Abby
I am in the 7th grade and I am juts beginning to explore my future career, if I want to be an engineer, what are steps I can take to get to to being a engineer, and how can I decide what kind of engineer I want to be?
At school, I am most interested in math, I enjoy S.T.E.A.M especially when we are learning how to build things. I don't know which college I should go to or what kind of engineer I should be. I like building things like bridges, mini rockets, and small machines.
#career #careerchoice #engineering #engineeringcolleges #college-major
9 answers
Spruce Cox
Spruce’s Answer
it’s great that you are thinking about your future. I wish more kids would. You’re already studying the right subjects---STEAM---and you’re applying them to things you like to build. As you advance in school and in life, learn your subjects well to gain knowledge, apply them creatively to gain wisdom, and read widely to gain perspective. Answers to questions like which college or what kind of engineer are fun to think about, but decisions are not really required (in terms of schooling) until you’re a Sophomore or Junior in high school. Good luck.
Deborah Sigel
Deborah’s Answer
Check out stem outreach programs and camps at colleges in your state. Sometimes they'll host women in engineering programs for middle school and high school students. I went to a number of programs at university of texas, including one hosted the now non-existent super collider (I still have the t-shirt).
I did a 5 week research camp program at a university abroad my junior year of high school and loved it. You'll find domestic programs cheaper.
Are there stem organizations near you that run enrichment programs like robotics, electronic textiles, making, etc.? Maybe a makerspace?
If interested in software, check out Iridescent Learning's women only app design competition called Technovation.
Otherwise, I recommend learning through taking things apart (with parental guidance) and making things. It doesn't matter if it's craft materials or woodworking. Making things is a great way to learn and how things work and can be made.
Good luck!
Douglas Lemmo, P.E.
Douglas’s Answer
As to the type of engineer you want to be, you do not need to decide for awhile, but it is good that you have found that you like to build things (most engineers do). Keep the following in mind, there are only basically three types of engineers: Mechanical, Civil, Electrical. Where it gets complicated is that there is cross over between the three basic types and there are a lot of off shoots of each of the basic types. To help clarify, Mechanical Engineers design and build things that move (like automobiles and rocket ships), Civil Engineers design and build things that do not move (like buildings and bridges), Electrical Engineers design and build things associated with electricity ( like computers, motors, power systems). For example, if someone wanted to build an airplane all three types of engineers would be involved: an aeronautical engineer (off-shoot of mechanical engineering) , electrical engineers (computers and power systems) would be on the team as would civil engineers (structural). But for now, do really well in high school and try to determine what type of engineer you might like to be. The internet should be a big help as you can search on the types of engineers and what they do and what industries they work in. The first year of engineering school is very similar for all three types of engineering so if you wanted to change majors after the first year that should not be a big problem.
As to the college you apply to go, that depends on a lot of factors: your marks in high school and on college entrance tests, the cost of the college, the major you select, etc. Some colleges offer short term summer programs in various subjects, you might search the colleges in your area to see if any summer programs are available that might be attractive to you and could help you to decide on both a major and a college.
Good luck, hope the above helps.
Doug
The first two years of Engineering school are very much the same for all disciplines. You will know then which field is most interesting to you because you will have some experience in all the basic disciplines.
The only important criteria for selecting an engineering school is its ABET accreditation. That will facilitate becoming a Licensed Professional Engineer (PE). Once you have a PE no one cares where you went to college.
You are on the right path. It is an extremely rewarding career. Bear in mind that Engineering is probably the most difficult under graduate degree to pursue. You have to be smart. But, perhaps more importantly, you need to be determined.
Drew Peake, MEng., MBA, PE
Drew Peake, MSME, M.Eng., MBA, PE, FNAFE, DEE, CIH, CSP
Oanh Le
Oanh’s Answer
Hi Abby,
I think you are on the right track and thinking ahead. If you are looking for ways to explore the many fields in STEAM, then I would look at colleges and events that are in your area or where the event is taking place. I would research engineering events for the duration that you are interested in looking at them. Once you start your research, you will find that there are no shortages of engineering organizations that you can participate in. Ask yourself, which events are catered for students in your age group, put them on your calendar, and please do not forget to get your parents permission first to attend them. Companies and colleges like to see that students are involved in events so when you have the opportunity to participate in events like, "Introduce A Girl to Engineering", its a good thing to add to your college application or resume later on.
