What exactly is engineering?

[relativelyslow]

hola. im just wondering, what exactly is engineering? i get the basic principle of "building stuff", but is there more to it? if i were to major in it, what would i learn? i enjoy trying to create ways to build things and trying to build them so im thinking engineering may not be a terrible field to enter in college (next year). any information would be useful and appreciated for i am still a little sketchy on what i will be studying in college (i have a primary subject but also have many candidates for minors and a double major would be pretty cool). thank you

 

[chroot]

Engineering is essentially applied physics. You'll learn to build machines, or computers, or electrical systems, or bridges and skyscrapers, or airplanes and ships, depending upon which sort of engineering you choose to enter.

- Warren

 

[LunchBox]

I could try my best to try and explain what engineers do, but I have found that in most cases when trying to explain something, someone else has done it much earlier and much more elegantly. So here it is:

The engineer is the key figure in the material progress of the world. It is his engineering that makes a reality of the potential value of science by translating scientific knowledge into tools, resources, energy and labor to bring them into the service of man ... To make contributions of this kind the engineer requires the imagination to visualize the needs of society and to appreciate what is possible as well as the technological and broad social age understanding to bring his vision to reality.

- Sir Eric Ashby

As for what classes you'll be taking, I'll draw from the two institutions I had the privilege of attending...

You'll take:
- 3 courses in Calculus
- 1 course in Differential Equations
- 2-3 courses in Physics
- 1-3 courses in Chemistry

If you're a mechanical/civil/aerospace engineer...
- materials science
- statics
- dynamics

Then you'll take coures in your major... for aerospace...
- propulsion
- aerodynamics
- electronics
- controls
- and more! :)

Anyway... it's a great field if you're up for a challenge and lots of work.

All your computer science/sociology/english/history major friends will be sitting around playing x-box and drinking while you are working long hours on assignments and projects... but the payoffs are huge.

Cheers...

 

[cronxeh]

I think by far the best and most detailed explanation is here- http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm