What was/is your major? and Was it worth it?
- Thread starter cardsNclones
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criminal justice...then joined the AF to do either security forces or try to join OSI and found out im color blind. its not worth **** since im in the cyber field now but it did get me 2 stripes to start so the extra pay is nice
Got B.S. in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management (HRIM). Got an offer to work for few hotels/restaurant headquarters but never worked for any of them. I got my Masters in Higher Ed right after B.S. since I wanted to hang out with college kids for rest of my life and just wasn't ready to leave Iowa State. This is second institution I have been with since I graduated from Iowa State. So far so good. Utilizing both of my degrees and working for KU (I have to listen to people talk about Jayhawks, but I get to see my Clones few times a year:spinny::spinny
Back in the day they called it MIS. I worked a little while with computer nerds but figured out that I could actually communicate, orally at least, so I got out of it. I now work in Marketing.
CORRECTION. My wife pointed out that the green ones are green apple, not lime, and the yellow ones are banana, not lemon. Guess I'm not paying enough attention. So same colors, but different flavors.
As a test engineer, I am involved in the design phase, but I do not actually do the designing in general. It's my job to work with the new product design group and/or R&D group to validate performance. I'm currently supporting about 8 different projects for four different design groups within the company. Each project typically requires a dozen or more individual tests, so I stay plenty busy just testing. Our company seperates the design and test activities, which is not how many other companies work. I've seen many design engineer job descriptions that include product testing as part of the duties.
The designer's goal at my company is to improve a current product via modification or replacement, and I have to determine how to prove that the new design is better. When I see a design that is lacking, I work with the design group to get it figured out. Because I'm in the process control industry, our customers' applications are wide ranging - oil, nuclear power, beer, you name it. That means I have to develop test systems that can replicate all of the conditions that each particular end user might operate at and prove they will operate reliably - up to 6000 psi, and -200F to 1200F depending on the specific application. Coastal and off-shore applications may require salt-spray tests for corrosion resistant materials or coatings. Applications in the middle East have to essentially withstand constant sandblasting due to desert winds. We have a "Texas thunderstorm" test procedure for water ingress in our digital instrument products.
So instead of calculating stresses, I spend most of my days figuring out where to put sensors, sizing piping/instrumentation/etc based on the pressure, temperature and flow rates expected, and the necessary duration and harshness of the test. I personally have specialized in high cycle reliability so I do a lot of test automation which means DAQ and programming as well. I've had a few tests where products run 24/7 for 3+ years. Other guys in the department specialize more in vibration, or flow testing, or control algorithms, or loop tuning, etc.
When I graduated, I thought product design was what I wanted. Now, after being in the lab for a while, there is nowhere else in the company I'd want to be. I get to be a Jack-of-all-trades with mechanical, fluids, electrical, programming and statistics skills. I get to be out in the lab, turning wrenches when I want to. If you want to talk more offline, you can PM me.
The best thing to do is to get internship experience. In school, I was sure I wanted to be in design. One of my internships was primarily a design internship. I hated it. For me, I like being able to get out in the field as opposed to sitting in an office designing things. Having multiple internships definitely helps out further down the line when interviewing for a full-time position (although multiple internships aren't required).
C
CyBer
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BFA-Graphic Design, currently sitting in one of my classes so I'm not sure if it's worth it or not. Hopefully it is, because I like what I am doing.
Degree in Landscape Architecture from ISU. Been in the field for 23 years with the last 20 for a firm in Iowa. I love my field of pratice as I work on a variety of projects every week and meet and work with many great clients. I wouldn't change a thing as I get paid very well (Iowa standards) for what I do. Also, I get to see many ISU athletic events which I LOVE!!
excercise and sport science, and no. didnt take it seriously, but i graduated. i now work in the financial world.
Graphic Design and you put those two pieces of work in your sig line? Might want to reconsider.
Electrical Engineering.
Graduated 4 years ago, and went to work at a utility company in Kansas immediately afterwards. Still with the same company, pay is good, and I enjoy what I do. I would say my degree was completely worth it.
Graduated 4 years ago, and went to work at a utility company in Kansas immediately afterwards. Still with the same company, pay is good, and I enjoy what I do. I would say my degree was completely worth it.
