Engineering Engineering Pursue Career Advice

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers around the challenges and perceptions of pursuing a career in engineering, particularly civil engineering, inspired by a personal story of loss and legacy. The original poster reflects on their father's encouragement to pursue engineering, despite feelings of inadequacy and consideration of switching to an easier discipline. Participants emphasize that all engineering fields are inherently challenging, and the perceived ease of a discipline often correlates with personal interest and passion. They highlight the importance of mathematics in understanding engineering concepts, arguing that avoiding math can lead to a superficial grasp of the field. Embracing math is portrayed as essential for a deeper comprehension of engineering principles, despite the frustrations that may arise from poor instruction.
jackkingsford
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My dad once told me that being an engineer is like, one of the greatest things. He told me that you’ll understand how life is if you become an engineer. I didn’t really understand why he said that. I just didn’t. When he passed away, (I was 16 then), i remembered his words so when I graduated, I took up civil engineering. And that’s when I understood why he said that. My dad was a geotechnical engineer and he wanted me to follow his footsteps. However, I’m afraid if I can make it. I feel like shifting to an easier engineering course. I still want to be an engineer, though. Which among the different kinds of engineering is much easier to pursue?
 
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Every engineering discipline is challenging. The one you'll find easiest is the one you're most interested in and most passionate about.
 
I chose one of the more "difficult" engineering disciplines: Electrical Engineering. I love to tinker with radios and RF.

Truthfully, these perceptions of difficulty are often expressed by people who don't want to learn much math. And in fairness, I have seen some schools use mathematics more as an idiotic hazing exercise than as a tool for learning and comprehension of more subjects. I have suffered many awful mathematics instructors (I refuse to call them teachers), and yet I still appreciate the beauty and intricacies of mathematics despite them.

However, if you think you're getting off easy by staying away from math, think again. Math actually helps understand some of the difficult conceptual aspects of engineering. Without it, you're practicing voodoo and rules of thumb. Your classes will seem very strange and incomprehensible without math.

Do not fear Math. Embrace it, and try to overlook the awful instructors who think they teach it.
 

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