look at these stats from the Berkeley career center website:

Bioengineering:
http://career.berkeley.edu/Major2002/Bioengr.stm

Chemical Engineering:
http://career.berkeley.edu/Major2002/ChemEngr.stm

Note the vast differences in percentages between people attending grad school and people entering industry. It indicates that BioE, a "specialty" engineering major, is still considered by many employers to be a pre-graduate school major, whereas chemEs are a lot more employable. I think materials science is still semi-pre-graduate in the eyes of employers: you're best off, if you're sure you don't want to go to grad school, majoring in one of the "Big Three": ChemE, MechE or EECS. I would also highly, highly recommend doing a co-op program or at the very least a summer internship.

In addition to the small schools people have listed above, I can think of Lafayette college. Carleton isn't an engineering school but they are very strong in the sciences. Does anyone know if Swarthmore has engineering?

Everybody - While I normally don't recommend BioE, Johns Hopkins has one of the best BioE programs in the country. Most of their undergrads, however, are premed, and it is supposidly very cut-throat. I would recommend ChemE there - I don't know too much about the school but I know they are very highly regarded for biology, which means anything remotely related to that area - including chemical engineering and biological engineering - will be very good.

Takiusproteus - All other things being equal (MBA, etc), I would venture to guess that an engineer has a BETTER chance of entering upper management than a liberal arts major, because most companies are driven by some form of technology. The question is can you maintain a good enough GPA to get yourself into business school while majoring in engineering?

By Ownownage (Ownownage) on Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 01:09 am: Edit

Hey all.

Thanks for the updates on this thread.

I have a question, how does a double major in engineering (preferably mechE) and economics sound?

Is it manageable? I mean engineering doesn't pay alot and the "big dough" is mostly coming from business. Will this give alot of engineers an advantage in pay salaries?

Thanks.

By 3togo (3togo) on Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 08:51 am: Edit

interesting thread

Ownownage - Personally I am not a huge fan of double majors but Econ and Engineering might be a good fit depending on the school. Econ has a bit of a math bent so a lot of Engineers take them as electives and find the courses easier than a history course with tons of reading and writing (for example). That said, as an engineer looking back at college I wish I had taken less econ electives (I took 4 or 5) and had taken more cources far from the focus of my major ... college is a unique chance to learn about a ton of diffirent things.

I have a different take on engineers not making the "big bucks" and liberal arts being a better route. The way to make big bucks as an engineer (if that is your goal) is to eventually move from engineering into management ... and that is quite doable ... and engineering training provides great training on how to gather and analyze information.

That said a lot of people who pick engineering tend to be more interested in solving problems and building things than managing people and projects. So stories describing engineers making less money at 40 probably may be driven more by the interests of engineers and their personal choices than anything that is limiting about engineering.

Or said another way if someone decides at 28 they want to go to b-school because they want to position themselves for senior management or to start up their own company have 4-5 years experience as an engineer can provide an excellent experience base.

By Becks777 (Becks777) on Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 11:51 am: Edit

By management do u mean a MBA?

By Jaydilla (Jaydilla) on Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 01:06 pm: Edit

what if you want to work in the field of genetics later on, supposing that genetic engineering is on the horizion as an actual job, not just lab tests now. wouldnt a degree in bioengineering be a lot better? since its a mix of medical/biology and the engineering aspect?

By Calkidd (Calkidd) on Thursday, July 08, 2004 - 03:57 pm: Edit

Jaydilla - actually, for genetics I'd say major in CS and take some supplemental biology. The company that sequenced the human genome (Celera) made heavy use of computers and modelling in its work; genetics is moving more and more in this direction, so the quantitative and technical basis you'd get in CS would put you at an advantage (right now there are only a handful of places where there is a significant mathematical component to undergraduate biology). Yes, bioengineering might be a decent major for you, but you gain better computing background with CS - and if you decide you want to make some money after you graduate, the CS degree would be useful for that.

By Everybody (Everybody) on Friday, July 09, 2004 - 03:21 pm: Edit

thanks everyone

By Burningsands (Burningsands) on Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 12:40 pm: Edit

LOL

I see we had to create part III. HA! This must be the most popular major on college confidential, no doubt.

For those who have been here for the first two episodes, you know me already, if you're new, I'm Burning Sands, graduated with a Bachelor's in Architectural Engineering, worked as a project engineer for a couple of years, and plan on heading to law school this fall to pursue patent law.

Good to see all the major players are still here. You high school students are very lucky that you have folks here like Aries & CalKidd who can anwer all your questions before you get to college and jump in like we did. Take advantage and learn a lot.


Burning Sands

By Joshjmgs (Joshjmgs) on Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 01:00 pm: Edit

Welcome back Burningsands.

With the 15-20 hours per week in classes and about 10-15 hours of work per week, how much time do you guys generally have for extracurricular activities?

If there are any Electrical Engineering majors here, can you answer what you will do as an EE other than designing circuits?

I am going to take the tests to be A+ certified for fun, can this help me at all in engineering (outside the CS major)?

By Ramin86 (Ramin86) on Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 09:42 pm: Edit

I was thinking about doing computer engineering since I enjoy working with computers. I took some courses on computer programming in high school, and quite frankly I did not like programming at all, just wasn't my thing. My question is, should I avoid majoring in computer engineering because of my dislike for programming?

By Sammywu (Sammywu) on Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 10:23 pm: Edit

I just got a question, what is co-op program?

Thanks a lot

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 12:56 am: Edit

Basically. You take a semester off from school to go work in the real world. It is an internship that lasts an entire semester. Most true Co-Op programs have you alternate semesters at school and work 3 times. I did a semester internship so only worked 1 semester. The plus is that you get paid pretty well and dont have to go to school and get to see if you really want to be an engineer. Also, many companies will only hire people that Co-Oped with them. I know this is true for Anhueser Busch who I worked for. I am pretty sure most every large school has these programs. Mostly at Schools that offer your required classes every semester. What school are you going to.

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 01:02 am: Edit

Co-op is described well above. It's great because you can see if you like the company, or see what kind of company you would like to work for. Even if you don't want to work there, it looks great on your resume.

From what I understand, computer engineering is all about programming. My friends who do it say that they sit around and code all day, every day. I would suggest that you go in at least trying it (as you like computers) but realize that it probably is not the major for you.

