Other Becoming an Engineer: Considerations and Personal Experiences

[Equilibrium]

If you don't like working in teams, don't become an engineer.

Once you've graduated (and if your school is any good, latest in your Senior year) you will have nothing but large group assignments.

My senior capstone class was one project assigned to the entire class (24 people) which lasted the entire semester. This is most likely what your work experience will be like.

ohhh my.. Need to improve working with people... BUt How? Hmm its because last semester my partner is only the one leeching me at chem lab... and i need to be more and more accurate in doing experiments...

hey, can you define what is "Safety, Fast and accurate" in lab works?

 

[whitay]

I think it depends on the discipline. In nuclear engineering we had an attrition rate of about 90+%. Our department might start with 100+ engineering students, but we were sometimes lucky to end with 10 students in the program. It was usually the reactor physics class in the third year which knock out those who were holding on. Reactor physics is heavy on 2D and 3D integral calculus and partial differential equations (e.g. transport equations), which is in addition to the fluid mechanics, heat transfer and electrical engineering courses that one has to take.

Did you ace that exam?

 

[Astronuc]

Did you ace that exam?

I aced most exams in nuclear engineering and the other disciplines. The comments cited were actually about the curriculum.

I went onto graduate school, completed an MS and started a PhD, but left to join industry. During graduate school I had research and teaching assistantships, and taught undergraduate and graduate classes, including introduction to engineering (nuclear), reactor physics, numerical methods, power plant design and fusion engineering.


Anyway, I was just chatting with a colleague, who is a manager at NASA, and she indicated they are struggling to find really good engineers. In fact nuclear and aerospace engineers are in demand due to the shortage.

So study hard and if possible, get at least a Masters degree.

 

[JSBeckton]

I work an internship in the power industry and find that most of the engineers that are continuing their education are working on their MBA rather than an engineering master, is that common in other industries?

I've read that many fortune 500 CEO's have undergrad degrees in engineering and an MBA. Seems like a good combination.

 

[whitay]

I aced most exams in nuclear engineering and the other disciplines. The comments cited were actually about the curriculum.

I went onto graduate school, completed an MS and started a PhD, but left to join industry. During graduate school I had research and teaching assistantships, and taught undergraduate and graduate classes, including introduction to engineering (nuclear), reactor physics, numerical methods, power plant design and fusion engineering.Anyway, I was just chatting with a colleague, who is a manager at NASA, and she indicated they are struggling to find really good engineers. In fact nuclear and aerospace engineers are in demand due to the shortage.

So study hard and if possible, get at least a Masters degree.

Well I just got my marks back from my nuclear physics assessment/assignment.

I got and A for my Knowledge section, an A for my cloud chamber experiment(which didn't work) and a B for my Complex Reasoning Exam. Which has inspired my recent thoughts of changing my application to Engineering(electrical)/BSc (physics) with a lot of my electives focusing on nuclear physics. I would probably take the opinion of nuclear engineering if such a discipline was available in my state.

I've kind of grown an addiction for nuclear physics, as I've borrowed various books, from the library, relating to particle, quantum and nuclear physics. Currently reading The Particle Connection by Christine Sutton, about the discovery of the Z particle.

However my concern about the choice of engineering/bsc is the maths involved. However everyone I talk to tell's me the maths is boring and hard. Though my fall back is Business/maths. So I guess eitherway I'm going to be doing some high level maths.

 

[David Laz]

If anyone could give my thread https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=143762 a read and offer any advice I would be most grateful. I now realize I should have posted all that stuff here.

 

[Pyrrhus]

-Should I become an engineer?

Well, i am a senior in Civil Engineering, so it's pretty late to change direction . Just kidding, the answer was obviously yes, and it was because i love Math, Physics, and Chemistry!, i just don't love them enough to become a scientist

-What engineering discipline should I study?

I picked Civil Engineering, because i like HUGE projects, be it a Dam, an Airport, a Highway, a Building, etc... These days i am finding my specialization direction, so far is between Structural (I like the underlying concepts in analysis and design, it's just doing tons of design gets me bored sometimes), Transport (I love the idea of working with Highways, but i'll also prefer to focus on some structural and geotechnical applied to Highways too!) and maybe some Geotechnical (Waiting for the Foundation Design course to see if i'd actually like this!, so far loved Soil Mechanics!).

