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How does one decide what to study in school?

E

Eli

Super Moderator | Elite Member
This decision has plagued me all of my adult life.

I don't know how to go about it. Should I just pick something? Should I just start school, and figure it out later? What?

I have too many interests. I'd really like to become an EE, but taking that route would require 10,000x the time and effort because even though electronics is very interesting to me, it is a struggle to learn. It does not come naturally to me. Now on the other hand, if I went to school for Forestry/Horticulture, I would breeze through the coursework no problem, at least in comparison.

Should I pick what comes naturally, and keep electronics as a hobby? Or should I challenge myself to learn more? Having the knowledge and skills of an EE is greatly appealing to me; it's like knowing how to code in the computer world. You can make the [electronics] do whatever you want them to.

Another possibility is mechanical engineering with an automotive slant. I would have an easier time at this than EE, but it would still be highly intense.

Those are my 3 main areas of interest. Obviously each of those have enough sub-categories to make your head explode, but in general. Now how the fsck do I pick?

How did ya'll pick?

😕
 
In this day and age, you should go for a more general major like Math. It's going to open up a lot of routes for graduate study.
 
Originally posted by: UncleWai
In this day and age, you should go for a more general major like Math. It's going to open up a lot of routes for graduate study.
Click to expand...

I disagree. If you want to be an engineer, dont major in math.

Do what you enjoy. Pretty much all engineering (and math/science) majors will have the same classes their first two years, so after two years, you will have a better idea of what you enjoy and are good at doing.

Switching between Engineering/math/science majors after 2 years should be very easy to do.

If you are torn between something like Engineering and Business, then thats a tougher call.


edit:

Also, if you think you are going to want to go to grad school, it is pretty common / easy to major in one type of engineering as an undergrad, and a different for graduate school (with a little forethought and planning).

I did my undergrad as EE, and I am doing my grad as Industrial. Unfortunatly, like me, you probably wont realize that you dont like your major until you actually start a job with it. My advice: Get internships/coops. Thats how you will really tell if you enjoy it or not.
 
Without declaring a major (unless it's required), try out a couple of EE and/or ME courses your first year to see if you can stomach it. If you hate it, don't do it. In the end, there is a good chance they will count as general electives towards whatever degree you finally land on. If you have a college advisor, make use of them. Ask them these questions, as they likely know better than us.
 
That's another thing that is terrifying to me about *.Engineering.

I am terrible at math. Granted, that could change.. but the math center of my brain is only firing on two cylinders, or something.. because it's a struggle and a half...... I don't know why. It is extremely frustrating to me, since two of my 3 passions basically are math.

:cry;

That's what makes me think that it would be worth it in the long run to learn it, even if I hated it in the process...
 
You gotta do what you love. The fire inside will drive you. If you REALLY want to be an EE, you'll find a way to learn the math.
 
I would say to get a major in forestry/horticulture, and then for your electives, take a few EE classes and some math classes (unless the math ones are already required). This way the EE side of things would stay a hobby, but you'll get some college experience with it and be able to pursue what you want to with it a bit more on the side.
 
As a Mech Eng, I took plenty of EE classes. These days MEs are expected to handle basic electrical work (power transmission, grounding, etc) and only bring in EEs for higher end stuff.

However, if you have no aptitude for calculus, and engineering will be difficult. But its better to start of hard and decide to try for something easier if you can't stand it, IMHO.
 
Originally posted by: Eli
That's another thing that is terrifying to me about *.Engineering.

I am terrible at math. Granted, that could change.. but the math center of my brain is only firing on two cylinders, or something.. because it's a struggle and a half...... I don't know why. It is extremely frustrating to me, since two of my 3 passions basically are math.

:cry;

That's what makes me think that it would be worth it in the long run to learn it, even if I hated it in the process...
Click to expand...

You're probably not nearly as bad as you think. Most people coming out of high school think they're bad at it, when they're really not. I thought the same thing at the time, and now I'm finishing up Differential Equations with a 3.5ish math GPA. Just make sure you pay attention in class, and allot as much time as necessary to do all the homework and understand it; that's all that's required to do well in math.

Edit: People's own beliefs/attitudes going into math class are generally what kills it for them, so don't go into class with the attitude that you can't do it. Hundreds of thousands of people do this stuff every year, and I'm sure plenty of them are worse at math than you are. =)
 
Originally posted by: mrkun
Originally posted by: Eli
That's another thing that is terrifying to me about *.Engineering.

I am terrible at math. Granted, that could change.. but the math center of my brain is only firing on two cylinders, or something.. because it's a struggle and a half...... I don't know why. It is extremely frustrating to me, since two of my 3 passions basically are math.

