[Mechanical/civil/environmental/electrical] Engineers

[Ssolidarity]

How was your college experience? I'm currently studying electrical...but I am no good at math. Should I stick with it? I know it's kind of dumb to go in a program like this without a good skill at math, but nothing else really interests me.
trix/tips/suggestions...flames?

[KenC]

Everybody can be good at math. It just requires studious effort.

EEs make more $ than the others you listed. Not a field to go into if you don't like it though.

Chemical engineers can pull in dough too.

[mrsleeve]

Pet/E. Is prolly what you want to look into

[Conki]

I'm done with my ME in a week. I never really cared for math, and I didn't do too well in the beginning, because I was used to not studying at all.
You just gotta pick up the book BEFORE and AFTER the class.
The professor is not there to teach you how to do math, he is there to help you teach yourself. Go over the material before the class; you won't understand any of it, but as soon as the prof starts talking about it, you will get the picture. Then go over it again after the class, so you carve the info into your brain well.

One of my profs, for Calc II, had a really stupid idea: he didn't collect homework. After the first week everybody stopped doing homework as a result. He also had a bad accent and instead of talking to us just whispered his words toward the blackboard, so we had no idea what was going on. It was our fault for not doing homework, sure, but we were young, and didn't know any better. Not knowing the Calc II material really hurt me in Calc III, I think I got my first C in that class. So for the following class about linear systems of differential equations, I had to relearn everything I missed before. But only a couple years later, when we actually applied these concepts I really understood it all.

Do yourself a favor, and do homework, and do the readings.
There is no reason for you not to get an A in a math class as long as you do your part.

[Ssolidarity]

Pet/E. Is prolly what you want to look into

Excuse my inexperienced mind, but what is pet/e?

I'm done with my ME in a week. I never really cared for math, and I didn't do too well in the beginning, because I was used to not studying at all.
You just gotta pick up the book BEFORE and AFTER the class.
The professor is not there to teach you how to do math, he is there to help you teach yourself. Go over the material before the class; you won't understand any of it, but as soon as the prof starts talking about it, you will get the picture. Then go over it again after the class, so you carve the info into your brain well.

One of my profs, for Calc II, had a really stupid idea: he didn't collect homework. After the first week everybody stopped doing homework as a result. He also had a bad accent and instead of talking to us just whispered his words toward the blackboard, so we had no idea what was going on. It was our fault for not doing homework, sure, but we were young, and didn't know any better. Not knowing the Calc II material really hurt me in Calc III, I think I got my first C in that class. So for the following class about linear systems of differential equations, I had to relearn everything I missed before. But only a couple years later, when we actually applied these concepts I really understood it all.

Do yourself a favor, and do homework, and do the readings.
There is no reason for you not to get an A in a math class as long as you do your part.

Thanks for the advice. This semester I've done every single assignment regardless if it was due or not. I focused a lot more than I have in previous math courses, watching online examples, reading the book, memorizing formulas etc, but I still only managed C's on 2 tests and a B on the last one.

[blefevre]

If you like it then stick to it. I am a Mechanical Engineer, wife is an Aerospace Engineer. Engineering is a great choice, you can work nearly anywhere. After a while the math soaks in and becomes natural. I sucked at math at first. Don't read into salary differences between engineers, if you stick to the "big" ones they all make about the same, just depends on location and company.

[Ssolidarity]

If you like it then stick to it. I am a Mechanical Engineer, wife is an Aerospace Engineer. Engineering is a great choice, you can work nearly anywhere. After a while the math soaks in and becomes natural. I sucked at math at first. Don't read into salary differences between engineers, if you stick to the "big" ones they all make about the same, just depends on location and company.

I'm really not interested in the salaries of the different choices, just want to study and do something I like.

[Adrian_Visser]

Wait so not all engineers are math whizzes? Maybe I still have a chance then lol.

[mrsleeve]

Petroleum. Engineering. You have to like geology and dirt though


Some day I may actually go back and finish mine up........

[Conki]

Excuse my inexperienced mind, but what is pet/e?





Thanks for the advice. This semester I've done every single assignment regardless if it was due or not. I focused a lot more than I have in previous math courses, watching online examples, reading the book, memorizing formulas etc, but I still only managed C's on 2 tests and a B on the last one.

You still have finals right? Get an A on the final and you'll be fine.
Don't be afraid to talk to tutors either. Even though I didn't do well in the beginning, I got better by changing my studying habits, and became a math tutor two years ago. I experienced how much it helps a lot of people to have someone coach them through the semester.

But even if you really can't grasp the concepts you are taught, don't get discouraged. My roommate was an ME, and failed 5 out of 6 classes 3 semesters ago. He immediately changed majors to IT, and got a 4.0 the following semester. It is a great major too, but without all the math and sciences; it's more hands-on.

Think about what you want to do in the future. Do you want to go to graduate school? If so, you need to have at least a 3.5 GPA. But above a 3.8 would be even better. If you just want to get a job after your get your B.S. degree, you need at least a 3.0 GPA. That's just how the Engineering field works. If you think you can't do that, change majors. There is nothing wrong with that.