There are classes that you will need to take to earn your degree once you are in college and decide which focus you want to specialize in, but for the most part, an engineer will require strong analysis and mathematics. You will want to focus on courses that will set a strong foundation that you can build off later, like physics, understanding statics, and I would pair that with some sort of economics course, so that you can see the small and big picture. When you keep your options open, keep in mind that there is a driving force behind every engineering decision in the business world and these factors may fall under safety, feasibility, history, and/or community. For the most part, engineering firms are usually looking for employees who are driven to improve communities and creating a better world.
Aside from the events and courses, depending on where you take your career, many of the design aspects of projects are reliant on design or project management softwares such as AutoCAD. These softwares are meant to help you manage and design your projects. Also, keep in mind that teamwork is a strongly desired trait, so if you don't already, learn to work well with others early on. School does not always teach you that, so pick up a sport or some sort of team building activity. If you are an introvert like I am, this can be a hard task, but start early and you will get ahead.
Stacy Hong
Stacy’s Answer
Abby,
It is great that you are already thinking about your career! Since you still have a lot of time to decide, for now, I would focus on doing more exploration on what you like. It is great that you already have some preferences. In terms of engineering, we have quite a few fields from software engineer to hardware engineer, mechanical, civil, electrical, etc... My recommendation is for you to take some enrichment classes in the various Engineering areas to see what you like. Once you have done that and have narrow down the area, you can perhaps find some internships opportunity in high school or college.
Christopher Rutledge
Christopher’s Answer
Abby,
You are preparing early...and that's awesome! I would recommend that you look into Summer programs that your College/University offers for students in your age group...and those programs are out there for sure and they last from a few days to nearly the whole summer (depending on your year in school). But once you are immersed in those programs (esp with your peers), you will get a true perspective of what you like. Said programs are usually taught by professors as well as other students...it'll be quite enriching.
Drew Peake, MSME, M.Eng., MBA, PE, FNAFE, DEE, CIH, CSP
Drew’s Answer
The first two years of Engineering School are basic engineering courses. You will learn Calculus, Chemistry, Mechanics, Computer Science, and some Liberal Arts to round out your education. That will give you a basis for making a decision about which field inspires your passion.
Now you should focus on STEM courses, at the advanced level if possible. If its possible to get college credit for high school courses, that should help you get accepted at an engineering school.
I was lucky. My high school grades would not have qualified me to get accepted to engineering school. Fortunately, there was a State Law that required them to accept any who had graduated from high sholl in that state. Now I am an engineer.
Drew recommends the following next steps:
Michael Jones
Michael’s Answer
Abby,
Don't fret, you have plenty of time to explore opportunities, have new experiences, and to plan your path. The best advise that I can give you is to keep and open mind, try new things that may interest you, connect with others, and to learn something new everyday. Eventually, you will find what path you want to take.
When I started college, I knew that wanted to be an electrical engineer. I enjoyed working with computers and electronics, I excelled at STEM, and it sounded like a career with endless opportunities. After studying electrical engineering for 3 years, I realized that I wanted to do something different.
Thankfully, my college (and many others) have general engineering programs and interdisciplinary engineering programs. These programs allow you to build the foundation of STEM courses and give you the flexibility to pick your area of focus during your junior and senior years.
If you have a particular college in mind, I'd recommend seeing if they have an interdisciplinary or general engineering program and to talk with someone in that department. They can show you what each program entails, identify areas of focus that you could elect, and provide the types of careers individuals in those programs go on to.
G. Mark Stewart
G. Mark’s Answer
From my students, I've found pretty consistently that 1) People tend to like what they're good at, 2) People tend to be good at what they like, and 3) As Dale Carnegie said, "Give a man a good reputation to live up to." This last thing says, essentially, "If someone does something well, let them know." Students need to be encouraged to take risks and be creative and not to fear failure, but to embrace what you learn from it and build. So essentially, I'm telling you to experiment. To try new things. Look into all engineering. Find those "survey" courses that give you an overview of many fields. Read what you see on the internet. Look for articles that literally claim to tell you what, "A day in the life of an X professional..." is like. Don't let people tell you what you like. Try it and see. That will tell you what kind of engineer to be. Or even if something else is your forte. You won't have to ask people like me what kind of engineer you would want to be because you will be the expert on that particular question. I started out looking to go to medical school. It took me about a month to realize that unless I could build medical devices I wouldn't be satisfied. You'll have that sort of epiphany. Another thing is that I don't generally teach courses on theory. I always go off on a soapbox about stuff that fascinates me about various theories, but the point of the course is to teach students exactly what you would be doing on an actual job as an engineer or scientist or designer. What a company will expect you to accomplish. That's the kind of information you want to search for. Find out what kind of job will make you want to get up in the morning and look forward to getting into that problem to solve.
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