Career Choices...Mechanical Engineering?

audiobliss

Ok, I've noticed we seem to have a lot of people here with various degrees in engineering, and I'm currently considering going that route.

Just for some background info...
I've been homeschooled since first grade, and just started doing dual-enrollment, taking classes at a local community college (Forsyth Technical Community College) last summer (of 2005). Since then the major classes I've taken are ENG111 & 112, SPA111 & 112, CHM151 (General Chemistry 1, with a lab), and MAT121, 271, & 272. MAT121 was College Algebra which they made me take since I was homeschooled and they just couldn't be too sure of my abilities in math (:rolleyes:); I passed that class with a measley 113. MAT271 and 272 were Calculus I & II, both with 2 hours of lab each week.

I just graduated high school, and am going to take one more year at FTCC, and then transfer to a 4-year college to pursue, well, whatever it is I decide on between now and then.

So, anyhoo, now we come down to choosing a career. (As you can probably tell by now, I'm not a writer, so that's out! ) Since I've always loved and been fascinated with math, I've been drawn to careers that are math-intensive. That would be computers (software, most likely), accounting, and, most recently, engineering. To tell the truth, I've done little research into engineering, so I'm not completely sure what it's all really about, but I've always been mechanically minded and loved working on things, though I've done very little of that these past few years.

So, I guess what I basically want to know is what exactly is this thing called 'engineering', and, more specifically, mechanical engineering. I imagine it to be using a list of requirements and designing something (perhaps on a computer) to meet those requirements, and then fabricating it. While I've had no experience doing that and so can not say for sure, I imagine I would be very happy doing that.

I've been thinking about getting a summer job that might would introduce me to the essence of engineering. One day last summer I met a guy while eating lunch at Taco Bell who owns a business that somehow relates to working on/building engines for cars. I'm not sure how much mechanics/repair work he does, and how much if any fabrication he does, but I thought it would be loads of fun (as I'm a car fanatic) at the very least.

So, anyhoo, I'd appreciate any info you could throw my way!

Thanks!
Michael

jdhdiggs

Forsyth Montana by any chance?

ME's tend to be the jack of all trades and do a little bit of EE, a little CE, some economics and other things. Like all careers, there can bad fields or good fields. I've worked in everything from HVAC to semiconductors. I would recommend double majoring in Econ or Business to offer you more options. That's what knocked down the most doors for me. What field do you want to do?

audiobliss

jdhdiggs wrote:

Forsyth Montana by any chance?

Don't know what that is, so I'd say no.

jdhdiggs wrote:

ME's tend to be the jack of all trades and do a little bit of EE, a little CE, some economics and other things.

That sounds cool

jdhdiggs wrote:

What field do you want to do?

What field do I want do do? What do you mean?

gatemplin

Hi Michael,

I am in mechanical engineering at the University of Waterloo in Canada (the best school in Canada IMO ). It is a five year co-op program.

"So, I guess what I basically want to know is what exactly is this thing called 'engineering', and, more specifically, mechanical engineering."

An Engineer is someone with the professional designation, it is not a job description. Engineers are problem solvers. They apply their knowledge of math and science to solve problems in the most economical and responsible way possible. Engineers are professionals, and they can prepare legal documents. They have an obligation society, and all decisions they make are potentially career (not just job) ending. Public safety is the number one priority in any descision an Engineer makes. The public's persception of the integrity of Engineers is very important.

In Canada, to become a Professional Engineer, you must graduate from an accredited university, have the minimum sponsored work experience, pass the laws and ethics exams, and you have to have your character witnesses interviewed by the Professional Engineering association.

Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that focuses mostly on fluids (hydraulics), materials, manufacturing, machinery,and sometimes robotics.

There are many different jobs that Engineers do. For example, on my next work term I will probably be doing research and development on rockets and rocket propellent, heat exchangers, or components for supplying hydrogen fuel cells with hydrogen. My last job was working on methods of testing suspension parts for the OEM automobile manufacturers.

There are many different disciplines. For example, nanotechnology, mechatronics, systems design, software, computer, environmental, civil, electrical etc etc.

