Calling all ENGINEERS - Help!

**KingClone** · 04-22-2010, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by isucy1234

Tell him to look into Industrial Engineering. It's arguably the easiest engineering degree, and also focuses on the business side of engineering.

As an IE, I resemble that remark.

**psycln11** · 04-22-2010, 03:36 PM

Civil Engr here... and I found that the first 2 years were weed out classes and that once you get into the degree program, the classes were actually pretty interesting and easier.

**azn4cy** · 04-22-2010, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by CycoCyclone

I made the switch from Computer E to MIS and never looked back

Same. best decision ever.

**VeloClone** · 04-22-2010, 03:42 PM

Originally Posted by azn4cy

Same. best decision ever.

Why did it not surprise me to see you appear in this thread?

I keed, I keed!

**MNCyGuy** · 04-22-2010, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by azn4cy

Same. best decision ever.

I wasn't aware they let you take non-engineering majors.

**cyclonenum1** · 04-22-2010, 03:43 PM

Originally Posted by MNCyGuy

I don't have kids, so forgive if I'm being out of line here, but why do parents insist on forcing kids to stick with majors they have no enthusiasm for in the name of "being succesful"? I got my ME degree at ISU, but thankfully I feel like that was my choice, not my parents. On the other hand I have an unemployed chem E buddy who I would wager is having trouble finding a job because his parents guilted him into sticking with a major he hated and it affected his performance in school.

I also have co-worker who has twice had me talk to his kid about going to ISU for engineering. I absolutely hate it, not because I don't like talking up ISU, but because while daddy goes on and on about how much his kid wants to be an EE, it is obvious within 5 secs. of talking with this kid that he is not at all sold on the idea and is just doing what his parents tell him to do.

Let me ask you, why did you switch out of engineering? Were your reasons that different from your sons? Do you really think you'd be happier with your career if you'd stayed in it, or would you just have more money?

I can tell you don't have kids. When you have kids you try to give them the best you can in everything...from $10,000 a year for private school education in HS to $50,000 a year for college education. You also try to impart some wisdom from your years and experiences to them.

I really don't care what he ultimately does as long as he is happy with it but I can assure you the "its going to be hard" and "I might not like my classes" objections are not ones I am real comfortable with. Life is hard and you tend to end up doing stuff you don't like that much in the course of living your life.

I didn't like my classes, I had no rapport with my advisor, I had no engineering role models that gave me the ability to visualize the future as an engineer and, frankly, I saw a career of crunching numbers from 8-5 in a cubicle and decided I did not want that. I am just trying to make sure my son thinks this through before making a change. I am not a good example of 'you shouldn't change because look how awful things turned out for me'...I work for myself, love what I do, and make good money doing it. I have a few friends that are engineers but now EEs...just thought I might get some real world ideas about what these guys are doing out there.

**brianhos** · 04-22-2010, 03:44 PM

Originally Posted by RhoadsRage

Dice.com

Another GREAT website! Highly recommended. Run by some brilliant people.

**Cyched** · 04-22-2010, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by psycln11

Civil Engr here... and I found that the first 2 years were weed out classes and that once you get into the degree program, the classes were actually pretty interesting and easier.

Thanks for the heads up! I'm currently thrilled about not having to take Physics 222

**azn4cy** · 04-22-2010, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by VeloClone

Why did it not surprise me to see you appear in this thread?

I keed, I keed!

Originally Posted by MNCyGuy

I wasn't aware they let you take non-engineering majors.

Ok guys, don't go blowing your brains out due to the shock now... but I was Psychology for a year and a half between CprE and MIS.....

Then of course the asian parents flipped out and we compromised on MIS.

**MNCyGuy** · 04-22-2010, 03:51 PM

Originally Posted by cyclonenum1

I can tell you don't have kids. When you have kids you try to give them the best you can in everything...from $10,000 a year for private school education in HS to $50,000 a year for college education. You also try to impart some wisdom from your years and experiences to them.

