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I'm not really sure how to answer this. In the 80's, when there was a shortage of programmers, I would have given an enthusiastic "Yes!" I know accounting, history and English majors who became programmers. However, today, in light of the economy and many more college degrees available, I would guess that there is great competition for technical jobs especially with big name companies like Google, Microsoft and Facebook, but I don't know for sure. Some companies are more open minded to bringing in new talent with diverse backgrounds and are willing to train. You might be best served by getting in touch with the HR departments of these companies and asking them directly. Another path to take is to get your MS in an IT field.
As someone coming from India, I think I somewhat understand your concern. Here are some stuff I would suggest. First, you need to figure out if you really LOVE programming. By "really love" I don't mean just working on homework assignments, but are you that kind of a person who would create apps or code something just out of fun? If that is indeed the case, or you know for certain that you can really do well in coding, then getting a job in a software development field should not be any problem for you. And I can assure you that a person who loves coding is a great asset in a company, irrespective of what she majored in.
Also, you will most likely have "on campus" interviews in your final year of college. At least when we were in India, students from all fields (mechanical, architecture, civil, etc etc) got picked up by companies like TCS, Infosys, etc. In that case you will get your most needed break in the software world and then take it up from there. These companies also train you initially for a few months. Don't worry about the big name companies at the start of your career. Your main goal now should be to learn and gain experience.
In the mean time, do focus on a specific language that you like (C# or Java, maybe) and strengthen your Data Structures foundation. Also, like Ms Manzo pointed out, you can always go for an MS (or MTech) in Computer Science and Engineering. Don't hesitate to ask me more questions :) Good luck!
Dear Farah,
It is best to find a field and topic of study that you love, so if that means going to a different program to do that, then that is what you should do. I know that there are several programs around the country in quantum electronics that are actually within departments of electrical and computer engineering, so it may be possible for you to pursue your interests without changing "majors." The only complicating factor that I see in moving to a physics department is that, depending on the department's requirements, etc., you may need to take more physics-oriented background courses at the start. ECE and Physics curricula have a great deal of overlap, but the two disciplines view some of the research issues from different perspectives. However, if this is the path that you want to take, find a strong program and advisor that will help you navigate this process and you should be in good shape.
Dear Sayali, There is no embarrassment in dropping a class. Instructors have different teaching methods and students have different learning styles, and sometimes a student has an instructor for a class who doesn't approach problems in a manner that makes sense to the student- this makes learning the material from that instructor particularly challenging. You must understand what you need for the next time you take this class so that you will succeed. For example, if you need supplemental books that provide examples to study, you must look for those books at the library. If you learn best by discussing problems with other students in a study group, you need to seek out or start the right study group to help support your learning. The most important part of your studies at university is learning the material, not in how many tries it takes you to learn that material; if you can identify ways to learn that work for you, you will then be able to tackle any challenge you face in the future- particularly those that arise in the course of performing research and engineering work. Qualities researchers need to have include persistence (particularly in the face of difficulties), the ability to learn, good observational skills, and the ability to communicate. Your persistence in learning the material in your electronics class and your work to identify how you best learn the material will serve you throughout your engineering career. Good luck! Jen
1) I would like to known how having a degree in biomedical engineering effects or betters an career as a doctor, as in will i have to start from scratch to become a doctor and some if the benefits of having a a degree in biomedical engineering, will i have to acqire additional cxc subjects as well as other information?
2) If i do become a biomedical engineer and then later decide to become a doctor which is the best field to go in that involves some aspects of biomedical engineering?
3) what is the difference between an electronic engineer and a electric engineer?
4) I love learning and discovering new things, as well as acquiring knowledge about stuff i did not know about before. I love to watch the history channel, discovery channel and AND national geographic channel. I like to draw but i can not draw very well.I love trying new things and what i'm asking is based on this information is engineering a good career for me to go into? If so suggest a field. If not what other careers might I be interested in?
You can do either one. You should choose whatever you like the most. You can find a job in the US either way if you perform well. I have had many students from Latin America. They come to the Univ. of Puerto Rico in Mayaguez because we speak mostly Spanish, but we are accredited by ABET, which is the US accreditation Agency (PR is part of the U.S.) We do use all textbooks in English and some professors teach in English, but its a middle step. All of them have found jobs in the U.S. with no problem if they are good students, some have gone on to pursue a PhD. Hope this is useful, Sandra
Dear Radhika, Extremely sorry for not replying to your query immediately. As you have mentioned you are a first year student of Information Technology, I think you are on the right path. Information Technology is a very good blend of computer science and electrical engineering, so a student gets well acquainted with software, hardware as well as communication and networking technologies. Having the basic knowledge of all these areas, it is totally your interest what you want to pursue for post graduation. You may select PG courses offering studies in software development, wireless communication or VLSI design etc, etc... Or you may go for PG in IT or PG in ICT. All these fields have tremendous potential and lot of chances for better placements. As far as scholarships are concerned, even in India all reputed institutes offer stipend for doing post graduation. You need to have a valid GATE score for seeking admission to these institutes. Stipend given is sufficient for a student to make out all his educational as well as personal expenses. I hope your question has been answered to some extent. Most welcome if you further want to ask something. Wishing you all the best. Regards, Gauri Joshi
Maria, Thank you for your question. Your health science background will absolutely be advantageous to you in your career. I would personally recommend mechanical engineering but both degrees will be highly valuable in the current job market. I believe that your science background can be applied to many areas that utilize mechanical engineering. For example, physiology and mechanical (or biomedical) engineering are fundamental to researching and designing medical devices (artificial knees, physical therapy equipment, etc.). Also, mechanical engineering is applicable to nearly everything. Most importantly, having any engineering degree signifies an applicant is disciplined in methodical, logical reasoning. You cant go wrong with either choice. Best of luck!