If you are interested in math, that is a good start. You will use calculus everyday in school. You will also get a very good overall education. For example, right now I'm taking calc, physics, materials, electrical engineering, economics, and computer programming (C++).

An Engineering degree is very helpful if you want to further your education. It will even help you get into any field you want later.

School is torture though. I have 35 hours a week of classes and labs. Then at least another 35-45 for projects, assignments and studying. You will get very good at learning many things, very fast.

Hope this helps.

gatemplin

audiobliss wrote:

What field do I want do do? What do you mean?

There are many fields or disciplines of Engineering. All Engineers have a similar knowlegde of the sciences, but different areas of expertise. Think of the discipline as the major. The main disciplines are mechanical, civil, industrial, electrical etc.

exalted512

You should look into electrical too, especially if you like dealing with software.

What I presume he means by field, is that mechanical engineering, like all engineering degrees are EXTREMELY broad. Think of an electrical engineer. He designs anything electronic. From your keyboard that youre tying, to the switch that use to turn on your headlights(or the sensor that makes em go on automatically). Software, hardware, you name it. Mechanical is basically that, but with things that arent necessarily electricity dependent. Ball point pens were designed by mechanical engineers, so was your engine block.

Thats one of the great things about engineering, theres usually something for everyone. Just be warned that its not high school, or in your case, homeschool. The **** you have to do is hard, tedious, time consuming, and not fun. Youll have to go through a lot of bull **** that youll never use again. ESPECIALLY your first couple years. Seems like youve got a lot of those classes out of the way though, always a good thing.

Here at A&M, the first semester, no matter what engineering youre in, all the engr courses are lumped together. It gives you a little view of everything, that way if you decide to change majors(within engineering), you wont lose any credits. Even still, the next few classes you take are all still pretty general except from a few specialty classes, so if you change after a year you might be out 2 credits, but they can usually be used as something else.
-Cody

exalted512

gatemplin wrote:

For example, right now I'm taking calc, physics, materials, electrical engineering, economics, and computer programming (C++).

God I hate C++, made it worse than my teacher is the guy who invented it:eek:
-Cody

audiobliss

Wow, thanks for the great, in-depth responses, guys. I'm fighting some allergies and am having a hard time keeping my eyes open right now, so I'll respond in the morning, but thanks a bunch!

gatemplin

exalted512 wrote:

God I hate C++, made it worse than my teacher is the guy who invented it:eek:
-Cody

Bjarne Stroustrup, damn that's cool.

Yeah C++ isn't very much fun I'll admit. Especially at the pace they teach it.

exalted512

gatemplin wrote:

Bjarne Stroustrup, damn that's cool.

Yeah C++ isn't very much fun I'll admit. Especially at the pace they teach it.

thats the guy...and yea, no one i knew got an A in that class except for one person that had taken a course in it in high school...
-Cody

I-SIG

jdhdiggs wrote:

I would recommend double majoring in Econ or Business to offer you more options. That's what knocked down the most doors for me. What field do you want to do?

I would be exceedingly hesitant to double major in engineering and anything else if attending a top tier institute such as Georgia Tech unless you are one of those top 1/2% folks or plan on spending 6 or 7 years in school and even moreso if you participate in the cooperative education program, which I highly recommend.

To make the money that most engineers get with a BS you need a MS or a BS plus 5-10 years of experience in most other fields. I'd say get your BS in whatever engginering discipline that interests you, maybe minor in something that interests you be it history, econ, basket weaving, etc. Then once you start working after a couple of years you'd be in a better position to decide if you love the engineering and should pursue your PE or take a look at getting an MBA or some other degree (or trade even) to focus your interests and skills.

With that out of the way, I always like mechanical since, as noted, it is a jack of all trades kind of thing. Even the most advanced computing systems and living organisms make heavy use of mechincal engineering principles.

Another area I really wish I would have looked into much more seriously was material science engineering. There's some really cutting edge stuff going on with MSE. Also, I think they (corporations, etc.) are throwing money at MSE majors, at least at Georgia Tech.

Also look at civil engineering that has a heavy focus on environmental studies and concerns.

In the classes I took and people I knew at Tech, it alsways seemed as if every engineering area had a "split personality," i.e. in mechanical, I hated dynamics but liked thermo and heat transfer, in elelctrical, I loved power systems but hated programming and digital systems. Everybody is different.

