Any engineers? I need advice

[trmyjs]

I’m a senior in high school and I don’t know what to do with my future … I like math and physics, so I was thinking about some type of engineering. I’m considering biomedical engineering because creating medical equipment sounds sweet, but I’m still uncertain about it. I know this is probably a shot in the dark… But if there is anybody out there that can give me some advice or make any suggestions on what my college major should be that involves math/physics, that would be fantastic.

Also, if you could offer up a quick prayer for me to get some guidance I would greatly appreciate it.

God bless,
Tom

 

[lifeisbeautiful]

Lol, you sound a lot like I did when I was at that stage.
I would go for Engineering, definitely. I studied Mechanical Engineering because I liked that type of Engineering (the body is an amazing machine), but Electrical Engineering, Materials Eng, Computer Eng. etc all can be applied to the Medical world. I would look into the Biomedical Engineering programs at the schools you are interested in as well to see what type of courses they include, to see if it is something that is of interest to you. I did Mechanical Engineering with a focus in Biomedical Engineering (took the Biomed electives) and I also studied premed courses in case I wanted to go to med school. I shadowed an orthopedic surgeon (my uncle) one summer, since I was interested in that field, I interned in a biomed company another summer, and did research in biomed at the university another summer. I wasn’t completely sure if I wanted to go into Medical School and then develop medical equipment, or do something in Biomed after I graduated. Lol, I decided to get married and be a stay at home mom instead (and love it .) Right now I am working from home in a medical and engineering related company though.
Do you have any questions I can help you with? (Oh and ask Don Álvaro del Portillo to help you out, I saw your signature, do you know who he is? He was a Civil Engineer)

 

[JohnPaul0]

Tom,

I’m an engineer. First, I commend you for a couple of things. One is the fact that you’re seeking advice. The other is that you are aware of subjects you enjoy, and you’re trying to find out how to pursue a career using those subjects.

To explain the second point, I read a book called something like *What color is Your Parachute? *It’s a dumb title, but it contained the observation that we tend to like things that we are good at. So, when seeking a line of work, pay attention to what you like to do because it probably means that you’re good at it. Therefore, you can have a reasonable expectation of earning a living by it. Even better, you’ll enjoy what you do, which is a real blessing. This method of choosing a career is 100% better than picking something just because “there are supposed to be jobs in that field.” So, again, you’re all over that.

So, yes, I would encourage you to study engineering. You won’t need to pick which type of engineering until your sophomore year. You already have an interest in biomedical. That’s great! With that said, keep an open mind, too. Some colleges allow you to “sample” different types of engineering before choosing a major.

I’m happy to answer any other questions you might have.

God Bless,
JohnPaul

 

[Ladygem]

Hey Tom! My Dad happens to be an engineer (and also named Tom, and also in Pittsburgh right now. Hmm, was there a time travel experiment gone wrong? If so, Hi Dad!) The fact you already have an interest in biomedical engineering is great, it’s always best to follow your passion. For my Dad he was about ready to go into astronomy before he realized his passion was in Computers. Regardless, good luck in what ever you decide to do.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I’m a senior in high school and I don’t know what to do with my future … I like math and physics, so I was thinking about some type of engineering. I’m considering biomedical engineering because creating medical equipment sounds sweet, but I’m still uncertain about it. I know this is probably a shot in the dark… But if there is anybody out there that can give me some advice or make any suggestions on what my college major should be that involves math/physics, that would be fantastic.

Also, if you could offer up a quick prayer for me to get some guidance I would greatly appreciate it.

God bless,
Tom

I have a son who is in his 3rd year of a likely 5 year degree in aerospace engineering. He’s been blessed with the right gifts to follow his love since he was 3 years old, stuff that flies through the air like airplanes and helicopters. Lucky boy! He loves his major and hopes to get an internship with Lockheed or one of the other aviation companies this summer.

Definitely engineering if you are good at math, you like math, you want to be surrounded by and immersed in math! The aero engineering degree includes enough math to be one course away from a math minor.

Any of the engineering specialties will make you employable. Bio-med is a great field to get into. Very hot right now. Perhaps you can ask your guidance counselor if he or she can set up some kind of shadowing of someone in that field, so you can see what they are doing. If that is your interest, GO FOR IT!!!

 

[Donald_L_McCabe]

I have been an mechanical engineer for over 40 years. Love it! But not for the reasons that I thought I would nor for the things that I thought that I would be doing. If you love the sciences and the learning process, engineering is the place to start. Where it will take you is hard to know, but the ride was great for me.

 

[yellowantphil]

I majored in physics. I’d say that if you want to know the principles behind why things work (everything from your toaster to the entire universe), take physics.

I don’t mean to pigeonhole the engineers reading this thread, but: in my experience, engineering students are more concerned with practical applications, while physics students thrive on general principles. I had a roommate who asked me once, with a smug look on his face, “What practical applications are there of quantum mechanics?” Apparently he thought there weren’t any. I mumbled something about cell phones, because I’d heard that they relied on quantum mechanics to function. But a physicist never would have asked that question. Who cares if the double slit experiment (for example) has any practical applications? The experiment helps reveal the nature of the universe!

I’ve heard that physics is the liberal arts degree of the sciences. It’s concerned with general principles, and you can do pretty much anything with it. I don’t know any statistics on the relative employability of physics majors vs. engineering majors though.

I’d say that if you like building or designing things, and you thrive on practical applications, take engineering. If you like general principles of how the universe works, take physics. If physics is too concrete for you, take math.

And now an old joke:

If there’s a fire in the center of a room and a bucket of water in the corner, an engineer will calculate exactly how much water it takes to put out the fire, multiply by 100, and pour that much water on the fire. A physicist will elegantly pour the water around the fire and let the fire put itself out. A mathematician will convince himself that there is a solution and then leave.

 

[SPBlitz]

If you like math and science, and want to (almost) be guaranteed a job out of college, go engineering, it’s a great choice.
I’m in my third year of Civil Engineering at the U of A and love it. My two roommates are Mechanical Engineers and enjoy it a lot too.
Just be prepared - engineering (especially Bio Medical Engineering) is a LOT of work. Be prepared to have to sacrifice a lot of weekends and holidays to studying, but it’s definitely worth it. Its fairly easy to find a job (engineers are in extremely high demand - a Geo Tech firm I talked with recently said they’re actually expanding right now - even during the recession), and engineers usually make a nice wage too (say about 50 grand a year out of college for a Civil,a lot more if you’re doing Bio Med).
You’re in high school now, so what you want to be looking into is a university that has a good engineering college. After that, you have a couple of years to decide which branch of engineering you’d like to pursue.
Also, if you’re going to do engineering, expect to have to get a Master’s degree at some point. It’s almost impossible to learn everything you need to know during four years, so a lot of companies no expect the new hires to eventually get a higher level degree.
Good luck to you!

 

[admonsta]

I am a Mechanical Engineer, but after university, in the workforce I have always been in Manufacturing Design. I work designing products such as components for trucks, stadium seating or clutch assemblies. Most of my work is on computers, although sometimes there is need to go out to the factory floor and measure something. I love seeing my virtual design become a reality, and coming up with solutions to tricky little problems.

My husband is also a Mech. Engineer, and he started in Production Engineering (making sure the processes used to make the products was working okay). He is a very social person, so he got sick of being stuck at a desk and he switched to Sales Engineering. He now works with customers to come up with solutions to their requirements - for example he worked for a tanker company and would design the tankers to carry the right load while conforming to all relevant design guidelines and having all extra functionality required.

One thing I did discover - In Australia a lot of aerospace engineers get jobs in manufacturing because there are more aero engineers than there are positions. There is a large cross-over in the courses (mech and aero). I don’t know if it’s the same in other places. Also consider the mining industry.

 

[trmyjs]

Thank you all so much for the advice and comments. I thank God for the peace you have all provided me with on this important matter. I’m too exhausted right now to put much thought in replying to your posts, so I’ll take care of that tomorrow since I do have many questions. But once again, thank you!

 

[MtnDwellar]

Math and Physics are wonderful subjects and are the basis for most engineering. While it may seem that you have to make an important decision, you will probably find that the field in which you work depends more upon opportunities that avail…

I have been an engineer for over 25 years. For 13 years I worked for a medical device manufacturer. I never met a biomedical engineer! We developed and manufactured diagnostic instrumentation and devices. Our department had chemical, electronics, mechanical, computer, etc.

When I started college I became interested in lasers and optics, mainly because I wanted to do laser light shows for rock concerts. After college, I ended up engineering missile guidance systems and reconnaissance cameras. Go figure.