Please see our Try on a Career pages for a rough idea of starting salary and other info for a given career.
Computer Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Dear Synque,
That is a question that can't be answered in just a few lines. There is quite a lot to it. If you are really interested in the subject you might consider studying online. Here is one resource that might get you started: http://www.electronicstheory.com/COURSES/ELECTRONICS/e101-1.htm
Hi Alphonsa,
You have lots of questions! I would start by looking at our Try on a Career section. It will give you a basic idea of what different engineers can do.
Studying mechanical engineering is a great way to get into the automotive industry, but you will need to take things like thermo and fluid dynamics. Engineers are definitely the people who design and they certainly do more than maintaining pipes, but understanding how to calculate the load an object can support is a really important part of that. You wouldn't want to design an engine that would fall apart as soon as it was placed into an actual automobile would you? Nor would you want to design an engine that runs so hot that it causes a car to explode so you need thermo. You'll also need to understand fluid dynamics so you know what happens when gasoline moves through the engine or is transported from the tank.
Electrical engineers also do lots of different things including designing microchips and circuits. I would guess that computer engineering places a heavier emphasis on programming, but you'll need to speak with your university to find out what classes you would be required to take. Ultimately, most engineers learn to design and create things, and a university degree gives you the tools to do it safely and understand the aspects of different types of design. Go for what interests you. You may not like all of your classes, but you may find that you like some more than you thought you would. Once you are done, you will have a much better idea which field within your degree would interest you the most. Good luck!
Hi Tanima,
Electrical engineering is so much more than power plants! You can study almost anything with an engineering degree and I highly recommend you explore it. It can vary depending on what school you choose to attend, but to be relevant in today's economy an engineering degree is very valuable. I study electromagnetics with computers. You have probably studied them a bit in physics but I solve the equations computationally and show beautiful visualizations of the electric and magnetic fields that help people understand the design projects they are doing. We model everything from an integrated chip package to a fighter jet…. there is so much to learn. In my department alone there are people studying all sorts of things. One person uses signal processing to restore old paintings, some work in optics (a very exciting field with lots of applications), we study wind turbines and solar power cells to make them more efficient. My freshman study Arduino microcontrollers to design products for people in the community with special needs. You can really make a difference in our world with engineering. It took me a while to figure that out as you can tell from my story.
It is not only power plants! There is tons of innovation in all the above topics. Working on phones/computers/circuits can also be very exciting and innovative. Especially the field of programming cell phones! It is hard for me to imagine something I cannot relate to electrical engineering, that is why I think it is such an exciting field. You can work with material scientists, chemists, biologists, mathematicians, and all other fields of engineering just to name a few options. My daughter is even combining environmental engineering and anthropology!
I really hope you continue to explore electrical engineering as an option. You have the right idea and the right attitude. Your uncle is correct that it is male dominated field – however what a good reason to be a women studying it, we need to change the world :)! Look at electrical engineering programs at colleges you are looking at, and look at the professors research areas. I am sure you will find something that makes you feel like you are a good fit in electrical engineering (maybe even research that a female professor is doing). There are 5 female professors in my department. We have support for women engineering, there is the Society of Women Engineers and the Women in Engineering program.
I also want to mention that if you don't get directly into an engineering school don't let that stop you. You can go to a good community college for your first two years of college and then transfer in (making sure the community college has ties to engineering schools).
I wish you the best in your coming adventures and hope someday I hear about this amazing electrical engineering student – you!
Please feel free to ask me any additional questions.
Mechatronics is a really fun field.
I think there may be some confusion as to what mechatronic engineers might do.
Mechatronic engineers usually work in designing robotic systems and building and testing them. Some mechatronic engineers work at factories but what they do is design the machines using in factories, they don't operate the machines. Maintenance engineers might work in figuring out problems with factory machines and design solutions for these.
But engineering in general is mostly about inventing solutions to problems. So thats what you'd be doing if studying mechatronics, inventing the machines. You don't need to graduate from a big name school to do this. And you can also try go to a place like MIT if you like.
Engineering school teaches you how to solve problems using math and science, which can involve a lot of creative and inventive projects. All engineering schools teach engineering design.
As for employers, you should pick a field in school that you're passionate about. Employers are flexible about the kinds of degrees they accept. This is because regardless of what type of engineering you study, the big thing that engineering school teaches you to do is solve problems and your skills can be used in other engineering disciplines than the one you majored in.
Dear Rakshita,
You probably took some programming classes for you EE degree. I would suggest you brush up on your programming skills. Then look for jobs you might qualify for and apply. Usually job descriptions will list the languages they want you to have experience with, and you'll need to figure out how to convince an employer that your background is a suitable match. Getting the degree is only the first step. Showing that you can handle the work is the second. Good luck!
Hi Molly,
I'm not sure if you are actually studying for your engineering degree or not, but that is the first step. No one expects you to understand it all if you haven't even started taking classes. If you are having trouble with a particular class then I suggest you seek out tutoring or study groups. Often other students in the same class could also benefit by going over problems with someone struggling through the same material.
Hello, or as we say in Sweden where I now live, Hej
There are several ways to become an aerospace engineer. Some students take an undergraduate degree in aerospace engineering. There is a program like that at my university, Carleton, in Ottawa, Canada. Other students choose to take an undergraduate degree in something like electrical or mechanical engineering followed by a master's degree in aerospace.