-Is engineering difficult? [/QUOTE]

Sure, it can be difficult not necessarily because of abstract concepts like in the physics or mathematics, but sometimes it requires physical effort to recalculate huge tables, to check and check for errors, to draw, etc... In order words, it requires time and tons of it to do tedious work. If you got creativity, you can cut the tedious work by a huge percent!, which is a challenge i do almost every week!.

 

[Llama77]

Im a second year computer/electrical engineering student. I have always not been the best at math and sciences but really like them. The stuff really does fascinate me especially the computer stuff. Sometimes i do find math and science Boring and other times I love it and can't get enough of it. I am not really sure If I will make it and don't really know if I'm engineering material, but i sure as hell will try my best,

 

[kdinser]

ohhh my.. Need to improve working with people... BUt How? Hmm its because last semester my partner is only the one leeching me at chem lab... and i need to be more and more accurate in doing experiments...

As I get ready to enter my final year as an EE major, I can tell you that it gets better as time goes on. Your useless partner may make it through his first couple years by coasting on the work of others, but eventually it will catch up with him. By the time you get into your junior and senior year, most of the trash has been weeded out of the program and you are left with the people that are willing to put in the time to get the work done.

 

[Ascetic Anchorite]

Anyway, I was just chatting with a colleague, who is a manager at NASA, and she indicated they are struggling to find really good engineers. In fact nuclear and aerospace engineers are in demand due to the shortage.

No wonder they are in short supply:

Three killed in NASA van plunge [Dec 8] http://edition.cnn.com/ ‘A commuter van from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory tumbled 200 feet off a twisting mountain. The van was carrying six employees of the lab in Pasadena, two contractors and two NASA employees. The cause of the accident was not immediately known. Clouds and fog shrouded the site, at an altitude of about 1,500 feet. Snow dotted flanks of the mountain, but the road itself was clear.’ [and from another source] The Angeles Crest Highway is a two-lane road, with many sharp curves and very steep drop-offs (although there are guardrails). There is an obervatory, Mt. Wilson, up at the top. [and from another source] There have been quit a few scientist killed over the last 10 years. In fact the odds of so many of them being killed by accident within such a small time frame is extremely remote. [and from another source] French cable car crash kills 20 [Jul 1, 1999] http://www.cnn.com/ ‘The car detached itself from the cable, but the cable did not snap. Most of the victims were reported to be employees of the observatory, which is run by French, German and Spanish scientists. The cable car was used only for the observatory and no tourists were believed to be on board. The chief representative of the cable car union said the cable car was built in the 1980s and had recently passed a safety inspection.’

http://www.zetatalk.com/index/signdc15.htm

Numerous reports for many months have stated that with collaboration from American occupation forces, Israel’s espionage apparatus, Mossad, slaughtered at least 530 Iraqi scientists and academic professors.

http://www.aljazeera.com/me.asp?service_ID=11311

Dead Scientists And
Microbiologists - Master List

http://www.rense.com/general62/list.htm

It is very dangerous just to know certain things.

 

[Serbian.matematika]

Ascetic Anchorite, very interesting stuff, it is scary .

 

[kurt98]

I am in 11th grade and thinking about becoming a mechanical engineer.I love to design and build things. I love using design software but i am not to good at math. I am in algebra 2 and I am struggling in it. I had a much easier time in geometry. How much math do mechanical engineer's use? Should i consider another career because i am not good at algebra? Will I get by as a mechanical engineer if I struggle at algebra?

 

[JSBeckton]

If you aren't good at math then you need to get much better if you want to be an engineer of any kind. Nearly every class you would ever take, if not all as a Mechanical Engineering major will involve a lot of math. Do not try to "get by", try and learn the algebra as best you can because if you aren't good at algebra you will struggle in Calculus, Matrix algebra, and differential equations. And even if you make it through that, your work has just begun.


Don't give up because you are struggling, just be aware that its not something you just have to get through and then you will be ok. You will never make it w/o great algrbra skills.

Try harder.

 

[L²Cc]

Hello,
Although physics is said to be more concrete than math, I find math easier. I have just had a test in physics, and I somehow failed it although I understood the material very well. I guess when I get into physics test mode, I 'freak out'. Anyhow, the question is whether I have the 'features' to make it as an engineer. I love math, but no passion whatsoever for physics!

And...
What branch of engineering requires less physics and perhaps more math?
In fact, civil engineernig sounds interesting?
Opinions?

