Choosing Between Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

AI Thread Summary
Choosing between Electrical and Mechanical Engineering can be challenging, especially when seeking a hands-on career that emphasizes tangible accomplishments. Both fields offer exciting opportunities for creating, testing, and advancing technology. The discussion highlights the importance of understanding the curriculum differences, as one school requires immediate focus on major-specific courses rather than general engineering classes. Key considerations include the nature of coursework in both disciplines, particularly regarding hands-on experience versus theoretical work. Participants emphasize the value of practical applications in engineering roles, expressing a desire to engage in projects that involve physical work, such as using tools and equipment rather than being confined to computer screens. Insights from experienced engineers reveal what they enjoyed about their education, the types of careers they pursued, and the aspects of their jobs that they find most fulfilling. This information can help guide the decision-making process for those uncertain about which engineering path to take.
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Electrical? Mechanical?

I've chosen engineering because I want to have tangible evidence of my accomplishments. I would love a hands-on career in which I am creating, testing, analyzing; a career in which I am advancing a technology, making more efficient, economical, and/or powerful.

But that's all of engineering. Whether it be developing a motor, building a bridge, working with green fuel sources, or working on the processor for the worlds best supercomputer, it all sounds so exciting, so fun, and so fulfilling.

I'm sure some of you have been my position: unable to decide on which type of engineering you'd like to do for the rest of your life. I've heard of degree plans that involve at least a couple of semesters of general engineering courses, after which you choose your focus. Unfortunately, my school doesn't work like this. From day 1 of semester 1, you are taking major-focused courses. The freshman year of the EE degree plan has you taking a total of 4 EE courses alongside the Calcs, Physics and core courses.

So, you see why I'm in a pinch.

Right now, I'm trying to choose between Electrical or Mechanical. I'm not thinking at all in terms of difficulty. I'm comfortable with math and physics, so neither of the majors scare me in that regard. I'm not afraid of having to work my butt off, either. I've always been a hard-worker, and consider that to be one of my greatest characteristics.

Am I long winded or what?

I guess the point of this post is that I'm looking for some guidance. What are the classes like for both degrees? And are they fun? I guess I imagine having a chance to actually work with my hands instead of pencil-pushing all of the time. How much hands-on experience is there for both of these degrees? Will either one of the degrees have me staring at a computer screen 10 hours a day 5 days a week? Or are there some great careers where I really get to get in there with my wrench or my soldering iron and go to town on a project?

Thanks in advance for any input.
 
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And if I can add something:

Can some you engineers tell me what you enjoyed most about school, what careers you went on to, and what you love most about your job?
 
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After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...

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