Some do an undergraduate degree in aerospace and then a graduate degree in aerospace or a graduate degree in some other appropriate engineering field. Don't forget about the possibility of doing a PhD as well.
A good place to start is to ask yourself what kind of aerospace topics are you interested in studying. Perhaps you are interested in how wings are shaped or how the fluids move in a gas turbine engine or what materials are used. Perhaps you are curious about how the electrical and computer components work with the software that together control the wings and the engines. Perhaps you want to understand how rockets work or microgravity or how people live in space. It is a huge field with lots of interesting and exciting developments.
Engineering is a global business and, in many instances, your educational qualifications can take you and your career, around the world. Of course there will be challenges and issues related to whether or not your degree (or degrees) are recognized. Check to see if the school you are interested in, is accredited. There may also be challenges with other things. Education and career experiences are one thing, getting a driver's licence in a new country, for example, can be entirely different!
Best wishes or Hälsningar
Hello mam, I read your profile and think that you are the right person to discuss my doubts with. I have completed my undergraduate course in electrical engineering but somehow I find myself drawn towards the software field. In india there is no scope for an electrical engineer to do a graduate course in computer science. Now I want to change my field from electrical to computer science, but having studied 4yrs electrical sometimes I think that its not a good idea and will there be less opportunities for me in software as I have done my undergraduate course in electrical. Will i ever be able to work with companies like google and microsoft??
Hi Kritika,
I think it's a great idea, since I have an undergraduate in EE and a masters in software. You will be more specialized, but also qualified for what I think are more interesting applications than people with a general software undergrad background. You will be less specialized than if you had a masters in EE.
Unless things have changed, EEs (electrical engineers) have a very solid background in math supporting electronics design, much of which is now done in software. I presently work with Boeing flight simulation software, where my control systems education ties into flight control of an airplane; it is done electronically 'fly by wire" with software instead of with hardware. I've also worked on many interesting types of medical equipment, where digital signal processing of ECG (electrocardiograms) was used, or image processing of microscopic cellular material, or ultrasound images, was used. DSP math fundamentals are taught in EE classes - Fourier analysis, LaPlace transforms, paving the way for z-transforms.
Companies like Google will be oriented more towards big data and networking. Networking does involve hardware, and I did just read an article about future Internet design with more routing done in software. Networks is certainly a growing area, but not really my specialty. They must have some hardware; they do drive around with those cameras on the cars.
Microsoft does produce some hardware; I knew someone who went to the hardware division to work on a mouse device. But there are many more companies than Microsoft and Google in the world. Microsoft has a wide range of software products.
I obtained my masters degree through an online program. It was originally NTU (National Technological University) but merged into Walden University. I don't know what the classes are like these days, but it should be available internationally. There are probably other online universities these days; it's a growing trend. Degrees from these might not be as prestigious, perhaps? Ask a prospective employer about this...
One of my employers, Philips, did have a section in India, although I have no idea which city. Philips is a Dutch company that owns many smaller companies, including several medical imaging companies.
I know I was also drawn to software; there is something very nice about changing your design and seeing results quickly and getting it into the customer product within weeks, instead of waiting months for new hardware. And the industry trend is to move functionality from hardware to software, so it seems like a good way to move. Trust your instincts and focus on what makes you unique and excel and sets you apart from your competition!
Good luck,
Hi Jiminy,
A lot of engineers start of working in the technical world and continue in that track or branch off to project or program management and /or personnel management. I would suggest that if you are already working in the technical field but are already being exposed to management aspects either of projects or people, an MEM would be a good bridge for you into management. However if you are still starting out, I would recommend an MSEE to establish you and give you credibility especially when starting off as a foreigner in the USA. Later on you may be able to do an MBA if management is the route that you really want to go. Good luck. Let me know what you finally decide and how it works out for you.
I would definitely say Follow your Dreams! You have potential and the right reason to pursue an Engineering Field. I did my PhD with two kids, I was the oldest of all grad students, 32 yrs.old, and also the first to graduate among the group! Because you are mature and more focus; that helps a lot! And having a husband who teams up with you is great support! Engineering (Computer or Electrical) is specially a career where there is great demand, and you'll set an example to you students. You'll be a very positive role model for them.
I would consider doing an MS or M.E. in EE instead of another B.S. and taking the remedial courses as advised by the institution to fill gaps given your BS was in C.Eng.
I think starting from scratch is a bit of a waste of time, but that depends on the program you choose and whether they validate your previous courses common between Computer Eng. and EE.
Try to keep fit and healthy, and I don't think your age will affect entry to a career. :)
THe area depends on what you like and what programs that are convenient to you (close or whatever) have to offer.
You can always change specific area later. Or you could just go back to work as Computer Engineering if you like that, for a while and 'test the waters", see what's up in that field. I wonder why you never worked on it, and decided to teach I assume High school ?)
I wish you success!
Hi Hadessa, I always found Electrical Engineering (EE) easier than physics, just because of the way my mind works. Unlike yourself, I loved circuits. I am having heaps of fun currently with Lilypad arduino. However, there is more to EE than just circuits. I lecture to both EE and Computer Engineering students. We use quite a bit of programming. I think of EE and CE as being the brains of a project, ie. we control, gather and analyze information. This tends to involve computing or circuits of some form, but not always.
I guess I would like to turn your question around ... What do you like doing? What interests you? Why do you think it would be cool to be an engineer?
Wishing you all the best for the future. Sorry for the slow reply.
Hi Morgan,
Glad you're interested in aerospace.