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 01:13 am: Edit

and for Mechanical it is usually HVAC and Electrical PLC. You are there to do grunt work. Important grunt work but still it is something a professional engineer isnt going to bother with. I would usually gather data and do basic calculations like (How much static pressure is in a run of Duct) or (How much load is required for the refrigeration units in some area) then your Boss can use your hard work to make themselves look great
I did get some simple "Projects" of my own though.
In summary. It looks GREAT on a resume as stated above and Gives you something to talk about in interviews.

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 01:17 am: Edit

HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) aka boring

PLC (Programmable Logic Control)

By Sammywu (Sammywu) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 03:05 am: Edit

-Flyinillini82 & Ariesathena

Thanks a lot the your response. I am going to USC this fall and major in EE. I am pretty sure that they have co-op.

I still have some questions.
"Most true Co-Op programs have you alternate semesters at school and work 3 times."
Sorry, I don't get what you mean.

And for co-op, I will intern for a semester. So does that mean that it will take me 4.5 yrs to graduate?

And usually how much people get paid?

Thanks again!!!!!!!!!

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 03:11 am: Edit

I got paid $16.58 an hour and after taxes ended up with about $12,000. Which for me was enough to pay for the extra semester of school. So to answer your other questions. Yes it will take you extra time to graduate. The working 3 times means that you take your first work assignment say Fall05 then School Spring 06 + Summer then finish school.

By Jdm2004 (Jdm2004) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 09:44 am: Edit

When you got the internship what year were you in at college and is it possible to get an internship after your freshman year.

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 12:07 pm: Edit

I got an internship after my freshman year, but it was mainly because I knew someone who worked there. Mostly, after sophomore and junior year, you can certainly get one.

I got paid more each summer, as I had completed more classes. Started at $11, ended up at $15.50. I also interned during a semester for research credit, which was the greatest system ever. I took four other classes, worked about 10 hours/week, got paid for working, and wrote up a summary of what I did during work for a credit (elective research) and a grade. Sweetest system ever... no need to take a semester off if you can manage that. (My dad, by the way, says that he wants a refund. Something about paying my tuition that I used to get paid myself.)

I'm of the mind that you can get a great summer internship and not need to co-op; you'll be working full-time anyway, getting paid a lot, and essentially doing the same thing you would but without taking time off. The advantage to doing a co-op is that you have an easier time getting jobs; you aren't competiting with all of the other engineers who want to do summer work.

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 01:43 pm: Edit

I did do a summer internship before college and after Freshamn year for United States Gypsum. But I felt I didnt get the same feeling I got from doing it a whole semester, which was first semester Junior year. In the summer I only really had a couple things to work on. Working the whole semester meant I had many projects that I worked on throughtout the 7 months I was there.
I also got to live in St. Louis for a semester on my own and they paid half the rent. Its kinda like having a vacation from school.
Also when I traveled, they flew me first class and I stayed in Nice hotels. Old people gave me funny looks seeing a 20 year old in business clothes and sitting first class.
My recomendation is wait til your at least a second semester sophomore or Junior to work and do summer internships before. They base your pay and position off of how much school you had and previous work experience. You probably wont have much of your core engineering classes til your about a Junior and the best/most fulfilling positions require you to know something about your field.

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 01:49 pm: Edit

Oh, and If you do get a co-op/semester intern. Make sure they tell you what you will be doing before you accept. You dont want to be bored to tears for a whole semester like a friend of mine was.

By Jdm2004 (Jdm2004) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 05:40 pm: Edit

Is it difficult to get an internship in a different state than you live in. I am going to school in boston and am looking to get one in ct

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 06:19 pm: Edit

Most internships are regional. Though I know someone from Illinois that worked for Proctor and Gamble in CT. Getting an internship after Freshman year is hard and you almost have to know someone. My Dad got me mine. Start looking early though and its good that you are thinking about this already. What you do in the summer is just as important in getting a job as is what you do in class.

By Becks777 (Becks777) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 09:36 pm: Edit

flyillini do we have to compete for internship at U of I or anyone who is interested can do it?

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 11:28 pm: Edit

Compete? Basically just apply as many places as you can and youll probably get one. As a Freshman you might get more rejections than you would like simply.

You might also want to look into study abroads. A friend of mine spent all last semester in Sweden and another is in Japan right now. The college of engineering offers an International minor if you study abroad and take 21 credit hours in that area. You only have to go for the summer though and you get 9 of the hours there and they pay for your airfare. Its pretty simple to get.

There is a lot of opportunity to do research with professors. The catch is you kinda have to send out a whole bunch of random emails til someone says they could use help.

In summary. BUILD YOUR RESUME!

By Becks777 (Becks777) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 11:13 am: Edit

So if study abroad for 1 semester will that extend my graduation?

By Ramin86 (Ramin86) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 03:19 pm: Edit

Question, is there a great deal of programming involved with electrical engineering?

By Tigerstyle (Tigerstyle) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 03:32 pm: Edit

hey this thread is great. my question is the first post in this thread (to avoid the clutter):

http://www.collegeconfidential.com/discus/messages/5/78908.html

please leave any responses there. thank you.

By Subtrunks (Subtrunks) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 03:45 pm: Edit

Well guys I'am an LAC kid (one wihtout an engineering department). I plan to major in math, physics or chem. I've heard its possible to do so and than get an MS in engineering. If I could I would focus on nano, materials science, or mechanical. Do you guys think its possible? My freshman year in college is goign to start soon. What shiuld I start doing in terms of looking at grad shcolls and what not. Any advice?

By Trickdacy (Trickdacy) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 03:45 pm: Edit

I'm going to a liberal arts college (Kenyon). They offer a 3-2 program with Case Western, Washington U in St. Louis, and a few other schools. Basically, you complete a major at Kenyon in 3 years while taking a lot of science classes, and then you take 2 years of engineering at the cooperating school. You end up with two bachelor's degrees. You could also take 4 years at Kenyon and 2 years at the other school. Does anyone have any experience with this type of program? Do you think it might be too hard to cram all those engineering classes into 2 years? Any other comments?
Thanks. I'm just exploring my options.

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 04:28 pm: Edit

So if study abroad for 1 semester will that extend my graduation?

Not necessarily. I know a mechanical engineering and French major who studied in France for a year and graduated on time; but he did his engineering requirements in France.