Oh and participate in as many extracurricular activities as you can. Formula SAE, SAE Baja, ASME, etc. If you are invited to join an honor society like Tau Beta Pi (Engineering) or Eta Kappa Nu (EE), do so. I got my current internship mainly because of my SAE Baja involvement and because I'm the president of the local chapter of Tau Beta Pi. These details really help on your resume.

[Ssolidarity]

You still have finals right? Get an A on the final and you'll be fine.
Don't be afraid to talk to tutors either. Even though I didn't do well in the beginning, I got better by changing my studying habits, and became a math tutor two years ago. I experienced how much it helps a lot of people to have someone coach them through the semester.

But even if you really can't grasp the concepts you are taught, don't get discouraged. My roommate was an ME, and failed 5 out of 6 classes 3 semesters ago. He immediately changed majors to IT, and got a 4.0 the following semester. It is a great major too, but without all the math and sciences; it's more hands-on.

Think about what you want to do in the future. Do you want to go to graduate school? If so, you need to have at least a 3.5 GPA. But above a 3.8 would be even better. If you just want to get a job after your get your B.S. degree, you need at least a 3.0 GPA. That's just how the Engineering field works. If you think you can't do that, change majors. There is nothing wrong with that.

Oh and participate in as many extracurricular activities as you can. Formula SAE, SAE Baja, ASME, etc. If you are invited to join an honor society like Tau Beta Pi (Engineering) or Eta Kappa Nu (EE), do so. I got my current internship mainly because of my SAE Baja involvement and because I'm the president of the local chapter of Tau Beta Pi. These details really help on your resume.

Yes finals are next week. I have a B in that class so I'm not worried about failing but I just wish it could be higher.I have gone to my teacher for questions more than any other class before it, but I will consider tutors now.

My college has Information Systems, would that be similar to IT? But no I do not want to go to graduate school. At the moment I'm trying to get into a German college but that has proven to be much more difficult than I had thought. If I do stay at this college I'll be moving over there after I get my degree. I'm trying to get into something that I can do over there that I like.

[trackjunkie21]

I'm going for Electromechanical engineering this fall, WIT in Boston has a good program, so I here.

[Conki]

Yes finals are next week. I have a B in that class so I'm not worried about failing but I just wish it could be higher.I have gone to my teacher for questions more than any other class before it, but I will consider tutors now.

My college has Information Systems, would that be similar to IT? But no I do not want to go to graduate school. At the moment I'm trying to get into a German college but that has proven to be much more difficult than I had thought. If I do stay at this college I'll be moving over there after I get my degree. I'm trying to get into something that I can do over there that I like.

IT stands for Industrial Technology at my college.
If you don't speak German fluently, don't even think about going to a German school. Even if you do, European schools are much more demanding/cruel/intolerant, so I would advise against studying in Europe.

I plan on moving to Germany to work for BMW, but they require a high level of German knowledge obviously. Since I've been busy learning English while in school here (I'm an international student), I haven't had time to learn German. I'll be done with school this semester though, so I'll try to learn German next year while I'm doing my internship. I'm so excite hahaha:)

Back to the topic: Engineering is great so far, I can't imagine doing anything else, so if you really like it as well, just work hard and you'll get through it!

[Ssolidarity]

IT stands for Industrial Technology at my college.
If you don't speak German fluently, don't even think about going to a German school. Even if you do, European schools are much more demanding/cruel/intolerant, so I would advise against studying in Europe.

I plan on moving to Germany to work for BMW, but they require a high level of German knowledge obviously. Since I've been busy learning English while in school here (I'm an international student), I haven't had time to learn German. I'll be done with school this semester though, so I'll try to learn German next year while I'm doing my internship. I'm so excite hahaha:)

Back to the topic: Engineering is great so far, I can't imagine doing anything else, so if you really like it as well, just work hard and you'll get through it!

Ah I see. All the colleges in Germany I am applying to have English courses for their degrees. I have heard that they are more strict, but if others have done it I don't see why I couldn't. I do like it there a lot, and I'm a citizen of Germany as well, so I would guess that that would make it easier to find work..?
Yea you are right, I guess I'll see what happens in a few months/ next semester and decide then.

Good luck with your goals to work for bmw! thanks for the advice as well

[Conki]

Ah I see. All the colleges in Germany I am applying to have English courses for their degrees. I have heard that they are more strict, but if others have done it I don't see why I couldn't. I do like it there a lot, and I'm a citizen of Germany as well, so I would guess that that would make it easier to find work..?
Yea you are right, I guess I'll see what happens in a few months/ next semester and decide then.

Good luck with your goals to work for bmw! thanks for the advice as well

You need to be an EU citizen to work there, so yeah, your German citizenship would definitely help:)
I don't recommend attending a European university if you lived in the states your whole life and only experienced the US school system.
I studied my butt off in HS in Hungary to get a 1.9 GPA.
I studied much less in the states as an ME major taking 27-30 units per semester, and I'm graduating with a 3.63< GPA.
I think this shows the different levels of education well.
Well, I don't mean it like that. US universities are just as good as the EU ones, only they are much more student-friendly.