Engineering Am I cut out to be an electrical engineer?

[mike12_3]

I'm really good at math, but I'm horrible at hands-on stuff. I can't build things; for example, I couldn't even assemble my bed without help. I had no idea how to do it even with a manual. My dream is to go into EE but I don't know If I can do it. I know I can do CS, but I'd rather do EE.

Am I cut out to be an electrical engineer? And please be honest.

 

[astroperson99]

From my experience, I found that a lot of hands-on experience is done outside of academics. I was like you in that I didn't even know what a bolt and nut was when I started bachelors for mechanical engineering.

You being good at math and programming will help you plenty with EE. In the end, most of the time you will be programming anyways depending on what jobs you end up with. Try it out, and on the side do some extra-curricular activities that gives you a chance to advance your hands-on skills, like joining a robotics club or starting a small hobby to work with electronics.

 

[DrummingAtom]

I'm really good at math, but I'm horrible at hands-on stuff. I can't build things; for example, I couldn't even assemble my bed without help. I had no idea how to do it even with a manual. My dream is to go into EE but I don't know If I can do it. I know I can do CS, but I'd rather do EE.

Am I cut out to be an electrical engineer? And please be honest.

"Hands-on" stuff is a learned skill. If you've never done it before then it's clearly going to be new to you. Practice it like anything else.

Here's what I did. I bought a basic electronics book, which you can decide which one on your own, then bought some old electronics at a thrift store. Afters a couple months of playing around I started making my own little circuits and made a notebook of my observations. I felt like an experimental physicist, lots of fun. Who cares if you've always been bad at something, turn your weakness into a strength. Good luck.

 

[mike12_3]

"Hands-on" stuff is a learned skill. If you've never done it before then it's clearly going to be new to you. Practice it like anything else.

Here's what I did. I bought a basic electronics book, which you can decide which one on your own, then bought some old electronics at a thrift store. Afters a couple months of playing around I started making my own little circuits and made a notebook of my observations. I felt like an experimental physicist, lots of fun. Who cares if you've always been bad at something, turn your weakness into a strength. Good luck.

I understand that it's a learned skill, but I'm much, much worse than the average person.

Do you guys recommend I take a circuits class next semester? Will that tell me if I can do EE?

 

[DrummingAtom]

I understand that it's a learned skill, but I'm much, much worse than the average person.

Oh, well if that's the case, disregard my last comment. Looks like there's no hope for you. Sorry.

 

[astroperson99]

I understand that it's a learned skill, but I'm much, much worse than the average person.

Unless you think that you can understand integrals when you're 8 years old, I doubt that is the right way of looking at things. What is the definition of learning?

The rate you learn also increases as you learn. Keep that in mind.

Do you guys recommend I take a circuits class next semester? Will that tell me if I can do EE?

Take it. But it won't tell you if you can do EE. You can be crappy at circuits but a genius at signal processing, which requires a lot of advance math and good programming. EE is very broad (like ME).

 

[mike12_3]

Unless you think that you can understand integrals when you're 8 years old, I doubt that is the right way of looking at things. What is the definition of learning?

The rate you learn also increases as you learn. Keep that in mind.



Take it. But it won't tell you if you can do EE. You can be crappy at circuits but a genius at signal processing, which requires a lot of advance math and good programming. EE is very broad (like ME).

Thanks!

How many different fields of EE are there?

 

[astroperson99]

You're very welcome. I'm not the best to advise on that subject. It's best you submit that question to academic guidance.

 

[maverick280857]

My dream is to go into EE but I don't know If I can do it. I know I can do CS, but I'd rather do EE.

If your school allows you to switch after taking some classes, pick one and make sure you do well enough to switch if you have to. If you would rather do EE, do it...its fun!

Also, I think most people who think they have the skills needed for a particular major and have none for the other majors, before actually going to college are armed with a conviction and enthusiasm which let's them acquire those skills even if they don't actually have them on day one.

PS -- I think many theoretical computer scientists would scoff at the idea of actually assembling a bed, short of computing the complexity. Haha, just kidding of course ;-)

 

[fss]

Thanks!

How many different fields of EE are there?

Depends on who you ask. A lot.

 

[maverick280857]

Depends on who you ask. A lot.

For starters, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrical_engineering#Sub-disciplines