 

[Em_in_FL]

My husband and I are engineers as well… he studied Mechanical and I studied Electrical (I also minored in Math… for “fun”, LOL! )…

Honestly - here’s my best piece of advice. Consider a “generic” engineering degree - such as either Mechanical or Electrical - rather than a “specific” genre like Biomedical, Aerospace, or Nuclear, etc…
Why? Because you can apply your degree in a WIDE variety of industries.
Mechanicals and Electricals are very versatile… either can be employed in the Biomedical industry, the Aerospace industry, manufacturing, simulation, etc, etc…
(I work in the wireless design industry, my husband works in aerospace… for example - you don’t need specific degrees to work in these areas!)…

Also - if you have the opportunity to expand your options in other ways while you’re in college - I highly advise it… consider getting an MBA or a Masters in Sales/Marketing… this will give you the option of expanding your career opportunities and will open up higher salary levels in order to take care of a future family!

Good luck to you and prayers for a successful future ahead!

 

[Cupofkindness]

**Texas A&M has a top-rated engineering school and a fabulous Catholic student community. There are 16 engineering specialties. Please consider A&M. Applications are due soon. A&M uses the common app.

engineering.tamu.edu/

And here is a link to the legendary St. Mary’s Catholic Church:

aggiecatholic.org/

**

 

[Luke_K]

I’m a senior in high school and I don’t know what to do with my future … I like math and physics, so I was thinking about some type of engineering. I’m considering biomedical engineering because creating medical equipment sounds sweet, but I’m still uncertain about it. I know this is probably a shot in the dark… But if there is anybody out there that can give me some advice or make any suggestions on what my college major should be that involves math/physics, that would be fantastic.

Also, if you could offer up a quick prayer for me to get some guidance I would greatly appreciate it.

God bless,
Tom

I’m a senior in materials engineering with a minor in bioengineering, so our interests sound similar. The best practical aspect of majoring in engineering is that your interests are marketable. You can easily get a job, and don’t necessarily need to get an advanced degree either. Another great aspect is you get to do cool stuff. In my job as an undergraduate research assistant I routinely handle liquid nitrogen and operate a scanning electron microscope. You don’t get to do those kinds of things as an English major!

When I interviewed for an internship at Boston Scientific, they said that they prefer people who major in a specific discipline, such as electrical engineering, rather than in generic biomedical engineering. You learn what you need to know about the specific device you’ll be working on at the job. I agree with their mindset, because I think you’re more useful to a team that’s working on a biomedical device if you’re an expert in one aspect of it rather than having a broader knowledge of biomedical devices in general. The thing about the sciences today is that in order to do anything new you have to become an expert in a small area, and then you work in an interdisciplinary team to accomplish something.

I majored in materials engineering (with an emphasis in electronics and polymers), but I will (hopefully) be applying that education to making biodegradable organic transistors, or sensors to be implanted in the body.

yellowantphil:

I majored in physics. I’d say that if you want to know the principles behind why things work (everything from your toaster to the entire universe), take physics.

I don’t mean to pigeonhole the engineers reading this thread, but: in my experience, engineering students are more concerned with practical applications, while physics students thrive on general principles. I had a roommate who asked me once, with a smug look on his face, “What practical applications are there of quantum mechanics?” Apparently he thought there weren’t any. I mumbled something about cell phones, because I’d heard that they relied on quantum mechanics to function. But a physicist never would have asked that question. Who cares if the double slit experiment (for example) has any practical applications? The experiment helps reveal the nature of the universe!

I’ve heard that physics is the liberal arts degree of the sciences. It’s concerned with general principles, and you can do pretty much anything with it. I don’t know any statistics on the relative employability of physics majors vs. engineering majors though.

I’d say that if you like building or designing things, and you thrive on practical applications, take engineering. If you like general principles of how the universe works, take physics. If physics is too concrete for you, take math.

And now an old joke:

If there’s a fire in the center of a room and a bucket of water in the corner, an engineer will calculate exactly how much water it takes to put out the fire, multiply by 100, and pour that much water on the fire. A physicist will elegantly pour the water around the fire and let the fire put itself out. A mathematician will convince himself that there is a solution and then leave.