I really don't care what he ultimately does as long as he is happy with it but I can assure you the "its going to be hard" and "I might not like my classes" objections are not ones I am real comfortable with. Life is hard and you tend to end up doing stuff you don't like that much in the course of living your life.

I didn't like my classes, I had no rapport with my advisor, I had no engineering role models that gave me the ability to visualize the future as an engineer and, frankly, I saw a career of crunching numbers from 8-5 in a cubicle and decided I did not want that. I am just trying to make sure my son thinks this through before making a change. I am not a good example of 'you shouldn't change because look how awful things turned out for me'...I work for myself, love what I do, and make good money doing it. I have a few friends that are engineers but now EEs...just thought I might get some real world ideas about what these guys are doing out there.

My parents gave me the shirts off their backs to get me and now my sister through college, I fully intend to do the same for mine someday, so I think I've got as good of a handle on what you're saying as I can without actually having kids. My point is that I really don't think enough parents take the time to discern whether their kid is saying "This is hard and I'm looking for an easier way out" or "I gave this my best shot, but for whatever reason this is not for me". I think the success a lot of parents picture their kids having acts as blinders for the reality of their kid's situation. Maybe that isn't the case here, but I can name 4-5 kids I know where that was definitely the situation. All I'm saying is do yourself and your son a favor and really try to understand why he's talking about switching majors before you assume he's being lazy and harp on him for it.

**abcguyks** · 04-22-2010, 03:57 PM

This sounds very similar to my son. He spent a year at ISU preparing to get a BS degree in ME. Late in the first year (about April) he announces that he wants to get out of engineering because he does not want t work in a "cube farm". His grades were fine so that was not the problem. I could not accuse him of not knowing what he was talking about because he had two different internships/summer jobs working in engineering environments so I let him move on. Initially he wanted to go into teaching, but after some discussion he ended up going into pharmacy and is now boing very well and happy with what he is doing.

I didn't realize it at the time, but I think he went into ME because that is what he thought I wanted. I am glad that he ended up doing what he wanted.

Moral of the story - let him make his own choice, but give him the benefit of your experience as he does so.

**flynnhicks03** · 04-22-2010, 03:58 PM

Originally Posted by brianhos

Another GREAT website! Highly recommended. Run by some brilliant people.

My coworker plays league golf with one of the founders of Dice.com. The guy is loaded (obviously). It's pretty cool that it's a Des Moines company.

**isuno1fan** · 04-22-2010, 03:59 PM

Is he going to ISU?

I have a BS in ME and went into technical sales. Best career choice ever. More money, more flexibility, etc.

They have a sales engineering club at ISU now. I'd recommend he take a look at it if he does go to ISU.

Knowing you he is probably at LSU though.

**aeroclone** · 04-22-2010, 04:12 PM

Let me throw another vote to the IE and MBA option. They have a joint program where you can do it all in 5 years, and if he is just finishing year two of undergrad, he should be fine to get started in that. IE is probably the easiest of the engineering majors, and it leans more in the business direction if that is your interest.

I did an engineering and MBA path myself, and I would say that empoyers seem to like the combination, and it also gives you a lot of different directions that you can go in your career, either more technical or more business.

That said, if he fears cube life, I would point him down a different career path than mine!

**Cyched** · 04-22-2010, 04:12 PM

When I was getting ready for college I think my parents(both ISU alumni) got the impression that I was doing engineering just because I thought they wanted me to go to ISU. Obviously they're thrilled I chose ISU, but I don't know how many times I heard "You know you don't have to go to ISU." No complaints though after 1 year.

As far as deciding on a major, one of my dad's friends has a son who had no clue what he wanted to do, and ended up sending him to a counselor who just by talking to him gauged his interests and made suggestions as to what path he should choose. From what I heard, the work she did with him was really good. Your situation doesn't seem to call for this, but if he's completely lost on what he wants to do that may be an option.