 

[JSBeckton]

Definatly stay away from mechanical, probabally civil too. Electrical engineering is very involved mathamatically. But to do any of these you will have to take several physics and physics oriented engineering classes. Engineering is a combination of math and physics, love it or leave it.

Basically, if you hate physics, forget engineering, but if you must, consider computer science engineering or electrical engineering.

 

[L²Cc]

Thanks for the reply.
Question: are you an engineer? And if so, did you struggle with physics before majoring in any branch of engineering?
Is physics something you can understand (very well) after a lot of studying and reviewing??!

 

[josh_einsle]

And...
What branch of engineering requires less physics and perhaps more math?
In fact, civil engineernig sounds interesting?
Opinions?

well you could do process engineering... lots of statistics six sigma stuff... kind of cool if you like stats and trying to control how things are made... the thing is if you do not have enough physics to understand how something works you will be a nightmare to work with...

 

[L²Cc]

hhmmm...ive never had to work with major statistics! and to be honest, it doesn't sound very interesting...Now, I am leaning towards electrical or software? i would love to do civil engineering, but I guess it involves a lot of physics! how about majoring in mathematics? Anyone, here, who knows about this field?

 

[kdinser]

Hi L²Cc, I'm an EE major and I've never been all that great at physics, but I'm doing fine in my EE courses. Engineers use math and physics as tools and I've found that the important stuff keeps coming up over an over again. So, even if something in physics gave you a lot of trouble while taking the class, by the time you encounter it for the 2nd or 3rd time, you should be able to deal with it.

Can you be more specific about what gives you trouble in physics?

 

[Jessehk]

I'm almost half-way through grade 11 (junior, to Americans), and as stressful as it is, I am trying to figure out what type of program to apply to in the beginning of grade 12.

I used to love Lego (still do, when I can get my hands on it), I have learned a few programming languages on my own time (C, C++, Python, looking at Haskell), and I have always been both highly interested and able in math and science. I've realized that I am naturally curious about how things work, somebody who loves to tinker, and that I constantly critiquing systems and products and finding ways to improve them.

Now, if I'm reading myself correctly, I might be a good engineer, though I didn't realize these were "engineering traits" until very recently (maybe the past year).

Anyways, I had two questions (for those who would be kind enough to answer):
1) Does engineering "fit" me?

2) Which engineering discipline would people recommend? I was looking at a few options:

Computer -> Combo of EE and CS. I have a fear (rational, or not) of cubicles and outsourcing.

Electrical -> Sounds neat (I love physics), but I don't want to just design circuits -- I am interested in robotics. Many aspects, such as power generation (solar power, wind power, etc), and chip design, are intriguing.

Mechanical -> I have always been interested by mechanical things (I just built a working model trebuchet from a kit -- fun stuff), but I would like to work with electronics (I could be mistaken about what ME is).

Mechatronics -> Offered at the University of Waterloo. It refers to computerized, electrical, mechanical systems. Essentially robotics and automation. If I was able to get in, I'm thinking I would enjoy this. I also like the idea that a graduate would be proficient in a variety of fields.
http://www.mechatronics.uwaterloo.ca/home.html

Any thoughts?

 

[Serbian.matematika]

High school courses and marks help you just to get into the program of your choice. Take all maths, physics, chemistry courses in grade 12. According to your description Mechatronics would be an appropriate program for you to tackle.

One example; friend of mine was a very poor child in high school; he did not have a computer while he was in high school or LEGO or any other toys to play with. Although he did not have anything but he still managed to be a top student on Dean's list @ University of Waterloo in Mechatronics.

I never played with any toys or comps except when I was helping my father to prune fruit trees and work in the garden but I am a very good student in EE 2nd year.

 

[JSBeckton]

Thanks for the reply.
Question: are you an engineer? And if so, did you struggle with physics before majoring in any branch of engineering?
Is physics something you can understand (very well) after a lot of studying and reviewing??!

I am a senoir in Mechanical Engineering and have completed 1 year as an engineering intern for a power company.

I struggled with some things but not everything. Like someone said earlier, you will come back to that stuff time and time again, to be honest I didn't really put all of the math/physics/chemistry togather until my junior year when I started to get into real engineering classes.

But you have to decide if you don't like physics because its hard or because its boring. Its a lot of work and if you don't like it its going to be really hard to learn.

Why do you think that you would love Civil Engineering?