It is virtually impossible to skip a semester in engineering and graduate on time; even worse, you often have to skip an entire year. The courses that you need are sequenced and offered once per year, so if you miss one in the sequence, you have to wait two semesters for it.

Question, is there a great deal of programming involved with electrical engineering?

I personally don't know - does anyone else here have a good idea? I think that it's a lot of circuits and stuff, but don't quote me on it.

I plan to major in math, physics or chem. I've heard its possible to do so and than get an MS in engineering. If I could I would focus on nano, materials science, or mechanical. Do you guys think its possible? My freshman year in college is goign to start soon. What shiuld I start doing in terms of looking at grad shcolls and what not. Any advice?

Yes, you can major in math, physics, or chem, then go on to engineering grad school. It would probably be easier if you did chem or physics for the ones you are thinking about, as they will be the most relevant.

Nano, materials science, and mechanical: um, it really depends on what you want to do. Seriously, don't get worked up about that now. They are all fairly related (I work in a materials science group doing nanotech with a chemical engineering degree), so don't sweat it.

I think that you apply for grad school during your senior year, but most people start thinking about what they want to do during their junior year. It is also quite easy to take time off, work, figure out exactly what you want to do in grad school, and get your masters - on your company's dime. In short - that's a few years off. While it's good to be focused, don't start planning for what you are going to be doing years from now. Don't even start thinking about grad schools - you haven't even started undergrad. You will change a lot, academically, intellectually, and emotionally, even over the next year. Even two years ago, I thought I wanted an engineering Ph.D., and now I'm heading to law school.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of program? Do you think it might be too hard to cram all those engineering classes into 2 years? Any other comments?
Thanks. I'm just exploring my options

No experience with that, but I think that cramming the engineering requirements into two years could get rough. That's at least three engineering courses per semester for four semseters straight - you could go crazy. Also, all of the math and physics that you learned back in your freshman year will be a distant memory - not good, as you'll need some of it.

By Burningsands (Burningsands) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 06:59 pm: Edit

Joshjmgs -

With the 15-20 hours per week in classes and about 10-15 hours of work per week, how much time do you guys generally have for extracurricular activities?

I had plenty of time. maybe too much time when I think about it. learn your limits. You're already gonna have lower grades as an engineer major than the rest of your peers, so make sure you don't overload yourself. When I was in college, I was an RA for a couple years, a very active leader in my fraternity, a student senator, peer mentoring programs, president of an engineering society or two, active in Tae Kwon Do club...the list goes on.

So one thing I found was that you will MAKE TIME for what you want to do. But the minute that stuff starts cutting into class or study time something has to get dropped (not your class!).


Co-op vs. Internship - ehhhhhhh, pros and cons to each side. Intership is better because it doesn't mess with your school track. Co-op is better b/c it gives you more loot. Basically if you don't care about graduating exactly on time go with the co-op and go see the world. If you are trying to keep it to as close to 4 years as possible then go with the internship over a summer.


Burning Sands

By Im_Blue (Im_Blue) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 07:23 pm: Edit

"If there are any Electrical Engineering majors here, can you answer what you will do as an EE other than designing circuits?"

Circuits is one area out of many in EE. Other areas include semiconductors (working in fabrication), electromagnetics (computational work), computer architecture (designing processors), and signal processing (like cell phones chips).

"I am going to take the tests to be A+ certified for fun, can this help me at all in engineering (outside the CS major)?"

No, and I doubt it will help for CS either. A+ certification is for working as a technician, like the guys at Best Buy or Circuit City who install upgrades for customers, so this won't be useful for someone with a CS or Engineering degree.

By Im_Blue (Im_Blue) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 07:47 pm: Edit

"I plan to major in math, physics or chem. I've heard its possible to do so and than get an MS in engineering. If I could I would focus on nano, materials science, or mechanical. Do you guys think its possible?"

It's possible and I highly recommend physics, which is the closest major to engineering.

"My freshman year in college is goign to start soon. What shiuld I start doing in terms of looking at grad shcolls and what not. Any advice?"

For your first year, try your best to get a high GPA. After that, look for some research experience, either from your professors or from REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) programs. REUs are summer programs funded by the National Science Foundation and are usually at a research university, which is helpful for LAC students. Also, get to know 3 professors who can write letters of recommendation for you. For grad school, the most important factors are roughly: GPA, research experience, and recs.

By Vertigo97 (Vertigo97) on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 11:34 am: Edit

Hey everyone,

I asked this question before, but here is a little more informative:

SUNY Buffalo (NY public school) offers a 5 year program combining a BS in engineering and a MBA. This sounds great on paper but I am curious about-

-the fact that it is a public school, would that hinder job opportunities? (Not that I dislike public schools or anything) Moreso in eng. or business?

-Is correct to think this can lead me (with work & dedication, obviously!) to a farily high salary? I hear engineering starts high but doesn't increase that much? Will the business part allow greater increases?

-The difficulty of the program- general concensus is that eng. is tough but manageable- would the business classes in the later years bring it over the top?

-Is an MBA without work experience frowned upon? Or will it not do much for me at first but after a few years in engineering allow me the benefits of the degree?

Here is the link if anyone is interested:
http://www.buffalo.edu/admissions/academics/combineddegree.php

Thanks to anyone in advance, sorry its so lengthy!

vertigo

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 12:47 pm: Edit

It does sound great, but the thing that you need to keep in mind is that a lot of Companies will pay for your MBA. That is, you take night classes while working to get your MBA and then the company will reemburse you for it. I think U of Chicago has a program like this. MBA's are starting to become almost a dime a dozen. My mom has one and teaches high school spanish.

You might want to see if they have a 5 year masters program for engineering. Illinois just started doing this and having the masters will prevent your salary from flat lining as quickly.

By Tigerstyle (Tigerstyle) on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 05:16 pm: Edit

My Biggest Fear in Engineering has to be seeing myself in five or six years (I'm barely an incoming freshman) sitting in an office or lab and just doing reports, projects, and more projects. Basically, I don't want to be a math/physics drone!

So, for all of you experienced engineers and students, I would like to ask: Does going into engineering hinder you chances of exploring markets besides engineering and management? I want to do something with my creative talents; let me explain.

