Senior mechanical engineering student With a 3.5 GPA but I really hate it

[zoldic]

Hello guys,
Long story short i am a senior mechanical engineering student (graduating next year). But i do not like my major, at first i did not matter to me what i choose or what i study. i did not know what i like and mechanical engineering seemed a good option to me in terms of good job opportunities, etc..

Now i found that i really do not like what i am doing,i could not attend my lectures this semester but i managed to pass the midterms and the finals.
the next year will be my last year and i should a BSc in mechanical engineering from my university in Egypt and another BSc from london south bank university in the UK (as my university has a partnership with this university).

Although my GPA is quite good 3.5 right now but i hate what i am doing. i can not see any motivations for all these efforts, For example the average salary for mechanical engineers in my country is only 5000$ / year.

I like technologies and apps. i watch every single review of PCs and smart phones. I wish i could work for a company like Facebook, google or similar companies in the tech niche. I like the idea of e-commerce ,selling things, stock market. i love the idea when a company make a software and sell it.

What should i do ?
-should i continue in what i am doing as many people does not like what they are doing any way ?
- should i learn programming ? and is programming useful for mechanical engineers ( i mean language like C++, php, paython, html)? should i continue in what i am doing as many people does not like what they are doing any way ?
-is there a way to combine what i love with what i studied ?
- I know my character and i know that i am the type of person who would love to work as a freelancer or like how programmers work in office or from home but unfortunately it is to late for me. can anyone help because i am really lost and depressed.

 

[phinds]

Doing something you love may be a serious problem in the short term, but doing something you hate will ruin your entire life.

Also, it's NEVER "too late" if you have the interest and the dedication.

 

[scottdave]

I'd say that it is always good to learn some programming language, such as Python. A programming skill can be applied to many fields. I would not recommend settling for something that you don't like (for the long term).

 

[CalcNerd]

As a mechanical engineer, you might consider looking at PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) and ladder logic type programming. This is basic controls for machinery and automation used by many Mech engineers.

 

[pi-r8]

You haven't actually worked as an engineer right? Just classes? I think you should try working for a while to see how you feel about the actual work, since it can be very different from classes. It'll also let you save up some money which will help if you want to make a change later.

It also seems like you don't have a real plan for an alternative. "technology and apps", "stock market", "programming", "freelancer" are way too vague. Sure, try learning programming and see if you like it, or anything else that catches your interest, but it'll take a while before you know enough to actually make money from it, and the reality of working life might not be as fun as you imagine.

 

[Dr.D]

Working as an ME is quite different from one job to the next, and certainly different from being a student. I suggest that you finish what you have started and give it a try. You may be happily surprised.

 

[vidgolob]

First of all mechanical engineering is A LOT different outside the classroom so maybe you should give it a try - it seems like you might do OK (since you did good in school). Second, as allready mentioned start learning about automation software, PLCs etc. This field is expanding rapidly due to automation and robotics technology advances so if you become good at this than you could get a job outside your country. Good automation engineers are and for some time will be a hot commodity.

 

[bob012345]

I just want to reiterate that doing engineering is completely different than taking university classes. You might love it. Also, the basic degree opens up opportunities in many related fields. My degrees were in physics and electrical engineering but my career was in the semiconductor industry.

Since you are almost finished, the wise thing to do is to stick it out a couple more semesters and get your degree, then you can do a lot of different things including getting a graduate degree in programming if you like.

 

[jrmichler]

I have an uncle that was in his senior year of electrical engineering, then realized that EE was not what he wanted to do. So he changed to civil engineering, which added 1.5 years of school. He has been retired for over 20 years now, and says that he has never regretted making the change.

Idea 1: There is an overlap between mechanical and electrical engineering in the area of controls. Much of today's engineering work involves programming PLC's and distributed control systems. The actual work requires close collaboration between mechanical and electrical engineers, which means that individual engineers have the opportunity to work outside their field.

Idea 2: Have you considered getting a day job for the paycheck, then working on apps on your own time? A friend started a consulting business, then quit his day job when the income from his day would barely pay the taxes from his consulting job.