 

[JSBeckton]

I'm almost half-way through grade 11 (junior, to Americans), and as stressful as it is, I am trying to figure out what type of program to apply to in the beginning of grade 12.

I used to love Lego (still do, when I can get my hands on it), I have learned a few programming languages on my own time (C, C++, Python, looking at Haskell), and I have always been both highly interested and able in math and science. I've realized that I am naturally curious about how things work, somebody who loves to tinker, and that I constantly critiquing systems and products and finding ways to improve them.

Now, if I'm reading myself correctly, I might be a good engineer, though I didn't realize these were "engineering traits" until very recently (maybe the past year).

Anyways, I had two questions (for those who would be kind enough to answer):
1) Does engineering "fit" me?

2) Which engineering discipline would people recommend? I was looking at a few options:

Computer -> Combo of EE and CS. I have a fear (rational, or not) of cubicles and outsourcing.

Electrical -> Sounds neat (I love physics), but I don't want to just design circuits -- I am interested in robotics. Many aspects, such as power generation (solar power, wind power, etc), and chip design, are intriguing.

Mechanical -> I have always been interested by mechanical things (I just built a working model trebuchet from a kit -- fun stuff), but I would like to work with electronics (I could be mistaken about what ME is).

Mechatronics -> Offered at the University of Waterloo. It refers to computerized, electrical, mechanical systems. Essentially robotics and automation. If I was able to get in, I'm thinking I would enjoy this. I also like the idea that a graduate would be proficient in a variety of fields.
http://www.mechatronics.uwaterloo.ca/home.html

Any thoughts?

I work in the power industry and think that there are probabally as many Mechanical Engineers as Electrical Engineers. Everything leading up to the generator is Mechanical no mater what kind of plant. (Nuclear plants have nuclear engineers to operate the reactor but still have ME's)

Electrical Engineers can do many things other than design circuits, some schools have Electrical and Electronic Engineering, mine does not. If you graduated as a EE, you could work in electronics.

Most devices are electro-mechanical these days, engineers of both types work with one another on the same projects and must have somewhat of an understanding of each dicipline. You can major in ME and minor in EE, or the other way around.


But lastly, don't beat yourself up trying to make a very important decision without much info. Read a lot and pick what you like the most, don't worry, almost every engineering program is identical for the first 2 years and exposes you to different things so if you decide to switch your sophmore year, no big deal, you will probabally not lose and credit.

 

[||spoon||]

Hey all,

I am an australian year 12 student (not sure of the us equivelant) who is not sure about becoming an aeronautical engineer, physicist or a physicsd lecturer at a university standard.

My strong points and passions are for both Maths and Physics (obviously) but I am not sure which to go for. I like the idea of an engineer because you incorporate both of these fields to make a product.. and the salary is better haha... but i am really intrigued by physics and am constantly asking random questions of my teachers... This makes me want to learn as much as i can about it because it is so interesting..

Are there any internationally well known australian universities of a high standard for educating well known engineers/ physicists?? thnaks heaps


-Spoon

 

[Jessehk]

I work in the power industry and think that there are probabally as many Mechanical Engineers as Electrical Engineers. Everything leading up to the generator is Mechanical no mater what kind of plant. (Nuclear plants have nuclear engineers to operate the reactor but still have ME's)

Electrical Engineers can do many things other than design circuits, some schools have Electrical and Electronic Engineering, mine does not. If you graduated as a EE, you could work in electronics.

Most devices are electro-mechanical these days, engineers of both types work with one another on the same projects and must have somewhat of an understanding of each dicipline. You can major in ME and minor in EE, or the other way around.


But lastly, don't beat yourself up trying to make a very important decision without much info. Read a lot and pick what you like the most, don't worry, almost every engineering program is identical for the first 2 years and exposes you to different things so if you decide to switch your sophmore year, no big deal, you will probabally not lose and credit.

