4 answers
Kadin
Student
1
Question
Asked
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How do I know what direction to go in college?
I am a senior in high school planning on going to college for engineering. The college I plan on going to has a few which are mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering but I am unsure what direction I want to go into or should go into.
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4 answers
Sandra Jensen Fritsche
Technical Writer
15
Answers
Gaston, OR
Updated
Sandra’s Answer
Congratulations on going to collegee!
It's wonderful that you're going into engineering. Engineering is a vast field with so many specialities. It might help if you research each type of engineering you're considering.
My biggest suggestion is to determine where you want to live (some engineering fields are only in cities, some are primarily outdoors, some are only a few companies). I am a Manufacturing Engineer which led me to living in a large city (Seattle, Wa.). It's harder to change what type of environment you want to work in after choosing a field.
Another element is what do you want to work on? Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Structural, Industrial, and Manufacturing are all "engineering" fields but are vastly different with what/where/how you work in them.
Congratulations again!
It's wonderful that you're going into engineering. Engineering is a vast field with so many specialities. It might help if you research each type of engineering you're considering.
My biggest suggestion is to determine where you want to live (some engineering fields are only in cities, some are primarily outdoors, some are only a few companies). I am a Manufacturing Engineer which led me to living in a large city (Seattle, Wa.). It's harder to change what type of environment you want to work in after choosing a field.
Another element is what do you want to work on? Mechanical, Electrical, Civil, Structural, Industrial, and Manufacturing are all "engineering" fields but are vastly different with what/where/how you work in them.
Congratulations again!
I appreciate this, thank you for the advice.
Kadin
Vern Novstrup
Environmental Engineer
35
Answers
Ventura, California
Updated
Vern’s Answer
At many colleges it is not necessary to choose between the various types of engineering until your second year of college. Generally, colleges require that you declare a major (civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, environmental, industrial, etc) but in the first year the classes are the same (physics, chemistry, calculus, humanities, technical writing) regardless of engineering major. When I started in college, I declared as a civil engineering but at the start of the second semester changed to chemical engineering and then almost immediately jumped to geological engineering. All of my coursework was usable for my degree. The only time this becomes a problem is if one of the programs is impacted with to many applicants. You may want to check to see which programs if any are impacted by over enrollment at the colleges you are considering.
The bigger issue is that within each of the major engineering disciplines there is a fair amount of specialization. For example, within civil engineering specializations includes: geotechnical, structural, traffic engineering, and environmental. The good news is that two or three classes in you third and forth year make the difference so you don't need to worry about specialization until much later.
Once you graduate and start your career there is a lot of opportunity to move between work areas (transportation, manufacturing, structures, environmental, etc.) and the types of work(technology development, planning, design, construction, and manufacturing, facilities operations/maintenance).
The key to being successful in engineering to having the ability to learn quickly, exercise good judgement, work hard everyday, and be adaptable enough to adjust your career plans to meet the needs of a changing world. Raw technical skills rarely govern your success in engineering. Success is more often achieved by people who are hungry, humble, and inquisitive. To be successful you need to be hungry enough to be the first in the office and the last to leave, humble enough to believe every person can teach your something if you stop to listen , and inquisitive enough to learn something every day.
The bigger issue is that within each of the major engineering disciplines there is a fair amount of specialization. For example, within civil engineering specializations includes: geotechnical, structural, traffic engineering, and environmental. The good news is that two or three classes in you third and forth year make the difference so you don't need to worry about specialization until much later.
Once you graduate and start your career there is a lot of opportunity to move between work areas (transportation, manufacturing, structures, environmental, etc.) and the types of work(technology development, planning, design, construction, and manufacturing, facilities operations/maintenance).
The key to being successful in engineering to having the ability to learn quickly, exercise good judgement, work hard everyday, and be adaptable enough to adjust your career plans to meet the needs of a changing world. Raw technical skills rarely govern your success in engineering. Success is more often achieved by people who are hungry, humble, and inquisitive. To be successful you need to be hungry enough to be the first in the office and the last to leave, humble enough to believe every person can teach your something if you stop to listen , and inquisitive enough to learn something every day.
Samuel Scozzari, PE
Construction Management and Director in NYC
11
Answers
Suffield, Connecticut
Updated
Samuel’s Answer
The first question to ask yourself is: "what do I feel passionate about in the built world?" Is it building systems? Electrical systems? Vertical (buildings) features? Roads? Bridges? Traffic? Environmental protection? If you have a gravitation to one of those, then aim your career in that direction. It's that simple. When you have a passion for something, it feels natural and not like work or school at all! Many engineering schools will let you take the general engineering and humanities courses needed for all of the degrees during your first one or two years, which gives you more time to decide how to specialize. If the school isn't too far from home, make an appointment and go visit an admissions counselor to discuss the possibliities, or maybe you can have a virtual meeting.
If the school isn't too far from home, make an appointment and go visit an admissions counselor to discuss the possibliities, or maybe you can have a virtual meeting.
Samuel recommends the following next steps:
Wong Loke Yuen
Head of Programme cum Senior Lecturer
645
Answers
Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Updated
Wong’s Answer
Choosing a direction in college can feel confusing, especially with several good options. Therefore, it's important to learn what each engineering field actually involves on a day-to-day basis. When you understand what each type of engineer focuses on, it becomes easier to picture which one feels more interesting to you.
You also need to think about the subjects and activities you enjoy most in high school. If you like physics, building things, or working with moving parts, mechanical engineering might be a good match. Your past experiences can give you clues about what direction fits your natural interests.
It can also help to talk to people who work or study in these fields. You can ask teachers, counselors, or family friends about their experiences. You can also visit the engineering departments at your future college, meet students, or talk to professors. Hearing real stories about what each job is like can help you make a more confident choice. All the best to you.
You also need to think about the subjects and activities you enjoy most in high school. If you like physics, building things, or working with moving parts, mechanical engineering might be a good match. Your past experiences can give you clues about what direction fits your natural interests.
It can also help to talk to people who work or study in these fields. You can ask teachers, counselors, or family friends about their experiences. You can also visit the engineering departments at your future college, meet students, or talk to professors. Hearing real stories about what each job is like can help you make a more confident choice. All the best to you.