Wes

MrNightly

C++ blew CHUNKS! I hated that class. Struggled for a C grade. Needless to say, after that class, I moved away from Computer programming

My brother in law is an Profession Engineer. He got his Master's in Mechanical Engineering but now works as a Electrical Engineer. Like they always say, "What's the difference between a introvert and extrovert engineer? The extrovert stares at your shoes instead of his."

But if you are good with the numbers, and don't need to be with people to thrive, more power to ya! Best of luck man! Not all homeschoolers are dumb eh? Why to show 'em.

schwarcw

audiobliss,

There is alot of information on the web. Check out the American Society if Mechanical Engineers website. Mechanical engineers are the most universally employed engineers. As been said they can work in many different areas from manufacturing, design, production in so many different fields and industries too numerous to mention. Mech E's are rarely unemployed and starting pay right now is over $50K. The website could give you more salary information for experienced engineers, but I believe it to be $80K or above. Most engineers would tell you if you go into it for the money you won't be happy. No matter what you do, you have to want to get up everday and be happy to go to work. Most engineers love their job. They have responsibility enjoy solving problems and working with people. Teamwork is an essential part of our jobs.

There are many resources out there to explore. Your doing the right things by talking with people and getting their perspective. I suggest Googling the various types of engineering. There may also be resources in you local library. There are a lot of DVD's etc available to tell you about careers in engineering. PM me your address and I'll send you a DVD I recommend to high school students.

I personally chose chemical engineering because I loved chemistry ever since I was a kid with a chemistry set. I ended up in a nuclear engineering industry that has been a great career for nearly 30 years. I've been around the world, seen people and done things that I never would have dreamed of.

As someone mentioned, engineering school is a lot of work. I spent a lot of Friday and Saturday nights in a library studying, doing homework, etc. Be prepared for a lot of hard work. Also, be prepared for a thrilling career!:)

gatemplin

exalted512 wrote:

no one i knew got an A in that class

What's an A?

and don't need to be with people to thrive, more power to ya!

That's not true at all. Engineers almost always work in teams, sometimes very large groups. Even in school you need to distribute the work amongst each other you will fall behind. In school you learn presentation skills, and in the job you must present your research or work progress in meetings. You also often have to interact with clients, and their customers. Good people skills are essential.

Teamwork is an essential part of our jobs.

schwarcw

gatemplin wrote:

That's not true at all. Engineers almost always work in teams, sometimes very large groups. Even in school you need to distribute the work amongst each other you will fall behind. In school you learn presentation skills, and in the job you must present your research or work progress in meetings. You also often have to interact with clients, and their customers. Good people skills are essential.

Ditto that! We have courses in teamwork and do teambuilding with our project teams all the time.

MrNightly

Well, I may have spoken outta turn... Again, I'm not an engineer, but what I know from those in my family that are, people skills don't seem to be a strong point Nothing against the profession at all, just commenting on what I've seen. Then again, it may be an incorrect view from a lack of true sources.

Regardless, I know its a great profession to call your own!

exalted512

MrNightly wrote:

C++ blew CHUNKS! I hated that class. Struggled for a C grade. Needless to say, after that class, I moved away from Computer programming

you sound exactly like me, after that class I vowed to never do code...ever
ESPECIALLY when my teacher invented the damn language, couldnt get away with ****...
-Cody

kingtut

I was a mechanical engineer major my first semester in college years ago, until I took my first C language class; they didn't have C++ back then. The class met once/week, but we had to go to the lab and spent hours and hours on our own without a professor's guidance. The damn professor showed up once a week to write up the questions for the program that we needed to write, and he gave us 1.5 hr to write this program and turned it in to his assistance. He literally was in class for 10 minutes every meeting then left. He never kept his office hours for questioning. He explained in the beginning of every class that this was a "self-taught" class. On top of that, he had a very heavy middle-eastern accent. More than 1/2 of the students failed or gave up in the class. We went to the Dean to complained about his lack of office hours for questionning. The next week, this damn professor told us that he understood that we complained about him. He said he was tenured, so he did not care about the students' complaints. It was a public State university. This a**hole was the one of the main reasons I changed my major to business. I still remember his name " Professor Abut"

kingtut

Audiobliss, don't let my bad experience deters you. If you have a strong math and computer background/skills, then you should be fine in M.E. A friend of mine is making very good $ as an M.E.

reeltrouble1

My Dad was a ME and he lived a wonderful life as a result of his family and career.