I was always an artsy person. I was the guy that every class turned to when we had anything related to art. Whether it be drawing, digital, or even film-making. But I always had this as a hobby. As far as academics, my interests were always in math/science. I never took any art or film classes and never saw it from a professional perspective.

So when it came time for college, I was constantly being hit with stuff like "art is not a good major" and "you can never get anywhere with that stuff" and I did believe it. So now that I will go into a 'secure', 'well-paying' engineering field, I wonder if I've lost the ability to contribute something to this world that truly interests me. Most people around me say that making good money is what's most important.

Any thoughts from engineers? Thanks!

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 05:34 pm: Edit

Do Architecture. get a masters in Structural Engineering. You can use your creative element, and always fall back on the engineering side.

But no matter what there will still be an aspect of your job that is projects and reports. Its how things are these days.

By Tigerstyle (Tigerstyle) on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 05:46 pm: Edit

Thanks for your response, Fly! Well the thing is that my school doesn't have architecture. There are two options then: Go from engineering to architecture (is this possible?) or transfer to another school that has architecture. Thanks again for your input.

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 06:34 pm: Edit

since Architecture is considered by most a Fine and Applied art, its basically impossible to go from engineering to architecture. Structural engineering is a branch of both Architecture and Civil engineering though. Its strange how it works.

Have you heard of Industrial Design? They are basically what you described above. Artists that design things on paper that engineers later apply.
Kinda like those crazy concept cars at the auto show. I have no idea how much they make or how desirable a field it is. For our Formula SAE team at school we have a group of them and some of the stuff they come up with is pretty cool.

Only do Architecture if you are very passionate about it. People will literally spend an entire week in the studio with basically no sleep.

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 06:37 pm: Edit

http://www.art.uiuc.edu/a+d/program/design/id/id.html

By Takiusproteus (Takiusproteus) on Tuesday, July 13, 2004 - 08:59 pm: Edit

Does Computer Science have a difficulty comparable to the other (Insert Field) Engineerings?

I noticed that it's been repeated here numerous times that engineering is a very tough major, but then I saw that almost all engineering schools also offer CS - is it just as hard, with GPA's just as low?

And, does anyone know whether New York City is known to be a place full of design firms and other opportunities for engineers?
Thanks.

By Dadofsam (Dadofsam) on Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 02:55 pm: Edit

Tigerstyle: I second the motion about industrial or product design. There is a company in the San Francisco area (sorry-have forgotten the name) that specializes in unique product designs using teams made up of combinations of engineers and "artsy" types.

There is a professor of mechanical engineering at UPenn who has had his students design toys for handicapped children.

By Burningsands (Burningsands) on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 04:34 pm: Edit

TigerStyle -

They told you right....unfortunately. As you would suspect, art, architecture, industrial design, while they all might be fields that you may want to go into, they are not very rewarding as far as salaries are concerned. Architecture would be the highest of the three and even then most architects are starting at around 30k a year if they're lucky.

But if the money is not important to you then by all means go for it.

I got my degree in Architectural Engineering, which is engineering with a background in architecture. We deal with building systems, structures, lighting, construction management, etc. During my college career, many people who found the Arch. Engr. curriculum too hard went from Engineering to just straight Architecture. So yes it is very common for students to start out in engineering and then do architecure. It did not work in reverse though. We never had a case were an architecture student went from Arch. to Engr.

It sounds like however, from your post that you might be more happy in Urban Design, Architecture, or another some other Graphic Design type major. As everybody in here will tell you, you really have to have a desire for engineering in order to make it through all those classes.

If you want to know more about Architecture hit me up, I have plent of studio stories. lol


Burning Sands

By Mimi (Mimi) on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 09:09 pm: Edit

which type of engineering has to do with entertainment?

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 10:27 pm: Edit

By entertainment, I'm guessing you mean pyrotechnics and special effects. Which if you are interested in getting into I would go to a specialty school for that.
Have you ever seen the show Myth Busters? Both these guys are special effects wizards. Do some research on it, its pretty fascinating and very related to engineering, though doubtful that an engineering degree would lead into it.

If entertainment means acting, then engineering is no where close. We may act like we know what were talking about when we dont, but look pretty bad on film.

By Takiusproteus (Takiusproteus) on Monday, July 19, 2004 - 07:09 pm: Edit

Does anyone know anything about engineers who go into consulting?

Is it only technical consulting or what? And isn't there a lot of money to be found in this area for engineers? Thanks.

By Boomer01 (Boomer01) on Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 12:31 pm: Edit

Hey guys,
I am new here and interested in the field of engineering. My interests are in computer engineering and chemical engineering. If someone can say about these two particular fields, that would be great.

By Chx (Chx) on Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 02:45 pm: Edit

Guys... I have been following all the 3 threads and man is there some good advice to be taken here. I am posting here for the first time ,so let me introduce myself. I am an international transfer student who has been accepted for Engineering at a number of Universities, but mainly contemplating between Purdue and Northwestern. So I would be extremely grateful if someone, especially Ariesathena and Burningsands, could advice me as to where to ultimately go to.

By Matt034 (Matt034) on Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 08:13 pm: Edit

Hi, im going to be a freshman next year at Northeastern University (i can't get into the type of colleges you guys can get into), where I will be studying engineering.

Im not exactly sure what I want to engineer but I know I want to engineer something, mainly because it doesn't seem boring because there are so many possiblilities and it's challenging.

So far I'm thinking about doing dual major (Electrical and Computer) because I think I would like engineering circuits/processors but also want backround dealing with programming and computer architecture.

Im kinda torn though because I also like Physics and would also be interested in engineering things that deal with particles and atoms. What kind of engineering would this be?

I'm kinda confused on what I want to do, I know I want to engineer and I know it will be very hard. But I like a challange.

Also, I would definitely be interested in going to graduate school but maybe not right away. What are the chances that prestigious universites such as MIT etc would accept someone who went to a school like NU? Is it harder or easier to get into graduate school?

By Becks777 (Becks777) on Thursday, July 22, 2004 - 11:16 pm: Edit

CHX from a non-engineering point of view and assuming cost isnt a concern i would say go with NU. The campus and its is so much better

By Chx (Chx) on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 04:24 am: Edit

Thanks a lot Becks, but any idea as to the engineering programs at the 2 univs and supposing I want to do my M.S, will the universitites I apply to favour one over the other?