This is basically true. The thing with engineers though is that some prefer the more practical aspect of the science and math (where equations are just tools for getting the job done), while others become more interested in the theoretical implications (what are the physical concepts behind the derivation of this equation?). I am the latter. I chose to go into engineering rather than physics though because I can only stand theory and abstract ideas so much before I want to puke my brains out and ground myself back in the everyday world.

 

[tafan]

I’m a senior in high school and I don’t know what to do with my future … I like math and physics, so I was thinking about some type of engineering. I’m considering biomedical engineering because creating medical equipment sounds sweet, but I’m still uncertain about it. I know this is probably a shot in the dark… But if there is anybody out there that can give me some advice or make any suggestions on what my college major should be that involves math/physics, that would be fantastic.

Also, if you could offer up a quick prayer for me to get some guidance I would greatly appreciate it.

God bless,
Tom

For a bachelor’s degree, do not major in one of the very specialized fields of engineering. I know it sounds cool and such, but it doesn’t work out career wise as well as you think. Stick with one of the basics: mechanical, electrical, civil, or chemical. I cannot stress this enough. You will be much more well rounded from an engineering point of view and have many more opportunities to advance. Universities which offer bachelor programs in things such as biomedical engineering, aerospace engineering, petroleum engineering (see special note below) and even one which offers a bachelor’s in nuclear engineering: they are doing a disservice to their students and to industry, in my strong opinion.

Graduate programs in these fields make a lot of sense, but not bachelors.

Special note on petroleum engineering: this is really a discipline which I do not recommend studying at the bachelor’s level. Most oil companies would just as soon hire other engineering majors and geologists and train them on the specifics. I know of one major US oil company that has a policy against hiring petroleum engineering graduates at the bachelors level. It is a dirty little secret, but in that field, the engineering courses are often a little “watered” down, you get the engineering basics presented in a much stronger fashion in almost all other majors.

 

[trmyjs]

Well, I did have a lot of questions until everyone answered most of them. I regret not asking on here sooner. I’m glad I now know it’s better to go for something like electrical or mechanical engineering. Especially since I wasn’t sure if I could handle something as difficult as biomedical in college (not that the other engineering majors aren’t difficult, I’ve just heard that biomedical is a bit extreme).

To the Texas A&M suggestion- sounds nice, but it’s too far away from home.

One question I have for all engineers is were you always designing things or thinking about how they work? Or did you develop that out of your likes of math or physics in college? Because I don’t know if I have that creative gene in me. Growing up I’ve never been too into legos or building things because I was too eager to go play any sport I could get involved with.

 

[ricmat]

If you like math and science, and want to (almost) be guaranteed a job out of college, go engineering, it’s a great choice.

I’m a retired electrical engineer / manager.

Engineering is a great choice, especially if you want to actually DO something useful with your degree.

You’re in high school now, so what you want to be looking into is a university that has a good engineering college. After that, you have a couple of years to decide which branch of engineering you’d like to pursue.

Or it could be that you need to identify a specialty after Freshman year.

Also, if you’re going to do engineering, expect to have to get a Master’s degree at some point. It’s almost impossible to learn everything you need to know during four years, so a lot of companies no expect the new hires to eventually get a higher level degree.

I disagree with this. I hired a lot of engineers during my career. I hired PhD quantum physics guys to be entry level software engineers, and entry level manufacturing engineers. Not because they were particularly useful but because my boss had a degree in Physics so he thought physics guys could do everything. And they did OK. The same that a bachelor’s engineering degree person could do. At the same salary.

I also hired a lot of EE’s. It was better to hire a bachelors degree guy with a couple years of “real world” experience than a masters or PhD guy who knew a lot of theory but didn’t know the first thing about the real world. And after a few years of “on the job training”, you couldn’t make out the PhD guy from the bachelors guy.

Honestly - here’s my best piece of advice. Consider a “generic” engineering degree - such as either Mechanical or Electrical - rather than a “specific” genre like Biomedical, Aerospace, or Nuclear, etc…
Why? Because you can apply your degree in a WIDE variety of industries.
Mechanicals and Electricals are very versatile… either can be employed in the Biomedical industry, the Aerospace industry, manufacturing, simulation, etc, etc…
(I work in the wireless design industry, my husband works in aerospace… for example - you don’t need specific degrees to work in these areas!)…

Also - if you have the opportunity to expand your options in other ways while you’re in college - I highly advise it… consider getting an MBA or a Masters in Sales/Marketing… this will give you the option of expanding your career opportunities and will open up higher salary levels in order to take care of a future family!

