Help choosing college (engineering).
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From: denver
Originally Posted by GPWhiteS2kFTW,Aug 19 2007, 09:19 PM
Is there such a thing as acoustical engineer? Like designing speakers, auditoriums (probably more civil).
Mechanical is always a fall back.
Aerospace/Aeronautical. basically be like lockheed, boeing, or the gov't?
Biomedical. This is probably the field with the most promise, but it looks like it might be one of the toughest, and I did not like chemistry. I was good at chem, I just did not like it.
Will it make a difference when I am applying for a job if I graduate from a well known engineering school (Purdue) or a not so known one?
Mechanical is always a fall back.
Aerospace/Aeronautical. basically be like lockheed, boeing, or the gov't?
Biomedical. This is probably the field with the most promise, but it looks like it might be one of the toughest, and I did not like chemistry. I was good at chem, I just did not like it.
Will it make a difference when I am applying for a job if I graduate from a well known engineering school (Purdue) or a not so known one?
consider a transfer situation after 2 or 4 years to another institution. the first 2 years of engineering can be fairly universal. its all about survival and be able to do what you want. what ever field you do right now develop good pc skillz. be able to at least low level network things and know some tcpip. even chemistry at a small company you will have to get methods and equipment to work up front. seems no two servers are in the same room and there is the option of working at home more and more.
acoustical engineer:
how ever your structure this in your classes it will include LOTS of math, transforms and sutff, down load a copy of mathcad and do some simple filter designs. do you like this? where this is mostly an ee software area applications are in mechanical vibration analysis too. if your good with this type of math and software... good for you. a difficult area.
Aerospace:
may have less employment opportunities as government spending shifts/ decreases. you are working in a bomb factory and the creepy peeps. possible future unstable employment.
Biomedical:
why kill when you can be a do gooder? the FDA has put some kibosh on n american development, at least the clinical trials aspect. if they goto more federal control of the health insurance medical device companies will move manufacturing and some engineering to less cost environments. i think you could combine different engineering expertise into the bio medical, not just from the chemistry aspect?
in a clear cut engineering degree college and or 4/6 year situation has little to do with how you perform, especially after your 2nd employ. right now engineering sux but even in better times (late 1990's) you will have a job you absolutely love or you will absolutely hate, dosnt seem to go in between.
in a mixed engineering environment the above may not hold, the bio medical clinical chemistry environment may require 6years. engineering is a continuous change environment, if this appeals to you. the school is basically a filter to remove the none engineers and what you learn will not apply to your first job. bio medical chemistry and or mechanical or civil engineerings may require 6years school but be more stable through your life. software say java development may experience the most technology churn.
i guess this comes form someone who really likes engineering, this bothers me some as i get older that engineering is the only thing i can do. most people dont ride a sportbike hard and or work on their cars in my office. especially at my age, so maybe i can pull it off?
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From: SF, California
Ok it's reality check time. If you want to have a chance to pursue engineering in college you need to drop precalc right now and transfer to a real calculus class for your senior year. If you don't do that it frankly won't matter where you apply you simply won't get in if you list your desired major as engineering. Lack of calculus will likely exlcude you from any of the top 50 programs in the nation.
Truthfully they are being fair to you. If you go into college at a major engineering program without calc you will be behind everyone else by a year. If you were a good disciplined student able to work hard of your own accord, maybe you'd be able to make it through that first year but it's going to hurt. But the fact is you've admitted you're not a disciplined student.
Without calc you can't take engineering physics, you be behind in every intro engineering class you take and may have problems with other base sciences. You'll have to work extremely hard to catch up, and given your track record do you really feel you can do that?
You might make it at a small less challenging school that has a decent engineering course. They'll give you the fundamentals and won't push you too hard. But if you ask my opinion if you go to a challenging school with a major program, you're more likely to fail out or switch majors than succeed.