Thanks for your advice and insight. :)

 

[Rocket_guy]

Well .. am a student of Mechanical Engineering, 3rd year. When choosing Mechanical Engineering I was pretty clear of wat I wanted. Not to mention Mechanical Engineers are lowest paid in my country, if you compare EE/Computers/Mechanical/Civil/aeronautical .. computers and aeronautics being the highest! when opting for mechanical engineering I was like "in love" with the big machines and loved to make my own mechanical systems. But after I took this field .. I came to know the limitations you would face wen u get into the trade. So anyone choosing any field of science should first do some research on his part about wat are his/her options after he is done with the 4 years .. wat is the level of research in his home country .. and most probably will he be able to study the subjects he really want to?
What also matter is the availability of the choice of ur subjects and resources available in the Colege you are going to study in? Most of the equipment are (pretty)^2 costly and most places don't give students use them for their own "self" financed projects .. which can then make u seem ...
and yes ...for about difficult studies regarding engineering .. I never found anything that was "difficult" .. although I needed a lot of practice .. but the studies are volumes and volumes like vast oceans ... enough to keep u busy from making anything u really dreamt to make during ur 4 years degree course!

 

[Tenacious]

confusion

I am a student of A2 and hav subjects physics math and chemistry
i want to study engineering but am confused abt which 1
i hav sum diverse interests like I am interested in automotive and aeronautical both(coz i lik studying kinematics and dynamics)
but at the same time i think electronic engineering wud suit my interests
i havnt made anything creative yet but once i tried to fix the brakes of my bicycle (though no luck)
im pretty gud at math as i don't practice much but still atleast score an A.
ven i started studying quantum mechanics i realized dat it was the major area of my interest but don know where is its knowlegde applied? (is it electronic engineering)
i don want to go in any field jus for money
i want to apply my interests and make life easier
and well i hav one more prob i can't stand the energy crisis the world is facing sumtimes i think of cuming up with such an idea which will fulfil the energy needs of the world widout the fear of any impairments(lik global warming)
please id b gratefull if any1 wud help me out coz i hav to apply for admission in 2007 in an engineering university

 

[Rocket_guy]

i hav sum diverse interests like I am interested in automotive and aeronautical both(coz i lik studying kinematics and dynamics)
but at the same time i think electronic engineering wud suit my interests
i havnt made anything creative yet but once i tried to fix the brakes of my bicycle (though no luck)

Try Mechatronics..that's my fav. but you will have to check if its available in ur universities..Its not everywhere .. and not in my country!

ven i started studying quantum mechanics i realized dat it was the major area of my interest but don know where is its knowlegde applied? (is it electronic engineering)

That's nuclear sciences .. major application of quantum physics .. but as every matter is composed of atoms .. it has found applications in various fields .. say .. development of semiconductor chips, nanotechnology( hopefully) and many more!

and well i hav one more prob i can't stand the energy crisis the world is facing sumtimes i think of cuming up with such an idea which will fulfil the energy needs of the world widout the fear of any impairments(lik global warming)
please id b gratefull if any1 wud help me out coz i hav to apply for admission in 2007 in an engineering university

Energy can never be created .. so best way is to tap out from a source .. find a source that has unlimited energy .. closest ones found are Nuclear fission, The solution is assumed to lie in Nuclear fusion .. although no one has ever succeeded in controlling 'em!

Wat hurts me most on this topic is that these nuclear power plants involve some secret sciences which the developed countries are unwilling to share with developing ones. Moreover is politically controlled .. like availability of nuclear fuels to countries who actually "bought the Power plants" .. but most of them lie shut down becoz people in power stop the continuous supply of fuel. Energy crisis was a problem .. and most probably will stay till someone like you comeforward to make something happen! Am waiting for electricity ...
Good luck mate!

 

[Nomy-the wanderer]

Yes the study of quantum mechanics of particular importance for nuclear engineering, many phenomenas can be explained this way...But on the other hand, a lot of its applications are around developping new technologies in the electronics department(like the nano one).

But in our college we are the only department that studies that branch of science, and the best use we make out of this course is a handfull of mathematical tricks...

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

I thought that I should make a post in this thread because I have had some thoughts/trepidations lately. I am in grade 12 and passionately want to become an engineer. I really enjoy physics but I want to apply what I learn in physics to immediate solutions for people's problems, engineering :-).

My main worry is that I did not take the AP stream of courses ( It was not offered at my school ) I had the watered down math. I was wondering whether or not people here think that this will be a big mistake down the road? I am pretty sure that I will be just fine, I don't know... I am worried that I will get into the faculty of engineering and then will get squashed because I didn't take the AP stream of courses.

 

[chroot]

dontdisturbmycircles,

Just because you didn't take AP doesn't mean you got "watered down math."