Good luck to you and prayers for a successful future ahead!

Good advice!

For a bachelor’s degree, do not major in one of the very specialized fields of engineering. I know it sounds cool and such, but it doesn’t work out career wise as well as you think. Stick with one of the basics: mechanical, electrical, civil, or chemical. I cannot stress this enough. You will be much more well rounded from an engineering point of view and have many more opportunities to advance. Universities which offer bachelor programs in things such as biomedical engineering, aerospace engineering, petroleum engineering (see special note below) and even one which offers a bachelor’s in nuclear engineering: they are doing a disservice to their students and to industry, in my strong opinion.

Graduate programs in these fields make a lot of sense, but not bachelors.

Agreed! Get one of the non-specialized degrees. You can migrate if necessary to a more specialized job (if one exists) but the reverse is not true.

 

[tafan]

Well, I did have a lot of questions until everyone answered most of them. I regret not asking on here sooner. I’m glad I now know it’s better to go for something like electrical or mechanical engineering. Especially since I wasn’t sure if I could handle something as difficult as biomedical in college (not that the other engineering majors aren’t difficult, I’ve just heard that biomedical is a bit extreme).

To the Texas A&M suggestion- sounds nice, but it’s too far away from home.

One question I have for all engineers is were you always designing things or thinking about how they work? Or did you develop that out of your likes of math or physics in college? Because I don’t know if I have that creative gene in me. Growing up I’ve never been too into legos or building things because I was too eager to go play any sport I could get involved with.

To answer your last questoin, a little creative gene, but much more in thinking about how things work. But don’t worry about that now, a lot of engineering work is very interesting, challenging, figuring out how to make things work; but not necessarily creative. Its often implementing other’s creative ideas. Its often applying the skills to known problems, but new instances of those problems. When I think creative, I think the people who come up with product concepts; these are often not engineers at all. Now, trying to build what these “creative geniuses” dream up is often next to impossible and is what makes engineering so much fun.

 

[trmyjs]

To answer your last questoin, a little creative gene, but much more in thinking about how things work. But don’t worry about that now, a lot of engineering work is very interesting, challenging, figuring out how to make things work; but not necessarily creative. Its often implementing other’s creative ideas. Its often applying the skills to known problems, but new instances of those problems. When I think creative, I think the people who come up with product concepts; these are often not engineers at all. Now, trying to build what these “creative geniuses” dream up is often next to impossible and is what makes engineering so much fun.

I see what you’re saying. This definitely sounds more like me.

 

[ricmat]

To the Texas A&M suggestion- sounds nice, but it’s too far away from home.

Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh is good. Or Case in Cleveland.

One question I have for all engineers is were you always designing things or thinking about how they work? Or did you develop that out of your likes of math or physics in college? Because I don’t know if I have that creative gene in me. Growing up I’ve never been too into legos or building things because I was too eager to go play any sport I could get involved with.

Most engineering is creative - but in a different way than “Eureka!”. Engineers are usually involved with “products” of some sort - autos, or iPads, etc. Quite often, the CEO and/or marketing guys will say “We need a new iPad, which needs a 20 inch screen, but needs to fit in your pocket, and we want it to run any new software that will be created in the next 20 years.” So an engineer will take this “idea” and create a high level design document, recapping the marketing desires, and perhaps suggesting an approach to make it happen. Then another more detailed document is created, with more specifics, schedules, cost estimates, etc. Then another even more detailed document is created which specifies the excruciating details of “the design”. Then a prototype is built, and redesigned, and built again. Eventually the product must be mass produced. All of these phases involve creativity - but applied to a specific goal - the new iPad as an example. New ways of looking at things can lead to lower cost, or how to fit a 20 inch screen in your shirt pocket.

Engineering is not a navel gazing discipline. Engineering is not speculating about how much dark matter exists in the universe and whether or not galaxy formation can be explained by missing dark matter. Although interesting, any theory you might come up with involving galaxy formation and dark matter cannot be tested, or proved (although that wouldn’t prevent you from getting a PhD in physics for your theory). In engineering, your design will eventually be built and tested. It works or it doesn’t. And when it does, you get paid.

Most engineering is classified as “applied physics”, meaning, “you need to make it work, buddy.” Something useful has to come out of it all. If you enjoy the prospect of using science and math to do something real - engineering would be a good fit for you.