As for what to major in for undergrad, it really depends on what you're interested in. You should be able to go onto a Masters in aerospace with either. Though with a background in electrical engineering, an aerospace Masters that's maybe more focused on avionics may be easier.
If aerospace as a whole is what you're really interested in, then Mechanical Engineering is the way to go as aerospace engineering is essentially a specialization of Mechanical engineering. In fact, in many universities they are the same department. At my undergrad university, the first two years of aerospace and mechanical engineering were identical and so was much of the third year. Some schools which offer only mechanical engineering do offer elective classes that are more related to aerospace. So you could look into this. But in general mechanical engineering is broader than aerospace engineering but you study the same disciplines such as solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, materials science, control systems, etc.
You could try talking to a mechanical engineering professor at your school to see what elective courses may be more suited to your interests in aerospace engineering.
Good luck!
Hi Joslynn,
Congrats on setting yourself up for a career with lots of opportunities! Honestly, I think the general track will provide you all the prerequisite courses you'd need for a master's in Biomedical Engineering, and as you said, most graduate school programs will specify which life science courses you need. However, I would just look up a few Biomed. Eng. masters programs and see whether they require the GRE-Biology subject test. If they do, then taking the organic chem, biology, and chemistry courses will be helpful for that test. If they don't (and they only require the general GRE test), then you should be fine with the general EE track. My experience has been that "Biomedical Engineering" requires more of a solid engineering education primarily, and biomedical education is secondary. Best of luck in your endeavors!
I have been in the professional field with my BSME for 9 years now. I don't even notice that I'm 10% of the workforce in engineering. On top of that, I work with mechanics, whom are like 95% male. Again, rarely even take note.
There is nothing I've noticed in the 3 companies I've worked for, and the several jobs I've had in my current company that would deter me from my job. By 'stepping back' you would only give the next female in line the same excuse. But if you step forward and take the challenge and overcome it, we increase the % and then next girl in line wont feel this way.
A diverse work environment is critical. And I'm not just talking men/women. Also includes people of different backgrounds. With diverse people, you have diverse thought. And that's what you need to make a team successful.
You should go into a career because you have passion for it and you want to do it, not because there's 'people like you' in the field. I love being an engineer. There are so many different jobs I can do, because I have an Engineering Degree. It doesn't even matter the field! I've worked on building, heart implants, flight tested airplanes, designed airplanes, and now help fix airplanes with a mechanical engineering degree.
With regards to me, as a female engineer you do fight a little hard to almost prove yourself, because there's that stereotype. You know what that means? It means you're a fighter. That you're not willing to give up and roll over. You have to team better with other to show that you're capable. As a girl, the chances are your more social than your male engineer counterpart. How's that affect my job? I work well with others. I am driven to success and get the job done. I got harassed more for being 'young' when I started than for being a girl. In this field, it's experience that trumps everything else. And sometimes... being the girl works in your benefit around a bunch of guys. It must have something to do with chivalry :) Go read 'Lean In' or 'Nice girls don't get the corner office' and pave a path to be a positive role model for future engineering female. It's not a bad profession, Don't Quit!
Hi Dani,
One thing is for sure, Electrical Engineering is a very flexible program of study. I, for instance, have interned for a few different companies, all of which, I did NOT sit at a desk all day. My current position, which is my first full time job since I graduated this past December 2013, is within sales, as an associate systems engineer. It is a really interpersonal and people oriented position which I enjoy. Engineers often come off as being very introverted, but I am a very outgoing young woman and there is a real need for outgoing engineers. You will always be able to find a job that fits your personality in engineering.
I hope this helps. Please don't hesitate to learn more about the different opportunities out there.
This is a really good question, and it highlights a larger issue which needs to be discussed at a national level. Namely - what role can online courses play in post-high school education, without decreasing the quality of the education. For example, a freshman-level college math course could be taken online with minimal impact in educational benefit. However, a senior-level engineering design course would be very different, simply because a design course involves lab work, which is not possible to replicate in a virtual environment. One of the main criteria that employers look for when hiring someone with a BS in engineering is hands-on or practical experience. Therefore, someone whose degree was entirely online would be at a severe disadvantage after graduation.
This leads us back to your question: online vs. in class. The answer - both. It truly depends on the specific class.
I hope this helps and good luck!
Dear Maryann,
1. I chose engineering because I loved science and math but my first major was Civil Engineering because I didn't really understand the differences. After I took a circuits course, I changed my major because circuits problems seemed like fun puzzles to solve and I started thinking about all of the neat inventions made possible by understanding electricity, magnetism, electronics, digital logic, etc.
2. I am a Professor in Electrical Engineering so I guess the answer to that question is ALL OF IT! My research is in the area of electronic materials so those courses were the most important to what I do in the lab. However, both undergraduate and graduate courses, helped me understand how it all fits together. Work experience is important too. There weren't as many opportunities to do internships like there are now so my work experiences happened after I got a degree not while I was working on a degree. I encourage students to look for opportunities to apply their technical knowledge to real problems.
3. The skills most helpful would be organization skills and time management. Being a faculty member means juggling teaching, research, and service responsibilities. Knowledge most helpful has been in the area of electronic materials so that I could excel in research.
4. Teaching is very challenging. It is hard to find a style of teaching that works for all students. It is rewarding when they respond to your teaching but it is disappointing when they do not. The most frustrating aspect is watching a student fail my class that has the skill set but doesn't attend or turn in homework. That is hard to see.