RT1

jdhdiggs

I-SIG wrote:

I would be exceedingly hesitant to double major in engineering and anything else if attending a top tier institute such as Georgia Tech unless you are one of those top 1/2% folks or plan on spending 6 or 7 years in school and even moreso if you participate in the cooperative education program, which I highly recommend.

Sissy! I went to a higher/equivelent ranked engineering school (depending on major) than GT and still graduated on time! We even stole your fight song! Actually, the point I was trying to make is if you have no "soft" skills, you'll just be a guy hunched over a computer the rest of your life working pieces of a project rather than overseeing the team working it. It will also take you a long time to break $100K/yr if you only have engineering skills. Business degrees or graduate degrees are absolutely neccessary if you want to manage teams over time and push your work week back to around 50 hrs instead of 60-80. This can also be offset by the field in which you decide to work. The "higher tech" it is, the more work you will tend to put in and the higher the pay. If you can manage it, get some business courses. Usually if you plan on double majoring from the outset you can work the system where your electives from one major become the requirments of another.

As for fthe fields of study, I meant what type of work do you want to do. An ME can work anything from HVAC, wrench design, to weapons development, robotic, or aeronautics. Any field is applicable. EE is the same way. Since I graduated with my undergrad stuff I have worked for an HVAC company, Coors Brewery, Texas Instruments, and now a consulting company within 8 years. Not many engineering disciplines allow you to slide between industries that different. Good luck!

I-SIG

jdhdiggs wrote:

Sissy! I went to a higher/equivelent ranked engineering school (depending on major) than GT and still graduated on time! We even stole your fight song! Actually, the point I was trying to make is if you have no "soft" skills, you'll just be a guy hunched over a computer the rest of your life working pieces of a project rather than overseeing the team working it. It will also take you a long time to break $100K/yr if you only have engineering skills. Business degrees or graduate degrees are absolutely neccessary if you want to manage teams over time and push your work week back to around 50 hrs instead of 60-80. This can also be offset by the field in which you decide to work. The "higher tech" it is, the more work you will tend to put in and the higher the pay. If you can manage it, get some business courses. Usually if you plan on double majoring from the outset you can work the system where your electives from one major become the requirments of another.

As for fthe fields of study, I meant what type of work do you want to do. An ME can work anything from HVAC, wrench design, to weapons development, robotic, or aeronautics. Any field is applicable. EE is the same way. Since I graduated with my undergrad stuff I have worked for an HVAC company, Coors Brewery, Texas Instruments, and now a consulting company within 8 years. Not many engineering disciplines allow you to slide between industries that different. Good luck!

Well, I'd rather make the mold than fit it!

Don't get me wrong as I mostly agree with your recommendations, but I know at Tech in most of the engineering cirriculae there are only 2-3 engineering elective courses and only 2-3 free elective courses built into the requirements for your degree. With so few optional classes, it was virtually impossible to make your electives work for any significant credit in an extra major. Maybe the class structure was different at your school?

Wes

jdhdiggs

Possibly, for undergrad we had to do 148 credits and no class counted as more than 3 so there were a lot of "others". In reality, the Econ/Bus BS fit the ME degree in as it had far more electives than the ME degree. For both undergrad degrees took 155 credits IIRC. I think I had to take 5-6 classes outside of engineering. What also helped is that Mines only does engineering so the first 2 years of any program looks the same. Making econ majors taking O-chem... How fun... Most people just did a public relations minor.

Anyway, I like poking GT grads with sticks. It's fun!

audiobliss

Whao, double-majoring in ME and something else? :eek: I considered double-majoring in computers and business, but ME's a little tougher.

