4 answers
Aden
Student
Elk River, Minnesota
6
Questions
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What are some classes I can take in high school to aid me in becoming an aerospace engineer?
I am in 10th grade and am looking at classes to aid me in my career.
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4 answers
Nick D
New York, USA
67
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Nick’s Answer
Part of the standard advice for this question is to recommend taking all the math classes available to you. Part of the reason for this is that engineering uses a lot of math so you will need it.
The other part is that mastering math is good training for your "brain". If you want your body to be fit and strong, you go to the gym and lift weights and run on the treadmill. However, in life, you don't lift much weight or run everywhere but you train anyway. Same for your brain, you probably don't use complex math every day, but you do want good memory and problem solving skills every day and mastering math is good exercise for this. In fact, everyone, not just engineering students should do their best to master math to improve their lives.
Of course, you should study all the science and technology available to you.
You should not overlook the "humanities" because engineering requires good communication skills. Good ideas and suggestions are useless if they cannot be communicated clearly and this requires understanding of human nature. Collaboration skills are required to succeed.
When choosing a college make sure the school has access to technical internships which you should apply for as early as possible. Even as a high school student you should find a summer job that has some technical and problem solving aspect.
As you can see, you will be very busy preparing for engineering career. This amount of work is also good preparation for the workload of engineering school and an engineering career. While in high school, get comfortable and enjoy doing all your homework and doing it well. You will need this good habit to succeed in college and in your career.
Be prepared to handle distractions in college where you will be faced with
A well trained engineer can have a very interesting and successful career that will support a good lifestyle and personal goals.
Best wishes!
The other part is that mastering math is good training for your "brain". If you want your body to be fit and strong, you go to the gym and lift weights and run on the treadmill. However, in life, you don't lift much weight or run everywhere but you train anyway. Same for your brain, you probably don't use complex math every day, but you do want good memory and problem solving skills every day and mastering math is good exercise for this. In fact, everyone, not just engineering students should do their best to master math to improve their lives.
Of course, you should study all the science and technology available to you.
You should not overlook the "humanities" because engineering requires good communication skills. Good ideas and suggestions are useless if they cannot be communicated clearly and this requires understanding of human nature. Collaboration skills are required to succeed.
When choosing a college make sure the school has access to technical internships which you should apply for as early as possible. Even as a high school student you should find a summer job that has some technical and problem solving aspect.
As you can see, you will be very busy preparing for engineering career. This amount of work is also good preparation for the workload of engineering school and an engineering career. While in high school, get comfortable and enjoy doing all your homework and doing it well. You will need this good habit to succeed in college and in your career.
Be prepared to handle distractions in college where you will be faced with
A well trained engineer can have a very interesting and successful career that will support a good lifestyle and personal goals.
Best wishes!
Robert Sprayberry
Aerospace Engineer
16
Answers
Washington, Washington
Updated
Robert’s Answer
The simple answer is to take all the STEM classes you can handle. AP classes can be helpful but are not necessary nor will passing them ensure success in becoming an AE in College. Hard work and learning how to learn new things is the key to success for most AE's I know including myself. Find a balance between working hard in high school and enjoying it. Once you get into the AE College classes it will be much more difficult to have a social life (at least for most folks). If your AE degree program is a good one, then you'll work harder to earn your degree than most of the real world jobs you'll end up working.
I agree about the AP courses. It's risky to think the subject is mastered well enough for engineering and well enough to be prepared for the next level. Better to repeat in college to get off to a good start with good grades and true mastery. There are enough difficult courses to struggle through.
Nick D
Peter Coffee
Business Strategy and Technology Consultation
14
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Peter’s Answer
The college-bound high school student may not be offered a schedule that's friendly to shop class or auto mechanics (if even offered), but the aerospace majors at the school I attended had an edge if they already knew what to do in a machine shop – and if they could take a box of parts and have some idea of how to devise something that could carry a payload around a prescribed course. FIRST Robotics is good prep for this kind of thing, or even just Pinewood Derby or Lego Mindstorms. If you can learn your way around a CAD or other design tool, and spend some time with MATLAB or Wolfram Language, also good.
This is all in addition to what's already been said about STEM prep, with calculus and physics getting particular emphasis.
The warning that "you will be working harder" as an aerospace major is also well supported by data about what students report doing with their time outside class. "While the average college course requires two hours of outside study for every one hour in the classroom, engineering courses require an estimated four hours. Student surveys have revealed that average number of hours working outside of the classroom for engineering majors is almost 20 hours per week, almost double the amount of time of communications, marketing, and criminal justice majors. Only architecture students self-report studying more hours." https://www.collegetransitions.com/blog/so-you-want-to-be-an-engineer/
This is all in addition to what's already been said about STEM prep, with calculus and physics getting particular emphasis.
The warning that "you will be working harder" as an aerospace major is also well supported by data about what students report doing with their time outside class. "While the average college course requires two hours of outside study for every one hour in the classroom, engineering courses require an estimated four hours. Student surveys have revealed that average number of hours working outside of the classroom for engineering majors is almost 20 hours per week, almost double the amount of time of communications, marketing, and criminal justice majors. Only architecture students self-report studying more hours." https://www.collegetransitions.com/blog/so-you-want-to-be-an-engineer/
Dennis Taylor
Self-employed
68
Answers
Columbus, Indiana
Updated
Dennis’s Answer
Hello Aden,
I like Peter's recommendation to take a class outside of the "academic" area. You are probably already focused on that. Try something that lets you work with your hands - machine shop, welding, woodworking, auto mechanics, mechanical drawing or CAD. Or music - learn a new instrument; art - even if you aren't good at it. Challenge yourself to be more creative.
Challenge your brain and learn to study. If course work has been easy for you so far, take a really challenging course outside your main area of interest. Something that won't be an "easy A." You will need good study habits in college, regardless what your major is.
Good luck Aden!
I like Peter's recommendation to take a class outside of the "academic" area. You are probably already focused on that. Try something that lets you work with your hands - machine shop, welding, woodworking, auto mechanics, mechanical drawing or CAD. Or music - learn a new instrument; art - even if you aren't good at it. Challenge yourself to be more creative.
Challenge your brain and learn to study. If course work has been easy for you so far, take a really challenging course outside your main area of interest. Something that won't be an "easy A." You will need good study habits in college, regardless what your major is.
Good luck Aden!