Susan Burkett
I'm female and I studied mechatronics engineering and computer science at University from 2007 - 2013. There were 5 girls in my course, out of 50. So mechatronics engineering is not only for boys, and girls can do it, too! In 2008 I founded Robogals. We go out to schools and teach girls how to build and program robots, to show girls that they can be engineers too. Robogals has now taught over 17,000 girls robotics workshops and is in Australia, UK, USA and Japan. Let me know if you would be interested in bringing it to Peru!
Tell them that regardless of what they say, you are going to be an engineer. You are going to show them that it can be done. Good luck with your studies!
Kind regards,
Hi Alina,
I'm so happy to hear that you're interested in engineering! You were correct that you need to take Calculus 1, 2, and 3, linear algebra, differential equations, and possibly some additional math credits depending on the program. As you probably already know, math is a subject where each course tends to build on the previous information. My best recommendation would be to take as much math as you can in high school - especially AP Calculus if your high school offers it. Make an effort to make sure you really understand what you are doing and why you are doing it. Outside of math, I think it'd be extremely helpful for you to take a physics class or do some reading on your own time about the basics of physics.
As far as which major is easier - it really depends on the person. Mechanical engineering is easier for some because it is in the physical world - you can see how things work together, whereas electrical engineering is a bit more "imaginary" since we cannot see electricity. When you're deciding on where to go to college, I'd make sure they offer both a mechanical and electrical engineering program since you aren't sure which you'd like to study. After you've found the colleges you're interested in, you can look into the different rankings to help you narrow things down. There are a lot of factors in choosing a college, so make sure you weigh all your options!
My last piece of advice is for you to consider a FIRST robotics team if your school has one. If it doesn't check out the FIRST robotics website as there are a lot of good local opportunities. Best of luck to you with whatever you choose to do!
Dear Sarah,
This is a common question, and our standard advice is to go to a university that offers both. Start out as one or the other or as an "undecided" engineering major. Take the intro classes for both and see what interests you. You may even do something like a mechatronics degree if your university offers it. Some people even stick around a little longer to do a double major. What is right for you will depend upon you, but you don't have to have it all figured out up front. The point is to move in a direction that seems right and adjust course as necessary.
Dear Subodh,
It is very clever that change your major when you lost your interest about it. And also it is very brave :) I'm sorry to tell you that I do not have experience and knowledge about IT sector and programming. If you choose Electronics according to your job description you may not need hard core programming skills. Nowadays, in companies, they use software for lots of tasks. You can ask your question to an Electronic Engineers who works in different areas. I can not tell much because I'm an Electrical Engineer who works in Energy Sector :)
Let me know about your final decision.
Kind Regards.
Hi Dustin,
Fabulous question! Unfortunately, yes, you will not be able to become an electrical engineer if the college/university does not offer that degree program. However, that does not preclude you from taking classes at a local community college and then transferring later to a school that does offer such a degree. Specifically, you would take classes at the community college and transfer the credits to the college/university. This approach to obtaining a degree is becoming increasingly popular as the cost of higher education has increased. Many community colleges even have programs which guarantee acceptance at colleges/universities, if the student maintains a minimum GPA and achieves a minimum SAT or ACT score. If you decide to pursue this option, it is critical to consider the following: 1) the track record of the community college in placing students at universities, and 2) the courses which will be transferrable.
Regarding career possibilities, there are so many that I can't do all of them justice. I'll name a few to try to give you a sense of the diversity of your options. Medical robotics is an emerging field. This includes things like building robotic arms to enable less invasive surgery and faster healing times. Other field, more related to military and security applications, is the development of automated bomb detection and destruction robots. These can combine automated sensors for detection as well as robots for movement. Finally, artificial prosthetics has made enormous advances over the past 5 years. In just the past year, a robotic exoskeleton which enables people previously unable to walk was demonstrated. This skeleton leverages robotics technology. Therefore, EE, and robotics in particularly, truly has widespread impact.
Good luck!
Hi Sarah,
The nice thing about school is that you can try different things and subjects and if you plan on continuing to grad school you really have some time to try different things out. It sounds like you want to make a decision weather to be more mechanical or electrical in your focus. My question would be, what do you like about biomed and bioengineering? When you imagine working in these fields, what do you think of? Is there a specific area you are interested in? For example, let's say you want to engineer pacemakers. Go online and look at journal papers on how pacemakers work. Then find institutions that make pacemakers and look at their job descriptions. If you do these two things, you will:
1. Figure out if pacemakers are really of interest to you
2. If they are, through job descriptions you will get a better idea of what the engineers who make pacemakers need to know. This will in turn guide you through the classes you need to take to get there.
Apply these steps to the topic you think you are interested in and try a few different things. As far as classes being hard, engineering is hard :) but what makes it great is that you figure things out and you solve a problem. Engineering classes are a right of passage to solving problems and if you keep trying, eventually you get good at it.
Dear Kimberly,
It all depends on your goals. If you plan to join an industry upon graduation, it'll be better to intern somewhere to learn the practical industry aspects of Electrical Engineering. However, if you wish to join research groups, a credential program might be partially helpful. A researcher has to be academically independent and sound.
Rumaisah M.
Electrical Engineer - Communication Systems
As an Electrical Engineer, I am not sure about work from home jobs for petroleum engineers. One approach might be to already start investigating from your area about what type of jobs are available that allow working from home. Computer science/software engineering might be another approach.
Take care!