By Joshjmgs (Joshjmgs) on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 11:15 pm: Edit

Hello everyone,

I have narrowed down my college list to two; a large research university and a small liberal arts college that has a fantastic engineering program. After comparing both schools in practically every aspect, I am still in dispute to which school to apply early. Both are feeders to top graduate schools. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a liberal arts college and a research university when it comes to engineering?

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 01:13 am: Edit

Chx: I think you emailed me... haven't had time to give you a complete answer.

Ignore the subtle difference between engineering rankings, as they tend to be, um, ridiculous. If Purdue offers a rare engineering major that Northwestern doesn't offer, then go there. Otherewise, my advice is for Northwestern. Overall, it's a much better (and more prestigous) school. If/when you take non-engineering courses, you'll get a much broader and deeper education in those. As you are looking for an MBA, Northwestern might be good - they do have a business school and might favour their own undergrads. There is also the possibility of taking a few business courses as an undergrad to see what you think of them.

As for masters, I think that you would be fine coming out of either school.

Moving onwards to other posters...

Joshjmgs: That's a tough one. If you are really looking for grad school, either one might be fine. Make absolutely certain, however, that the liberal arts college has ABET accredited degrees (good if you want to take time off and work) as well as a fairly good variety of engineering courses. Incidentally, which LAC is this?

Advantages/Disadvantages of lib. arts. engineering:
*Smaller classes
*Really good opportunities to do research with professors
*Often more of a focus on writing, humanities, and social sciences, which is actually more important than you would imagine, esp. for work or a thesis
*Opportunities to take classes entirely unrelated to engineering with students who are not engineers - this is actually a pretty neat thing
*Usually, not the full range of engineering majors
*sometimes, majors not ABET accredited
*Sometimes not enough elective courses for you to do what you want

Engineering school advantages/disadvantages: (Note that I went to a liberal arts school with a School of Engineering, so this one is tough)
*May be more difficult to do research with professors
*larger courses
*entirely different atmosphere - often very heavily male, very white, and more competitive
*little focus on good writing skills
*more electives, more course choices, more majors to choose from

Sigh. Moving onwards again...
Matt: As a Bostonian, I can try to answer a bit about Northeastern. First off, you probably don't have to declare exactly which type of engineering you want to do until March of 2005. So you'll have time to try to figure it out.

Electrical and computer double-major might be redundant, or might be quite a strain. You could always try to take courses in computer engineeering for the background, but not make your life miserable by trying to double-major.

Use the work experience (co-ops) to explore different engineering fields. Northeastern is probably a great school for you, as it will allow you to do that.

Now, as mentioned above (but restated here if you don't feel like reading these threads all over again), you can get a masters or PhD in a different field than your undergrad. If you do undergrad in electrical engineering, you could do grad in nanotechnology. I would not recommend doing nanotech undergrad - in fact, I don't recommend doing any type of "designer" engineering degree undergrad. Grad schools and employers do not know what type of coursework and the rigor thereof you did to get the degree. Nanotech is an area you should look at; Northeastern has a new nanotech center, by the way. Good undergrads for that are EE (as I said before), physics, and chem-e. You could also think about double-majoring in physics or taking a physics minor, which might appeal to your scientific side - I'm kind of feeling that you aren't completely into traditional engineering.

As for grad school - that's a tough one for me to answer, as I simply do not know. I know someone who went to MIT for her PhD in polymers after graduating from UF. Best bet is to check the MIT website for grad admissions and try to find a listing of where their students went undergrad.

I hope that I answered most of the questions... if not, let me know and I'll take a stab at them again.

By Joshjmgs (Joshjmgs) on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 01:01 pm: Edit

At the liberal arts college, about 70% of the students are engineering majors and many of the other students declare their major in math - not so liberal artsy (is there an adjective that compares the noun to a liberal arts college? Well now it is ). The college is only ABET accredited for engineering, and according to the ABET website, ABET will review the college's accreditation by December; however, it is ranked number two for electrical and mechanical engineering, and ranked second overall for its undergraduate engineering. While the big ol' research university has just about everything, including a plethora of connections with large companies and an outstanding reputation.

_{Harvey Mudd v. Cornell}

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 01:25 pm: Edit

Ah... nice font there. I don't think that you could go wrong with either one. The LAC might be less competitive, more nurturing, and is much smaller - you'll probably get a lot more attention.

Personally, I would have gone for the LAC between the two; anyone else's opinions? Go to both and see which one has the best gut feel to it - you can't go wrong with either one, so go with the one that you feel most comfortable at. In addition to learning stuff, you also spend four years of your life there, which can be miserable or amazing, depending on the environment.

By Joshjmgs (Joshjmgs) on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 01:58 pm: Edit

I'm leaning more towards the Mudd too, but before I decide to which school to apply to early, I wanted to know if there would be any reprecussions when it comes down to oppurtunity or edjumahcashun.

By Sammywu (Sammywu) on Thursday, July 29, 2004 - 11:35 pm: Edit

bump

By Silmon77 (Silmon77) on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 12:57 am: Edit

How is Princeton engineering (electrical specifically )viewed in the industry? Obviously it won't shut doors, but will it open them?

By Mimi (Mimi) on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 01:18 pm: Edit

you know how everybody starts in pretty much the same classes and it doesn't matter which type of engineering they're majoring in? how are those classes like? is it just general math and science?? like physics, calculus, etc. then when you're a junior, you start doing more of your own interest towards that certain engineering you're going for?? so the first two years has no hands on??

By Nhfrenchie (Nhfrenchie) on Friday, July 30, 2004 - 01:55 pm: Edit

Actually, that can vary somewhat from school to school. EE's in some schools for example, can take Intro to Circuits in their Sophomore year. BME's may take a few intro courses related specifically to their majors in their first two years. This allows for some labs/hands on work to help determine if that's the ultimate direction that you want to go in....In some COOP centered schools, you can COOP after your Freshman year. Again, an opportunity to explore your Major in a "real life" situation.

By Sammywu (Sammywu) on Friday, August 06, 2004 - 02:03 am: Edit

wow, this thread is kinda dead now.

I have a couple of questions.

1. How much does a PhD in EE make a year?
2. How long does it take to get a PhD?
3. How much does a M.S. in EE make a year?
4. Does going to school with better ranking mean the higher the starting salary one will get? Like UCLA V.S. UC Davis.

