Thinking about switching my degree from EE to

[Kevin2341]

So I'm still at my little old community college, currently taking a differential equations course (which I love), and then I'm taking a circuits and devices class (the first real engineering class I've ever taken.) I'm taking a couple other classes but they are mostly credit fodder so I can graduate with my AA and move on to a university as a transfer student.

Anyway, I'm really not enjoying my circuits classes, ever since I was in high school the idea of engineering applied to me, but now that I'm seeing more and more of it (and hearing others talk about other classes they have taken), I'm not sure if this is really for me. I don't feel like I have the mental capacity to understand this stuff, a lot of it just goes over my head, and we are only in week 5 of 18. We haven't even got past DC circuits yet (hell, we are still talking about node analysis and all that). My homework is an absolute nightmare for me and I'm constantly bugging others for help with it (which really makes me feel like crap because I don't feel like I can contribute anything to the other students). In all reality, I feel like I am going to fail this class, and I have NEVER failed a class.

I'm wondering if anyone out there has some career suggestions for me? I'm pretty handy with computers, I LOVE working on them. My buddies usually come to me for help with their machines. But I don't know if there is career field of repairing computers that will make a respectable income (preferably over 60k\yr).

I've thought about computer science, but I don't have any real programming knowledge (yet at least). I've also considered IT (but if I'm correct, that's pretty much a glorified computer repairman\network admin?)

I'm open to suggestions :)

 

[Hercuflea]

You mentioned you love differential equations. Have you thought about going the applied math route? When you get to numerical analysis, there will be a lot of programming involved. Don't worry because most schools require math majors to take a CS class where you will learn to program (although at my school they make us take the Java class, but we have to use MATLAB in our projects...stupid.) That is not the only thing you can do, though. Applied math includes a lot of fields like Partial Differential Equations, Numerical Analysis, scientific computing/visualization, statistics, discrete math, calculus of variations, functional analysis, etc. But if you are worried about job prospects a math degree would be very appealing. My school's math department occasionally posts where alumni have gone on to work, and actually a lot of them have gone into computer/IT fields.

 

[caldweab]

If you love math and working with computers why not double major in math and computer science? That way any job open to both majors is available to you and it doesn't require much extra time on your part

 

[JakeBrodskyPE]

If you are having problems with the circuits class, don't worry. Almost everyone encounters difficulty in those classes. Another tough class is a signals class. Understanding those transforms isn't easy. Just keep at it and pretty soon it will make so much sense you'll wonder why you didn't understand it. This one of several idiotic hazings you will find in most engineering curricula

Know that everyone struggles with those concepts and that this field is not "easy." Been there, done that, and survived. And do note: I rarely have had any reason to use this course. But it is good to know how things got the way they did...