-Dr. von Jouanne
Hi Jada,
Whereas math and physics are basics in the study of electrical engineering, most good schools lay a foundation and build precept upon precept. The depth of material increases with each college year, e.g., the first college year may have the curriculum focus on basic college math Calculus I & II, Algebra I & II, probability and statistics, fundamentals of physics in circuitry such as Ohm's law, Kirchoff's laws, heat waves, electromagnetism, and some programming (C & Java). Subsequent years build on the foundations laid during that first year.
A few individuals (very few) may be able to slack and cram last minute to pass exams but the average person cannot afford to rely on last minute studying. I would encourage that you work steadily and not neglect your studies. Make a habit of going through your material each day. Join a tutoring club if one is available at your school and even later on in college. Do not hesitate to ask for help from your teachers or school guidance office and above all practice, practice, practice.
Good luck,
Florence Tela.
Hi Maryanne,
I'm glad to hear that you're interested in electrical engineering. It has been a fun and rewarding career for me, and I think you'll enjoy it too. There are thousands of companies that hire electrical engineers! Just to give you a very few examples, you could work on consumer electronics for companies like Dell, GE or Apple. Or you could work in Defense and Aerospace for companies like Boeing, Northrop Grumman or Lockheed Martin. You could work on generating electrical power for companies like Georgia Power, California Edison or Western Massachusetts Electric Company. If you like cars, you could work for automotive companies like BMW, Ford or Toyota. You could do research at a lab like the Georgia Tech Research Institute, Applied Physics Lab or NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab. So you see, there is a very wide variety of work that you can do as an electrical engineer. As far as foreign languages go, I don't think there is a "best" one to learn. I've worked on projects with engineers from France, Italy, Germany and Japan, so speaking any one of those languages would be helpful. Many companies have manufacturing in Mexico and China, so speaking those languages would also be good. I think you should just choose the language that interests you the most, and it will certainly help you in your career. Good luck in school, and if you have further questions, you can contact me through my website: www.dsmicrowave.com
You don't need to know coding in many electronics engineering careers. It depends on the specific job and application. But coding is useful in most engineering or even non-engineering fields nowadays. If you don't like it, don't let that get you away from engineering. There are many other engineering 'shores' that are mostly hardware or other tasks. But don't be afraid to try it, you might like it. For me it's like a game of logic. :D
Hi Martha,
I wouldn't let the drawing component deter you from one major or the other. The drawing involved in any engineering field is more about learning how to draw objects in different views (i.e. top, front, and side). There are classes that will help develop this spatial reasoning and teach you how to create engineering drawings. In my experience, I was required to take a class called Intro to Engineering Graphics where we learned descriptive geometry, orthographic projections, and how to draw multi-view engineering drawings. We then went on to a geometric modeling class where we learned to draw and design objects in a CAD program on a computer.
In my day to day activities at work, I need to be able to look at and understand engineering drawings and how the dimensions relate to one another. I occasionally need to draw a sketch to help someone understand a design concept I'm thinking of, but otherwise I don't draw anything. I think you should give both majors a try if you're interested in both. Maybe take some introductory classes in both and see which you enjoy more. Good luck!
Yes, I highly encourage you to pursue the community college route on the way to your BS in EE. Many students – in fact, about half – enroll in community college for the first two years of their engineering education. It allows the students to finish up many of the basic classes (calculus, chemistry, physics, etc.) at a lower cost than enrolling at the university. Many universities have what are called "articulation agreements" that specify which classes at the community college transfer in at what credit level. I say – go for your BS in EE!!!
Jill S. Tietjen, P.E.
Hi Prachi,
I'm glad to see a young woman who prefers to become an engineer.
I do not believe that a major can find people a (better) job.
People themselves can seek for opportunities and success.
Let me give you some ideas what can you do after graduate from instrumentation and electrical engineering.
They both have programming languages included. You can use whatever you want (C++, matlab..)
If you graduate from instrumentation engineering, you can work as operation, maintenance, purchasing engineer in the power plants, industrial places, wherever a process is implemented. Or, you can work at manufacturers, distributers, contractors to sell or operate the products or the systems or you can work at the R&D department.
When it comes to electrical engineering, you also can work at the same places I mentioned above. Where your interest may be more on bigger systems such as High/Medium/Low Voltage Systems, Low Current Systems, Power Generation etc.
You can also work at operational/maintenance, purchasing, R&D, sales or project management.
I am probably missing some other sectors or areas that you can work.
But sum of all, there are lots of opportunities waiting for you in both professions.
I can suggest you to be the best in whatever you choose.
Best wishes.
I can't tell you about the mechanical engineering major part because I majored in Computer Science, but I can tell you about the algebra vs. geometry thing from my personal experience. I loved geometry in school, always scored full marks in it. I loved to figure out how to solve the problems based on the theorems. But algebra never made any sense to me, exactly like it doesn't to you. At that time, everyone told me that I need to work hard and practice algebra, but I never understood that kind of a virtual x and y stuff. Also, I invariably made silly mistakes and messed up the problems and scored poorly there.
Later I read that there are some people who love geometry and are bad at algebra and vice versa. (http://teacherscount.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/which-did-you-prefer-algebra-or-geometry/)
For you, as you love robotics you are anyway far ahead of many future engineers. Don't let algebra dampen your interests. All through your life there will be some subjects that you don't like. Treat algebra as one of them and try your best to score the best according to your potential. Maybe ask a friend who is good at algebra what she does to solve the problems, or just practice a little more. Math practice is always good in the long run.
You can definitely choose a medical major if you like it, but don't do that just because you hate algebra. Maybe some mechanical engineer can help you in knowing exactly how much value algebra has in mechanical engineering major.