:cry;

That's what makes me think that it would be worth it in the long run to learn it, even if I hated it in the process...
Click to expand...

You're probably not nearly as bad as you think. Most people coming out of high school think they're bad at it, when they're really not. I thought the same thing at the time, and now I'm finishing up Differential Equations with a 3.5ish math GPA. Just make sure you pay attention in class, and allot as much time as necessary to do all the homework and understand it; that's all that's required to do well in math.

Edit: People's own beliefs/attitudes going into math class are generally what kills it for them, so don't go into class with the attitude that you can't do it. Hundreds of thousands of people do this stuff every year, and I'm sure plenty of them are worse at math than you are. =)
Click to expand...
That's a good way of putting it. When I was going for my driving test when I was 16, a friend simply told me to look at all the idiots driving around. If those idiots can get a license, I can too. The same goes for the different classes required at the college level.

I'd also agree that if you do all the homework, make yourself attend lectures, etc., then you'll do just fine.
 
Originally posted by: mrkun
You're probably not nearly as bad as you think. Most people coming out of high school think they're bad at it, when they're really not. I thought the same thing at the time, and now I'm finishing up Differential Equations with a 3.5ish math GPA. Just make sure you pay attention in class, and allot as much time as necessary to do all the homework and understand it; that's all that's required to do well in math.

Edit: People's own beliefs/attitudes going into math class are generally what kills it for them, so don't go into class with the attitude that you can't do it. Hundreds of thousands of people do this stuff every year, and I'm sure plenty of them are worse at math than you are. =)
Click to expand...

True. The way math is taught in HS is frequently not that effective (emphasis on using a procedure rather than understanding a concept). If you have a mind for problem solving in general, you should be fine.
 
Originally posted by: VTHodge
True. The way math is taught in HS is frequently not that effective (emphasis on using a procedure rather than understanding a concept). If you have a mind for problem solving in general, you should be fine.
Click to expand...

Well, that's how I personally learn actually. Once I get the procedure down, I can extrapolate the general concept and understand the proofs. Anyway, I'm not sure there's really a substitute for teaching algebra in a procedural way; you just have to do it.

Also, I think the most important component in academic success is desire. If you're not really interested in learning math (or another subject) well, you're simply not going to.
 
Find out what you're good at, find out what you enjoy, find out what pays well, talk to people who are in the industry, and pray to God that you get it right...

...then change careers four years out of college 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Eli
This decision has plagued me all of my adult life.

I don't know how to go about it. Should I just pick something? Should I just start school, and figure it out later? What?

I have too many interests. I'd really like to become an EE, but taking that route would require 10,000x the time and effort because even though electronics is very interesting to me, it is a struggle to learn. It does not come naturally to me. Now on the other hand, if I went to school for Forestry/Horticulture, I would breeze through the coursework no problem, at least in comparison.

Should I pick what comes naturally, and keep electronics as a hobby? Or should I challenge myself to learn more? Having the knowledge and skills of an EE is greatly appealing to me; it's like knowing how to code in the computer world. You can make the [electronics] do whatever you want them to.

Another possibility is mechanical engineering with an automotive slant. I would have an easier time at this than EE, but it would still be highly intense.

Those are my 3 main areas of interest. Obviously each of those have enough sub-categories to make your head explode, but in general. Now how the fsck do I pick?

How did ya'll pick?

😕
Click to expand...

Electronics comes naturally to very few people. As an EE masters student, some of the circuits can/will make your headspin along the way. "divide and conquer" as they say. Challenge yourself in college, you will only get one chance at it. And so what if you can't drink on a Tuesday night? There is still plenty of time to have a good one as an engineering major. Anyway, after you survive a few EE classes, everything else will seem like cake 😛

 
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
I would say to get a major in forestry/horticulture, and then for your electives, take a few EE classes and some math classes (unless the math ones are already required). This way the EE side of things would stay a hobby, but you'll get some college experience with it and be able to pursue what you want to with it a bit more on the side.
Click to expand...

This would not be a wise route because basically you would only have time for a general circuits class which is very boring...You don't really get into the interesting stuff till your junior year as a EE and to get to that point you have to be an EE. He would basically have to be able to fit in 4-6 extra classes (Math Included) to get to any of the interesting EE stuff...

As for my own experience I am a Junior EE, this year has been pretty rough, but you learn to like it after awhile. So if you think you have a heart for it I say go for it...
 
I went to undergrad (at Cal) undeclared in engineering. I knew I wanted to do engineering but I didn't know what. I chose to major in ME because it's so wide open it's like being undeclared but having a major. ME's can do bio, robotics, electronics, mems, and things almost every other engineering discipline does, as well as the more ME-specific dynamics, fluids, thermo, acoustics/vibrations, etc.