5. As probably a stereotype, many ppl think that engineering students are so quiet that they always sit in the corners doing math problems.

I just wonder that how to become more "social" as an engineering student? I mean like a better communication skill, and ability to make friends with new ppl(not just with engineering students). I feel that most engineering students lack these qualities.

There is a humorous incident during my oientation in USC. During lunch time, ppl in the same school (ex. school of engineering, school of business....) are assigned to the same table.
While other tables are having lots of, I mean "lots of" conversations going on, the tables for engineering students are ~~~~~~quiet~~~~~~~, dead quiet. They are just shy and feel awkward to talk to new ppl. Yes, engineering majors consume lots more time to study, including personal time. I wonder that what is the best way to prevent myself becoming possibly a nerdy, geeky, strange engineering student. And what should I do to becomes a more sociable person?


Thanks a lot

By Boomer01 (Boomer01) on Friday, August 06, 2004 - 01:18 pm: Edit

Ok guys, I have a few questions of my own, How are these colleges in engineering? If anyone has opinions/info about these colleges it would be awesome.
Iowa State Univ
Louisiana State Univ
Bucknell

By Boomer01 (Boomer01) on Friday, August 06, 2004 - 11:33 pm: Edit

bump..

By Flash316 (Flash316) on Saturday, August 07, 2004 - 12:38 am: Edit

HOW WOULD IT BE TO DOUBLE MAJOR IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND ECONOMICS?

By Flash316 (Flash316) on Saturday, August 07, 2004 - 12:39 am: Edit

HOW WOULD IT BE TO DOUBLE MAJOR IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND ECONOMICS?


HOW WOULD IT BE TO DOUBLE MAJOR IN ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING AND ECONOMICS?

Please someone reply!

By Nabiilah (Nabiilah) on Saturday, August 07, 2004 - 05:08 am: Edit

Hi.

Im planning to major in EE at Carleton University in Canada this September 2004, although I may change the major to computer systems engineering.

First Question: Does Carleton has a good engineering program?

Second question: Are there many job prospects with EE? What is the average salary per year?

Third question: Is it OK for girls to major in EE? Are there any discriminations in this field?

Thx!

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Saturday, August 07, 2004 - 11:48 am: Edit

Ack, I'll try a bit here:

There's someone on this board who is double-majoring in EE and econ. I did chem-e and classics, which was tough. EE does not have as many requirements as chem-e, so it could be a bit easier. You will have to plan your time very, very well. Also allow for taking a summer course or two, as you might have schedule conflicts. Use AP credits if you can. Finally... why that combination? Why the second major? Realize that a minor in econ, if you are planning on being an engineer, might be just as worthwhile. Don't kill yourself for the second major if it's not working out - certainly plan for it, but don't get too attached to it.

I dont' know about Carleton's engineering programme; check to see if it is ABET accredited.

EE has a lot of job prospects - average salary per year is somewhere around $50k.

OF COURSE girls can do EE - it happens every day. There is discrimination in EVERY engineering field; if you don't want to deal with discrimination, don't do engineering or the sciences. I don't mean to be harsh, but it's true.

There are different areas which will have less discrimination, certain schools which will have less discrimination (and some which will have almost none), but the vast majority of your EE, math, and physics profs and TAs will be male. Your manager at your first job will probably be male. The engineering field is something like 10% female, and engineering students are, on the average, about 15% female. My alma mater is about 33% female, and the younger workers at my company follow the same pattern. My (male) boss hires a lot of women - in the time I've been there, almost equally men and women. Most companies are not like that. Unless you are going to be a pre-school teacher, you will face discrimination of some sort. The degree to which you are discriminated against, however, varies widely by field, area of the country, company, you name it.

By Ramin86 (Ramin86) on Saturday, August 07, 2004 - 05:15 pm: Edit

I wanted to know, is computer programming essential to electrical engineering? I personally dislike programming and find it very boring. I am entering rutgers engineering this fall as undecided engineering and I want to get as much info as possible about the different fields.

By Becks777 (Becks777) on Saturday, August 07, 2004 - 07:11 pm: Edit

Hi,
I am pretty interested in sammywu's 4th and 5th question."" 4. Does going to school with better ranking mean the higher the starting salary one will get? Like UCLA V.S. UC Davis.

5. As probably a stereotype, many ppl think that engineering students are so quiet that they always sit in the corners doing math problems.

I just wonder that how to become more "social" as an engineering student? I mean like a better communication skill, and ability to make friends with new ppl(not just with engineering students). I feel that most engineering students lack these qualities. ""

By Shadow_Wolf (Shadow_Wolf) on Sunday, August 08, 2004 - 12:55 am: Edit

Ramin86,
You should really check with your school to see what kind of courses are required. The school that I will be attending in the fall has an EE program that has an imbedded double major of Computer Science(ie programming). Basically that means that us EEs have to take courses in CompSci even though our major is just EE. Most schools have CompSci as a separate major, it all depends on the school, but I can guarantee you that you will do at least some programming in your life if you plan on becoming an EE.

By Ramin86 (Ramin86) on Sunday, August 08, 2004 - 01:57 am: Edit

Oh thats not good, I took some programming courses in high school, and I just found programming to be the most tedious and boring thing, so I guess it would be wise to avoid computer/electrical engineering?

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Sunday, August 08, 2004 - 05:35 pm: Edit

Ranking vs. salary:
Not really. There is very little difference between the salaries of engineers upon graduation - very, very little. Some fields will pay more than others (commercial vs. R&D), but still, there really is not much difference. Work experience during undergrad may help you to command a slightly higher salary, but I do not think that a better school gives you that much of an improved salary. The curriculums are pretty standard, so it's not like the MIT grad will have learned a bunch of stuff that the UMass Lowell grad will have missed.

I did not find engineering students to be antisocial; but that really depends most on the school. Certainly, engineering students will be more social at some schools compared with others. The biggest thing is that engineers have a lot more work than their liberal arts counterparts. Your freshman year, you will be up at 1 am, working furiously, with an early morning class, and hear your liberal arts hallmates laughing and partying, as they've been done with their work for hours and don't have class until mid-day. (Four years later, you will be laughing and partying when you get a high-paying job and they are in retail, searching for something significant. )

By Sammywu (Sammywu) on Wednesday, August 11, 2004 - 12:20 am: Edit

yeahhhhhhhhhhhh, the 100th post

By Arthurd (Arthurd) on Wednesday, August 11, 2004 - 12:25 am: Edit

Ramin86, as an EE at my school, I only have to take two programming courses: one in C and one in assembly. When you think about it, that's not really too much. I'm not crazy about programming either (don't mind it though) but if you really want to be an EE, it's quite a small price to pay.