Virtually every engineering field can be applied to biological or medical questions, including not only chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering but also materials science and other engineering specialties. My own training is in mechanical engineering, and I now work in orthopaedic biomechanics, which applies the concepts of mechanics to orthopaedic problems such as osteoporosis and fracture healing. For an idea of the breadth of biomechanics problems that are currently being researched, you can view the program of the recent World Congress of Biomechanics:
For chemical or electrical engineering, you can find similar information by searching on "bioelectrical engineering" and "biochemical engineering." As you will see, these areas are broad and can encompass many systems, more than I can possibly present here. Remember that you also may have elective courses in your curriculum that will allow you to take further courses beyond the specific track you select and that allow you to further diversify. There are many interesting engineering applications in medicine, I'm sure you will enjoy your decision!
That depends. What can you do? What would you like to do?
Hi Kyla. This is a big decision that may influence your whole life! I think the most important thing you can do is to figure out which of the technology paths you mention you would enjoy doing the most (happy = successful!). Here are some suggestions: take (or just sit in on) introductory courses in a few fields (electrical engineering, bioengineering); talk to some professors to see what they are doing (ask whether you can do some work in their lab!!); talk to other students who are doing these two majors and see how happy they are (are they excited about it???); poke around on the Web and find some researchers who are doing the sort of VR you think you might be interested in, and send them an email asking them how you could prepare to be on their team! I hope this helps and let me know if you have more questions!
Hi, I am senior material research engineer at the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. I think it is wonderful that you are fascinated with space, and it is great to hear you are considering a career in a space-related field.
There are many different types of engineers that work at NASA. A few of the many examples include: aerospace engineers (also called aeronautical and astronautical engineers), chemical engineers, materials engineers (like me), mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, polymers engineers, computer & software engineers, system engineers and planetary engineers. There are various specialized engineers also (such as optical engineers). Many of the NASA engineers have "desk" jobs where they work on computers for the majority of time. And other engineers, like me, spend part of the time in a laboratory doing experiments and research, and then part of the time at their desk doing computer work (analyzing & graphing data, writing reports and papers, etc). Some engineers may even work outside (truly "in the field"), for example doing weather testing or operating a test rover in desert-like terrain. I have experiments that fly on the exterior of the International Space Station to test the durability of spacecraft materials in the harsh space environment. And, of course, there are astronauts who get to work in space on the International Space Station!
So, in summary, there are many different things that NASA engineers may do. The best advice I can give is to pursue one of the engineering disciplines that sounds most interesting to you, and try to get a shadow opportunity or a summer internship at a NASA center to learn more from NASA engineers. You can also learn about women engineers and researchers at "Women @ NASA" (http://women.nasa.gov/). Good luck! Kim
First off, I really have to apologise for how long it has taken me to respond to you. I had a baby last year and in the lead-up to that I really lost track of a lot of my messaging. I'm very, very sorry! Thank you for taking the time to write to me!
It's an honour to know that you consider me a role model, but I have to say I'm incredibly impressed someone living in a culture that strongly discourages women from doing jobs like this reaching out and pushing the boundaries of what would normally be expected of you. Congratulations to you for having the strength to do that, and I wish you the best of luck!
It's a great question you have. I think the answer really depends on your interests. You can work on smart devices and robotics with either of those degrees, so if you happen to love one more than the other, it shouldn't matter too much. However, if you are still torn, it helps to look at what the "hard problems" are in each of those fields, and what those degrees might enable you to do to solve them.
For example, in smart devices, the biggest challenges include industrial design (needing to blend into the home or be attractive enough to be wearable), miniaturisation of electronics (especially sensors), battery power, user interfaces, and smart networking. Does any of those sound particularly exciting? That might guide you in an electrical or CS direction.
Within the robotics industry, the biggest challenges include the design and manufacturability of mechanisms, sensor fusion, development of new advanced sensors, battery power (this is a big, big issue for robots!), artificial intelligence, autonomous navigation, networking and communication, and human/robot interfaces. Again, some of these might stand out more to you than others, and you could choose appropriately.
Based on my own university experience, I would say CS would probably set you up better for a graduate degree in robotics, if you want to get a PhD some day -- most graduate research projects I know of require a lot of programming, and they tend to focus on the hard software problems in robotics. Electrical engineering degrees often have a programming requirement, so you would learn some software engineering along with the EE side, and that may be preferable if you want a broad introduction to engineering and to apply it immediately in industry.
Honestly, though, I don't think you could make a mistake choosing one over the other right now. Both will be applicable to the fields you're interested in, and both will teach you *how* to engineer well enough that you can learn the material from the other discipline if you need or want to in the future.
Please feel free to ask other questions if you have them, and I promise that this time it won't take me six months to respond! Again, I'm very, very sorry.
Hi Kevin,
Is there a reason why you are not taking biomedical engineering as your undergraduate specialty? If you really need to choose between electrical and mechanical, then you should ask yourself what part of prosthetic design most interests you. If you were creating a bionic hand would you want to figure out how all the joints would fit together and how the pieces would be connected to make it move properly, or would you want to figure out how to power it and design the control system to read the electrical signals from the human body that activate the correct finger action? If you prefer the first then consider mechanical engineering, but go for electrical engineering if the latter is the most interesting to you.
Thank you for the question, and the kind words.
You are almost at a wonderful milestone with graduating. I love how you want to build robots and be in business - in fact, there are so many incredible female founders & CEO's who are pioneering wearable technology and other 'connected things'. My suggestion is to consider drilling down to some of the roles in both robotics and business you want to get into- as it may help compliment a balance.