I thought I wanted to do fluids when I first declared ME, but I've been interested in acoustics, so now I'm going to (hopefully) work at an acoustics consulting company before I decide for sure and go to grad school.
 
Originally posted by: bignateyk
Originally posted by: UncleWai
In this day and age, you should go for a more general major like Math. It's going to open up a lot of routes for graduate study.
Click to expand...

I disagree. If you want to be an engineer, dont major in math.

Do what you enjoy. Pretty much all engineering (and math/science) majors will have the same classes their first two years, so after two years, you will have a better idea of what you enjoy and are good at doing.

Switching between Engineering/math/science majors after 2 years should be very easy to do.

If you are torn between something like Engineering and Business, then thats a tougher call.


edit:

Also, if you think you are going to want to go to grad school, it is pretty common / easy to major in one type of engineering as an undergrad, and a different for graduate school (with a little forethought and planning).

I did my undergrad as EE, and I am doing my grad as Industrial. Unfortunatly, like me, you probably wont realize that you dont like your major until you actually start a job with it. My advice: Get internships/coops. Thats how you will really tell if you enjoy it or not.
Click to expand...

I don't know how it is at most programs, but many public university engineering programs have almost nothing in common with a physics major. Engineering degrees are moving more towards business and away from math/science. A masters in engineering will get you into the hardcore scientific study that engineering has known for thousands of years. Here's an example of a physics degree and engineering degree at my university (first year).

Physics - Calc I, English, Intro Mech, Gen Ed, elective in Physics
Engr - Calc I, English, Intro Engineering (vastly different, I took it when I was deciding my major still), Gen Ed, elective in Engineering (usually coding or a materials science class)

If you do it right you can get your first year to be general enough that you can major in anything and graduate in 4 (or 5 at most). Take the highest common math class you can pass into and you'll at least have access to every major's math requirements. Let's say you make the requirements for vector calculus and pass that class but eventually become an art major; well, the vector calc won't help so much, but at least you've passed your major's mathematics requirement and can brag to all your new art friends!

Also, if you want to do EE, investigate the course descriptions first. EE at my unviersity is actually "ECE" (electrical + computer engineering) and contains very few electronics courses. If you want to work with electronics and not computer languages, make sure your school actually does the amount of electronics work that you'll be looking for. If you like programming too, then it doesn't matter.

You can always pull a major out of a hat, but you may regret that later. There's no definite way to know without doing a ton of internet browsing throughout your university's website.
 
Originally posted by: mrkun
Originally posted by: VTHodge
True. The way math is taught in HS is frequently not that effective (emphasis on using a procedure rather than understanding a concept). If you have a mind for problem solving in general, you should be fine.
Click to expand...

Well, that's how I personally learn actually. Once I get the procedure down, I can extrapolate the general concept and understand the proofs. Anyway, I'm not sure there's really a substitute for teaching algebra in a procedural way; you just have to do it.

Also, I think the most important component in academic success is desire. If you're not really interested in learning math (or another subject) well, you're simply not going to.
Click to expand...

Yes, that is what I preferred about high school math as well. I learned a lot in high school calculus and passed into college vector calc, which I just didn't like. I then decided to take differential equations by correspondence (you teach yourself and mail your homework to the professor and take the tests at a testing center). I was able to get down the procedure and understand the proofs much better with your method.
 
It's hard to decide, and trying to survey a few 100 or 200 level classes doesn't really tell you much. Well, that's not entirely true, if those don't go well, it can tell you that you need to get the hell out of that field. 😀 You don't figure out what your engineering major really is all about until you hit the 300 and 400 level stuff, and you have to be knee deep in the curriculum to take those classes.

One good thing is that the first 2 years of most engineering programs are pretty similar, so you can declare a major early on, but may able to switch to another discipline without too much damage. I'd get some internships/co-ops those first 2 years if possible and see what the work in your chosen field is like.

It's not the end of the world if you have to switch. My first roommate was initially a EE major. He was an uber nerd to the core, and I assumed was pretty smart, but ended up getting into the 2nd year and bombing the first two basic circuits classes, which pretty much torpedoed his EE plans. He switched to IE and still somehow graduated in 4 years.

I wouldn't get psyched out about the math, unless you already know you're not good at it and hate doing it. You can probably get free tutoring through the university for the first calculus classes, and there's no shame in that. If you have a sh!tty math department and sh!tty instructors for the freshman calc classes like I did, you may end up more confused than when you started.

If you want to go into R&D, graduate education is almost essential. Not just for the education, but the contacts you can make at a good school with a well connected advisor. My best advice is to keep your GPA high if you see grad school in your future.
 
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