It seems C++ is pretty tough, eh? I have a book about it laying around here somewhere, I think...I'll take a look at it...

rskarvan

Audiobliss... I'm a mechanical engineer (BSME) and I've worked for Caterpillar, General Motors and Ford. I've been working automotive engineering for eighteen years.

If you enjoy math, you'll do fine in college. Engineers typically take darn near as much math as any math major. The only difference is that mechanical engineers learn precisely how to apply that math to the physical world around us. The career of engineering isn't bad. You shouldn't enter it for the money though. Engineers receive average pay. But rather, if you enjoy being the resident expert and are able to take on the responsibility of being the guy that everyone turns to for the difficult problem solving, you'll enjoy the career. Mostly, engineering is a thankless grunt job. Upper management uses engineers as a tool. Thus, engineers get about as much recognition as a screwdriver.

The career of engineering has diminished as a profession in the last two decades. We are management, but not really. And, we really aren't labor either. Usually, we are just stuck square between a rock and a hard place. So, be prepared to really enjoy the physics of problem solving. That is the one reward that engineers get day-to-day that is assured.

If you want to e-mail me off-line, my e-mail is: ronskarvan@aol.com

Good luck !

PhantomOG

wow... that was a bummer of an endorsement for engineering!

i've been a working EE (BSEE) for 5 years now and love it. My work is very flexible, pay is awesome compared to non-technical majors, and the work is very rewarding.

I'm guessing alot of it depends upon the management and atmosphere where you end up working. I've been with the same company since I graduated and could see myself working here for a long time. Can't tell you much about MechE, but when I was in high school, I loved physics, math, and computers and EE was a perfect fit for me.

Whatever you choose, enjoy your time in college and don't be afraid to change majors.

Demiurge

I hug my engineers daily.

HBombToo

I'm an EE and would agree in general with what is being said with 1 exception. You can make as much money as you strive for but you will never get there if you just solve engineering problems. I do not have a business degree attached to my EE degree but will say that it was my curiosity to understand "The Business" of telecom which helped me rise above my fellow engineers in the management side of the house.

Hard Science degrees are difficult across the board but if you have the WILL to make it you can do anything you want with that degree. Some of the most intelligent people I know today are the engineers that have a good grasp of the details but can also see the big picture. These people are at the front of the pack developing business plans and justifications or those that moved toward technical sales and understand systems in general.

Learn the detail but never lose the bigger picture.

Good Luck!
Henry

gatemplin

rskarvan wrote:

Audiobliss... I'm a mechanical engineer (BSME) and I've worked for Caterpillar, General Motors and Ford. I've been working automotive engineering for eighteen years.

The career of engineering has diminished as a profession in the last two decades. We are management, but not really. And, we really aren't labor either. Usually, we are just stuck square between a rock and a hard place. So, be prepared to really enjoy the physics of problem solving. That is the one reward that engineers get day-to-day that is assured.

Good luck !

That does seem to be the consensus opinion that Engineers have of the automotive industry, but not of all Engineering.

It seems that in automotive, Engineers are increasingly just used to check and sign the work done by non-engineers.

audiobliss

rskarvan wrote:

I'm a mechanical engineer (BSME) and I've worked for Caterpillar, General Motors and Ford. I've been working automotive engineering for eighteen years.

That sounds exactly like what I'd want to do. Anything relating to cars, and I'd be happy. It's a real bummer that it sounds like the automotive industry isn't the best environment for engineers.

It seems to be the consensus that it's better to have a good sense of business along with your engineering skills so you can rise to positions of management. And then what? Create, oversee, and direct projects instead of getting an assignment to work on a particular aspect of a larger project?

Ricardo

I am a ME; I also love math and you'll have lots of that...I loved my college years, and yes, it was hard work, but I enjoyed it. You'll learn a bunch of interesting fields, thermodinamics, heat transfer, vibrations, structures, fluids, applied mechanics, dynamics, math, math, math....

After you graduate there are endless possibilities to go work in. I personally started on maintenance (very little I learned in college helped me here), then moved to planning/logistics, have done a lot of work with software, and again, if I have really used 5% of what I learned during college it is too much.

Anyway, I think the thing that make engineers stand out from the rest is you learn to think, analyze, and find solutions to impossible problems, in almost any area. Which field you choose will not make any difference there.