Even if you did have weak math in high school, your university will set you up with an appropriate group of classes to strengthen your math skills to the level required for later classes. Some students need to catch up all the way from algebra, but still do just fine -- though it may add a semester or two to your "four-year" degree. What's the highest form of math you've taken to date?

If you're really concerned, send an email to your desired school's admissions office and ask them how they handle incoming students who need to catch up a bit on math. They should be able to explain everything in as much detail as you'd like.

- Warren

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

In all honesty I am not bad at all in math, I just have nothing to compare myself against to know where I stand. We don't have an AP course so I can't compare myself to that. None of my friends are going into engineering/physics so that doesn't help me either. So yea, that's the problem, I just don't know where I stand and I would hate to get weeded out because I didn't know where I should stand.

I personally think I will be fine, but I would like to take the time now when there is no pressure other than my own determination (last 6 months before I hit university) to really get good at math. I have taken calculus and self studied a bit of the stuff that they weren't covering such as L'Hopital's/linear approximations/the formal definition of the limit, etc. I basically sluffed off for most of my early years and just this year have gotten my act together. I just get worried that it can't be done. I keep kicking myself in the --- for not going to a diff school and taking the AP courses.

I think that you may have given me a good idea though. Perhaps if I am not comfortable with my ability in math I could take a semester to become strong in the subject.

Edit: If there are people whom get to university not knowing algebra and 5 years later graduate with an engineering degree. I will be fine. I guess I will see when I get there though. :-)

 

[Rocket_guy]

There isn't anything u can't learn now! Wen u go to engineering class and u come across anything unfamilliar .. obviously u can learn it there and then! Anyways .. there isn't anything that's out of this world .. so no need to worry!

 

[dontdisturbmycircles]

Thats probably true to a certain extent. I'll dive in and see how it goes. I should also do more research so I know what to expect.

Thanks

 

[AngeloG]

I'm worried about becoming an engineer.

Mostly because *I* feel it's always coming up with innovation after innovation after innovation. That there's an incredible amount of, "thinking" outside the box =p. And if you can't innovate any further... you're useless.

That's how I feel about Engineering. I don't know if it's a secure job or not.

I'm planning to go into Architecture or Civil & Enviromental Engineering.

 

[moe_3_moe]

for me ...my own experience... i am in the 3rd year studying electrical engineering... i studay quantum physics and solid state and modern physics but too bad we don't have labs for this topics ...we only know them as ideas and not experiments so i encourage who is in a good place or university to study this topics and engineering because i think it is a holy major ...as they say the biggest engineer in god and we r on the road to god...

 

[moe_3_moe]

the most annoying thing is that i don't know where i am going ... but till now it is hard but fun ... the destiny seems mysterious to me

 

[JSBeckton]

I'm worried about becoming an engineer.

Mostly because *I* feel it's always coming up with innovation after innovation after innovation. That there's an incredible amount of, "thinking" outside the box =p. And if you can't innovate any further... you're useless.

That's how I feel about Engineering. I don't know if it's a secure job or not.

I'm planning to go into Architecture or Civil & Enviromental Engineering.

Very little engineering is original anymore, most of it is improving upon existing things. There will always be engineers, they are not ony needed to create but also to maintain.

Architecture is more risky.

Most engineers work in teams that think together, you are not going to be asked to think of everything yourself.

 

[whitay]

I've received an offer for placement in Engineering. This is the course outline, http://www.uq.edu.au/study/program.html?acad_prog=2001

I was thinking electrical engineering.

However there is another university which offers engineering with Sustainable Energy Systems instead of electrical engineering which looks far more interesting. Course outline, http://info.anu.edu.au/StudyAt/_Engineering_and_IT/Undergraduate/Programs/_4700XBENG.asp

Getting into the university is not a problem and I would be happy studying either one. However I can't seem to decide.

 

[Mororvia]

Hello all,

I've seen biologists and engineers come into physics graduate programs and I imagine physicists can make it into graduate engineering programs. Have you or do you know anyone who has done this? My grades are 3.5-3.6 in my Masters physics program and I'm taking a graduate ME course this semester. I've also had some engineering courses while an undergrad. My thesis research is in condensed matter theory and I'm studying the magnetic properties of nanoscale thin films.

The reason I ask is because I would like to do research in spacecraft propulsion and that appears to be mainly an engineering project. Many programs are cross disciplinary so I could potentially be in physics and still do research in that area. However, maybe it would be beneficial to be in engineering?

Thanks!