By Seleucus26 (Seleucus26) on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 12:00 pm: Edit

Can engineering majors do study abroad without too many complications or an extra year of college? I am doing a co-op, but am going in with 27 credits.

Is Leeds in England a good uni for engineering? howa bout SIngapore National or the IT in Melbourne?

How difficult is it to take engineering/science/math courses in a second language? the math would be fine, i guess, but wat about the concepts?

wat world unis are good for engineering?

so many questions, thx in advance.

By Rtkysg (Rtkysg) on Thursday, August 12, 2004 - 01:38 pm: Edit

Asian some best engineering universities:
1. IIT (India)
2. Korean Adv. Inst. of Science Technology
3. National University of Singapore
4. Tsing hua University
5. Tokyo Inst. of Technology

By Seleucus26 (Seleucus26) on Saturday, August 14, 2004 - 10:44 pm: Edit

My school offers a program at National Uni of Singapore. However, I would like to visit Japan or India, (and learn/practice a second language).

If I were to give up going to a school where i would have to practice a second language, I would want that school to be very challenging/good. Is Singapore that good?

By Techiedork (Techiedork) on Saturday, August 21, 2004 - 11:31 pm: Edit

ok. i've been following this since part II...and one thing i have not heard anyone talk about is

Environmental Engineering

this is something that i'd be interested in, and as far as i know it sounds like it would be something that would be fairly advantageous to major in considering what our current state of development in the world is.

so would anyone be able to shed any light at on this major and what future careers might entail??

By Pcahill99 (Pcahill99) on Sunday, August 22, 2004 - 05:10 pm: Edit

I'd like to try to answer the following

1. How much does a PhD in EE make a year?
2. How long does it take to get a PhD?
3. How much does a M.S. in EE make a year?
4. Does going to school with better ranking mean the higher the starting salary one will get? Like UCLA V.S. UC Davis.

First, let's take 1 and 3 combined. I am starting a PhD program in the fall. The reason for me doing this is purely for the experience, knowledge, and because I want to be an expert in the field. I would really not recommend going for a PhD simply for more money - you probably won't make that much more than MS people applying for the same job. Getting an MS does make you more technically competent and will fetch higher salaries than just bachelor's degrees. Salaries differ according to where you're working - but I'll go with you can get anywhere from $70-$90k with a MS degree.

2. How long it takes depends on whether you are full or part time. Full time, done right, I think a PhD can be done in five years, maybe four, but that's pushing it. Also depends on whether you have a master's going in or not. For example my PhD program (GWU) requires 54 credit hours of coursework beyond bachelor's and at least 24 hours of dissertation research.

4. Where you went to school doesn't affect salary but having degrees from better schools gives you a better chance of getting the job (in general).

By Anovice (Anovice) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 07:44 am: Edit

Techiedork:

I too am somewhat interested in environmental engineering... actually civil & environmental engineering. I like the political aspect of the environment and the social aspects of engineering. I've done many research projects and taken various classes having to do with this, and it is one of the few things that is able to keep my interest.

Anyone else?

By Sirjulianv (Sirjulianv) on Monday, August 23, 2004 - 12:14 pm: Edit

HEY!!! Nice thread.
QUESTION: I am a Mechanical engineering major, last semester i added a double degree to my curriculum (math), anyone has any thoughts on this??? i want to go into CFD(computational fluid dynamics)
***Also, currently i am attending university of houston (not so good), i am in the honors college and doing degree in mech eng. and math. , i've been thinking of changing to texas a&m, does anybody think is worth it??i am a sophomore right now, and i could possibly lose some courses....
Thanks for your advice!!!

By Crazyandy (Crazyandy) on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 12:20 am: Edit

I'm double majoring in chemical engineering and business finance here at Virginia Tech, but to do both majors its going to take me over 6 years (not counting an MBA if i decide to go for that) of out of state tuition. Does anyone know of any schools where business and engineering are integrated? For example I know at Northwestern University one has to take business courses in engineering and you are guarenteed a double major in 5 yrs. thx

ps would you recommend that i just stay here at Tech? comments and criticisms welcome!

By Donomom (Donomom) on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 07:45 am: Edit

Oveall, do you like Virginia Tech? If somone is really dissatisfied with a school, transferring is a good idea, but many times, transferring means a little more time to complete a degree program. I'm not sure, but I think that VT, even with out of state tuition, is less expensive than Northwestern. You might be eligible for some useful scholarships at VT after you finish your freshman year.

By Crazyandy (Crazyandy) on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 09:55 am: Edit

Truth is finaid assistance for most private schools makes tuition about the same (and from applying to schools like Case Western Reserve last year education was actually a little cheaper .. I hated CWRU). Chances are I will never go to Northwestern but I just used them as an example ..

As for my undergrad experience ... we won't go there. I'm having fun but I miss home too much its that simple. every school i applied to i had family or a few friends near by but being a big bad senior I didn't need them. And as time progresses here where I have no family, I'm very uncomfortable

By Crazyandy (Crazyandy) on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 02:18 pm: Edit

Second question: I'm majoring in chemical engineering. Have to say I love chemistry and mathematics with a capital L. I'm beginning to feel maybe i'm in chemical engineering for love of money however(I gotta take 2 years of physics and i'm not going to pass guarenteed). So does anyone know of anyone who started off as a chemical engineer who maybe branched off to chemistry or analytical chemistry? Do people who do chem majors make a decent living financial-wise? (I'll post this on anotehr board but since i see there are chem engineers here i thought I would post)

By Crazyandy (Crazyandy) on Friday, September 17, 2004 - 08:37 pm: Edit

nvm the second question post

By Donomom (Donomom) on Sunday, September 19, 2004 - 09:04 am: Edit

Last summer, my daughter did an mech. eng. internship with GE. Her supervisor had a chem. degree, from Hiram, and a masters degreee in materials science, from CWRU. He seems to be having a pretty decent career.

