Female engineering student?

VikFloyd

I like math and science. I am good at math. I really would like to study engineering. My only problem is if I face sexism. I must admit I am very sensitive. I fear coming across mean male classmates who will always say sexist comments about me. If you were/was an engineering student, did you see any of your female classmates getting attacked by sexist comments?

Floid

Nope

Pengwuino

Why do you think any of this would be exclusive to engineering?

VikFloyd

I'm just trying to encourage myself to study engineering but I sometimes feel discouraged.

Pengwuino

Why are you discouraged? I mean, if it's because you think people will treat you weird because you're a female engineer, then you should get over that. People may say you're weird for being an engineer, but college is not about gaining acceptance from anyone. It's about doing your classes, passing them, and getting your degree.

johnbbahm

We need more engineers! The sex of the engineer is not even part of the equation. If you have the math skills, you will earn the respect of your classmates. Creating elegant solutions to complex problems, is one of the greatest aspirations of humanity.

turbo

When I started in engineering at Orono, there were 305 students. 5 were females.

Please look at your vocation and your job prospects and don't spend too much time on gender. You can do well - just learn the course-work and learn how to apply that material.

xxChrisxx

With an attitude you'll get nowhere im afraid. If you are that scared of what someone is going to say to you in a classroom you'll get bullied to hell by clients. I think i'm pretty strong willed, don't really care what people think or say and I get beaten into a corner by them.

I did motorsports, so yes we were sexist towards the two girls on the course, more becuase we all ribbed each other and they were treated no different. They gave as good as they got.

Anyway what are you doing on a science forum? Shouldn't you be here?

VikFloyd

Hahahahaha! I'm just a little paranoid. Let's just say high school years were hell for me and some of that is still with me. I am contemplating nursing as well which is another problem. I don't know which one to choose.

turbo

Nursing can be wearing on you, unless you are really thick-skinned. You'll see a lot of pain and suffering that many of us are insulated from. I have a few friends who are nurses. Only one is still married to her HS boyfriend, and she is an ER nurse who sees a lot of the most critical cases roll through those doors.

VikFloyd

I am unsure which on to do. I like the idea of nursing and engineering. I am also looking at which one will get me a job the fastest and easiest. I heard engineering is a lot of work. My mother's a nurse so that is kind of encouraging me to go for nursing. I just need to know the pros and cons of each.

brewnog

I think it's your attitude that's the problem, not that of your prospective classmates. Just prove yourself as a good engineer like everyone else has to. Engineering is naturally an environment where there's a lot of pisstaking (regardless of your demographic), respect has to be earned.

Ranger Mike

when i was in college..after failing calculus the second time ...i was told ."Mike ..the world need ditch digger too"
personally i have never been harassed about my sex....

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jhae2.718

I haven't heard any sexist comments directed towards female engineering students in any of my classes. Don't worry about it.

VikFloyd

Thanks people! My next question is which is better engineering or nursing?

Ranger Mike

i gotta tell you the dollars are in nursing..way big dollars..right now..after obama care hits...big government may start to regulate your wages...ask you mom about the take home pay and what she is being told about her job future..

Angry Citizen

I'm a male engineering student, and I'd be incredibly happy to befriend a female engineering student. I think women are highly underrepresented in the profession, and girls + brains = awesome. I think you'll find a lot of the nerdier engineers would be just as happy to see you there. The times are changing. Don't be afraid of other people's opinions.

As for 'better', I think engineering is better than nursing, but I'm an engineering student. If you're good at math and science, and enjoy the thought of designing complex machinery, then I wouldn't "waste" my time in nursing. Anyone can be a nurse, judging from the quality of nursing students I've seen. Not anyone can be an engineer.

Also, the guy above me is paranoid and clearly a right-winger with a tremendous bias and a chip on his shoulder... Engineers typically start out with salaries on the order of USD50k/60k, and double that after about a decade.