If you take calc now and work hard you 'might' be prepared for next fall but it's probably going to hurt some this year and your GPA may suffer. You're already learning on of life's lessons. It's not up to people to challenge you, you have to challenge yourself. Part of challenging yourself means taking all the hardest classes at school. I like the AP english, but you need to be taking harder AP math and science classes too(or better yet college courses at a local university).
It may not be what you want to hear but you're going to get a reality check sooner or later and it's better to have it now.
Truthfully they are being fair to you. If you go into college at a major engineering program without calc you will be behind everyone else by a year. If you were a good disciplined student able to work hard of your own accord, maybe you'd be able to make it through that first year but it's going to hurt. But the fact is you've admitted you're not a disciplined student.
Without calc you can't take engineering physics, you be behind in every intro engineering class you take and may have problems with other base sciences. You'll have to work extremely hard to catch up, and given your track record do you really feel you can do that?
You might make it at a small less challenging school that has a decent engineering course. They'll give you the fundamentals and won't push you too hard. But if you ask my opinion if you go to a challenging school with a major program, you're more likely to fail out or switch majors than succeed.
If you take calc now and work hard you 'might' be prepared for next fall but it's probably going to hurt some this year and your GPA may suffer. You're already learning on of life's lessons. It's not up to people to challenge you, you have to challenge yourself. Part of challenging yourself means taking all the hardest classes at school. I like the AP english, but you need to be taking harder AP math and science classes too(or better yet college courses at a local university).
It may not be what you want to hear but you're going to get a reality check sooner or later and it's better to have it now.
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From: Beaverton
http://www.graduateshotline.com/ranks/
Engineering schools ranked... looks like Purdue is up there.
Personally, I'd use choosing school as a way to live life as well, travel, try a new region and culture... California, Arizona... Colorado... all great places to live your younger years...
Engineering schools ranked... looks like Purdue is up there.
Personally, I'd use choosing school as a way to live life as well, travel, try a new region and culture... California, Arizona... Colorado... all great places to live your younger years...
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From: Evansville, Indiana
Wow! Thanks for all the replies! I will answer all of you individually later, but I need to go check on my s2k, which I am getting back tomorrow!
The general question about precalc / AP Calc.
I am actually on the ADVANCED course in math for our high school. The TYPICAL student who takes 8 semesters of math would look like this.
Fresh: Algebra I
Soph: Geometry I
Jun: Algebra II
Sen: Trig
I took the Algebra I in 8th grade as part of an advanced math class. The year I took Alg I in 8th grade was the first year they offered such a program, so I am lucky I am even in precalc now!
You can't have everything from a high school you want.
...didn't think about georgia tech, but I have VERY little extracirricular activities, because I worked and still do work outside of school ~20 hours/week.
The general question about precalc / AP Calc.
I am actually on the ADVANCED course in math for our high school. The TYPICAL student who takes 8 semesters of math would look like this.
Fresh: Algebra I
Soph: Geometry I
Jun: Algebra II
Sen: Trig
I took the Algebra I in 8th grade as part of an advanced math class. The year I took Alg I in 8th grade was the first year they offered such a program, so I am lucky I am even in precalc now!
You can't have everything from a high school you want.
...didn't think about georgia tech, but I have VERY little extracirricular activities, because I worked and still do work outside of school ~20 hours/week.
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,287
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Well i currently attend Texas A and M ill be graduating in the spring with a Mechanical degree. Its a great engineering school , probably a little to far south for you but we have one of the most successful formula sea teams in the nation. Basically you build a small formula race car. In regards to your choices i know that Virginia tech always does well in the sae competition as well. Regardless of your choice you NEED to take calculus in high school. I was through 2 semesters of college calculus before i entered college and college engineering calculus was still a challenge. Generally colleges use the lower level math and physics classes as weed out classes so be prepared. Also if you cant get a cal class before you graduate high school, i would recommend taking calculus at a local community college over the summer before you start college.