By Crazyandy (Crazyandy) on Friday, September 24, 2004 - 02:32 pm: Edit

Anyone know what cellular, tissue, and molecular engineering entail?

By Donomom (Donomom) on Friday, September 24, 2004 - 03:06 pm: Edit

Probably lots of grad school.

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Friday, September 24, 2004 - 03:23 pm: Edit

Ditto to Donomom - don't forget a highly specialized degree, which can be great during a good economy and hell during a bad one.

By Donomom (Donomom) on Friday, September 24, 2004 - 03:35 pm: Edit

My daughter, a mechanical engineering student, was told by several different advisors to stick with the more general degree. . . either mech, elec. & computer eng, civil, and chemical eng.

By Crazyandy (Crazyandy) on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 01:37 am: Edit

No need to worry. You can't major in cellular, tissue, or molecular engineering in undergrad!!! I just wanna know what they are because the university here told me that if im interested in those 3 fields whatever they are, take the chemical engineering route. If I'm not either take biomedical, electrical, or combined (which my school doesn't offer). Just exploring!!

By Calkidd (Calkidd) on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 10:42 am: Edit

When most people talk about cellular or tissue engineering, they're referring to the use of biochemical and other means of controlling the behavior of cells and of tissues.

For this kind of work, especially if you wanted to get into the more quantitative aspects (materials design, delivery of drugs and other molecules), a chemE background would be preferable. This is because of the experience chemEs get with mass transport and polymers. However, it's also important to have SOME biological background (most chemEs have to take biochemistry anyway; a cell bio class, either in undergrad or grad school, would be helpful too).

If you're interested in the field, just do a google search and you should find plenty of info.

And as a former bioengineering undergrad, I can vouch for the comments above regarding the difficulty people with a BS in a non-traditional engineering field have in getting a job. If you are really interested and don't want to get a PhD, you could do a masters after completing your BS in another engineering field.

By Crazyandy (Crazyandy) on Saturday, September 25, 2004 - 04:48 pm: Edit

thanks for the info, and I will use Google to find info. My plans after undergrad are very much up in the air. I'd like to get my MBA or go to Med school. And if i do BME, Id prolly double with electrical and do a premed concentration to have my bases covered. I simply wouldn't just get a BME degree (as you said its hard to get a job).

Thanks again

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 01:50 am: Edit

AACCCKK!! Do not do engineering if you want med school. Please, please, do not. Med school admissions are almost entirely GPA based, with little, if any, adjustment made for difficulty and grade deflation. If you do engineering, you will not do nearly as well as your peers in the core pre-med classes (bio, organic chem), and you'll work a lot harder for worse grades. Engineering employers know this; medical and law schools don't know it and don't care even if they do.

If you are seriously thinking of med school, I would caution against majoring even in bio - it will be very tough to get the same grades as your English major counterparts. They will have more free time, more time to devote to the classes that med schools look at, and end up with higher GPAs and most likely, an easier time getting into med school.

Trust me on this - med school and law school admissions are remarkably similar in regards to GPA. I went through hell last year; it occurred to me many times that I would have gotten into as good or better schools had I taken an easier major and had more fun in college.

End of rant.

By Crazyandy (Crazyandy) on Sunday, September 26, 2004 - 10:44 pm: Edit

I highly doubt my GPA will be any higher doing bio or the like but thanks for the opinion. at this point, I'd much rather go to business school. And yeah, I was close to a 4.0 in college and MAN college is a heck of a lot harder than i imagined. My GPA will be a 3.0 HOPEFULLY. And if I do medicine, chances are I wouldn't even apply to top-ranked schools like Duke or the like. By the way, did you have trouble getting into state med schools?

By Ariesathena (Ariesathena) on Monday, September 27, 2004 - 11:59 pm: Edit

I did the law school route (same GPA focus), as did BurningSands; we both went through absolute hell.

I know a few engineers here, and things didn't go well for them, either. 3.0 in undergrad, 98th percentile LSAT, master's degree, and was taken off the waitlist in May. The GPA is important. If you ever want to even THINK about med school, make sure that it's at least a 3.5.

By Takiusproteus (Takiusproteus) on Friday, October 01, 2004 - 06:31 pm: Edit

I'm a Senior in HS right now, applying to an engineering school.

I've taken AP Chemistry, scored a 4 - most schools will take it as long as I can do fairly well at the next-higher course (which is O-Chem)

I'm taking AP BC Calc, AP Compsci, and AP Physics C.

Assuming I do well enough in each of those, will I be able to have an easier time in engineering school? I could almost skip pretty much all the required 1st year introductory math/sci. Would this lead to having 3rd/4th year courses begin earlier and more spread out, with more time to focus on them?

Thanks 8)

By Donomom (Donomom) on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 07:59 pm: Edit

Your coursework will certainly help you be better prepared. But, what college you attend will determine whether or not you can skip any first year courses.

What engineering schools are you applying to?

By Takiusproteus (Takiusproteus) on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 08:39 pm: Edit

I'm applying to Columbia ED, Cornell, CMU, RPI
From what I found on Columbia's site, they take AP credit, usually only after passing the next-higher class or with approval

By Rohit_Sn (Rohit_Sn) on Wednesday, October 06, 2004 - 02:26 am: Edit

how's mechanical with an masters? pay and stuff like that? would an mba be useful with it later?

By Nyugrad (Nyugrad) on Wednesday, October 06, 2004 - 07:15 pm: Edit

Crazyandy,
What makes you think that state meds schools are easier? State schools are just as difficult, and sometimes more difficult to get into. It is not like college.

By Taffy (Taffy) on Wednesday, October 06, 2004 - 11:20 pm: Edit

whats the link to the original thread? i want to read all the arguements but i cant find them..

By Joshjmgs (Joshjmgs) on Thursday, October 07, 2004 - 12:48 pm: Edit

Look in the archives.

Is Engineering Physics, physics or a sub-field of engineering?
And what's the difference between physics and applied physics?

By Flyinillini82 (Flyinillini82) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 12:13 pm: Edit

http://dilbert.cen.uiuc.edu/soc/tbp/eguide/engphys.html

By Taffy (Taffy) on Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 03:52 am: Edit

yeah i looked in the archives and found both of the other engineering the truth threads, but what i was really looking for was that long post the guy made where he said that the foreign engineers dont shower... that post