 

[ecthelion4]

I'd like an opinion, since you all seem pretty knowledgeable on the topic.

The thing is, I'm studying computer engineering. I love working with computers, love looking at their insides and wondering how they work, but the thing is, well, I hate math and abhor physics. I'm pretty good at math though I don't like it, but not so good at physics. Up until now I have only gone through mechanics, and it is really THE most boring stuff I have ever studied. I was just wondering if this makes me less likely to succeed and would be better for me to pursue computer sciences rather than engineering, since I do have an aptitude for software.

 

[JSBeckton]

Well at least to my knowledge comp. eng starts out very similar to electrical engineering. Thats a lot of math that you will need to know. Mechanics will be less important but you should be familiar with it. What makes you want to study comp. eng. rather than comp. science?

 

[budala]

ppl have to understand if they study comp. science they do not get the title of an Engineer, while ppl who study Comp Engineering they do get that famous title The Engineer.

 

[Mororvia]

ppl have to understand if they study comp. science they do not get the title of an Engineer, while ppl who study Comp Engineering they do get that famous title The Engineer.

It all depends on what you do really. While you're in school this may be the case, but out of school a CS major could get a job with the title "Engineer." Just like when I'm finished in physics I could get engineering jobs.

 

[ecthelion4]

Well at least to my knowledge comp. eng starts out very similar to electrical engineering. Thats a lot of math that you will need to know. Mechanics will be less important but you should be familiar with it. What makes you want to study comp. eng. rather than comp. science?

I think comp. science would be too easy. Engineering looked a lot more challenging than science when I was choosing, so I figured I'd get the engineering title and work on the science degree on my spare time. I just never quite figured that physics would pose such a problem. And I'm not sure if all the other branches of physics are quite as boring as mechanics. I also have to take "Heat, Light and Sound" and "Electricity and Magnetism".

How important are mechanics on the Computer Engineering field? Because math I can cope with and the other two physics I have to take don't sound so dreadful as mechanics do. The rest of the profession sounds wonderfully entertaining. So it seems mechanics are my only real issue.

 

[a_lawson_2k]

I have a mild form of Asperger's Syndrome, I am not sure if this will interfere with being an engineer, but it may interfere with 'thinking outside the box', does this mean I would not make a good engineer?

 

[JSBeckton]

I think comp. science would be too easy. Engineering looked a lot more challenging than science when I was choosing, so I figured I'd get the engineering title and work on the science degree on my spare time. I just never quite figured that physics would pose such a problem. And I'm not sure if all the other branches of physics are quite as boring as mechanics. I also have to take "Heat, Light and Sound" and "Electricity and Magnetism".

How important are mechanics on the Computer Engineering field? Because math I can cope with and the other two physics I have to take don't sound so dreadful as mechanics do. The rest of the profession sounds wonderfully entertaining. So it seems mechanics are my only real issue.

You did not choose CS because it would be too easy but you don't like computer engineering because its too hard? EVERY engineer takes basic physics which includes mechanics. I am a mechanical engineer but I took materials, electrical, chemical, programming and other "unrelated classes" that are not necessarily in my job title but I need an understanding of those subjects to understand a lot of ME stuff.

You may not use mechanics very often but if you are part of an engineering team desigining say... a robot, and you don't understand mechanics you will be unable to see the full scoope of the job and unable to effectivly communicate with the various engineers on the project.

There will be subjects that you don't lie in almost anything, you just have to get through it. For me, I hated programming but i finished it. You will have to do the same.

 

[budala]

I am in EE and from 3 compulsory physics courses I did have a tough time in one physics-mechanics course. i passed it but I was very nervous although I have around 89% in math courses. I just could not understand that kind of physics.

 

[Astronuc]

I have a mild form of Asperger's Syndrome, I am not sure if this will interfere with being an engineer, but it may interfere with 'thinking outside the box', does this mean I would not make a good engineer?

Not necessarily, but without knowing the specifics of your AS, it's not possible to tell.

I probably have some mild form of AS or autism, but I have a reputation for thinking outside the box and good recall for things like client phone numbers and obscure facts in my field, and a knack for solutions to complex problems.

I don't particularly like crowded places, but I am comfortable speaking to audiences on technical matters or subjects of interest.

 

[ranger]

I probably have some mild form of AS or autism, but I have a reputation for thinking outside the box ...

Wow astrodude, I would have never guessed.