I personally did Systems Engineering and minored in Business & Economics. For me my passion was large-scale system design, neural networking/AI technology complimented with operational modelling and economics, specifically micro-economics. What this did for me is give me a wider spectrum of domain knowledge that I was able to reflect on as I started my career.
My father, who is my mentor and also an engineer amongst being one of the pioneers in software over 50 years ago, always said a wise thing when I was in your position many years ago. He said it really doesn't matter what you study, just make sure it is something that pushes you outside of your comfort zone and there is passion for the challenge.
Engineering is a challenging, yet rewarding discipline that gives you the opportunity to expand your way of thinking, develop logic and other problem solving skills, and because it's demanding on your focus and commitment it gives you the platform to develop a skill set early in life that will help you persevere, remain dedicated, and have a creative approach to solving problems. These are the characteristics you need to carve your path in the Robotics & Leadership roles you aspire to accomplish.
Based on the universities you are considering, there may be joint programs or have different names for certain programs. I would recommend you consider the following degrees:
Systems Engineering or Systems Design Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Software Engineering (where an embedded specialization is available)
Mechatronics Engineering
Computing & Electrical Engineering
Hope this helps, and feel free to reach out again if you have any questions or want to discuss in detail.
Enjoy the journey, Shereen!
Best Regards,
Dear Eleni,
I've read your question very carefully.
You are such a clever and brilliant girl considering your education, goals and social life. Your loves, goals, and wishes make you who you are. Your education and your job shows how hardworking you are.
I have noticed that you love nature and your masters degree is renewable energy.
If you care about nature like me, maybe you can feel complete about your profession.
We all want to save the world but less of us have the profession about it.
Using your knowledge can make difference in this world :)
Even I am excited while writng the answer to you ;) I hope you feel the same :)
For your goals, make 1, 5, 10 year plan and list what you should do to reach them.
In one of the seminars, the lecturer told us to do SWOT analysis for our selves. Maybe this will help you to see and plan your future.
Also, do not neglect your loves and make time for them. These will make you to live the moment and strengthen you.
Hope you to find your motivation.
Kind regards.
If you don't plan on working in the field, and your most important factors are scope, job opportunity and money factor, I would say go with electrical and electronics engineering. Mechatronics gives you a broader range of knowledge across mechanical, electrical and computer systems engineering. A straight electrical degree gives you access to a much bigger job field - jobs that have existed for much longer than mechatronics jobs have existed for. Mechatronics is very fun, but given its larger scope, takes longer to become masterful in.
Hi Andrea,
I think if you work hard, you will have plenty of job opportunities in whatever area you decide. I would recommend you to go into a college program that you like, but take a few classes in areas outside your expertise. Once you learn more about different topics, your opinions might change. I viewed college as a time to explore different paths. I started as a computer engineer in college, then move to electrical engineer and material science for PhD, then who knows, maybe I will even do nanobioengineering in the future. Everything seems inter-related to everything nowadays. To sum up, my advice would be go for your top choice, but get a breath of expertise in college to ease your transition to grad school or the job market! Internships, summer research programs, participation in engineering competitions, are all great ways to built a portfolio of multi-disciplinary practical skills. Good luck!
Walekum Assalam.
I believe so. You should check with the university you're applying to but in general graduate school can be flexible. I've had classmates with civil engineering background during graduate school.
You'll probably get to work on electronics related projects in aerospace if you don't have any mechanical engineering classes as your background.
But again, check with the departments you're considering applying to.
Thanks for the question Khilawy. It seems like you already know more than most about some of the different types of engineering careers. It's hard to tell you more about these as they are still really broad. The type of work they each do will still vary a lot based on the industry and company they work in but here goes for a general answer. Software engineering is very much about programming while information engineering might be more about data management and communication engineering could be more about telecomms etc. Electric energy engineering will mean that its about power systems and electricity transportation while electronic engineering is more about circuit boards and small components. Mechanical engineering is a VERY broad term so focusing on design could use one particular part of those skills whereas you could choose to build things or maintain things. I hope that helps!
There are lots of ways to be creative with Electrical Engineering. I know people who have gone on to work with lighting for concerts and theatre. There is wearable computing and e-textiles. At my University we have the HitLab (Human Interface Technology Lab), which does really cool stuff to do with technology interacting with people (a robot visited my desk yesterday - a bit of a giggle). There are heaps of other options too. The key is going to be looking around for opportunities or making your own. Perhaps coming up with a hobby Arduino or Lilypad project might give you some ideas on how to combine your EEE knowledge with your creative side.
Before you start a postgraduate degree make sure it is really what you want. Once you start it will require supreme dedication.
Good luck with the next stage of your journey. The BE is just a starting point. Best regards, Philippa.
Hi Aniya,
I'm glad you're interested in pursuing an engineering degree! There are many different types of engineering out there from Aerospace to Agricultural, but regardless of which specific field you choose, I think it's important to have a diverse education background. If you can take accelerated (Honors, AP, IB) science and math courses, please do! Taking advanced courses in High School is a great way to obtain a solid engineering foundation in a smaller class setting—plus, if you do well enough, you can save some money by skipping those courses in college. Most engineering degrees require base coursework in Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Earth/Life Sciences; start there. One more important thing I'd like to add: I mentioned it's important to have a diverse background. Although STEM skills are the building blocks of engineering, don't forget about other important skills! Take a writing class. Learn a second language. Enjoy reading about European History. Any class that teaches critical thinking will be very useful, and I guarantee that if you take classes that you like, you'll learn something that will help you in your career path.
Good luck, and have a great school year.
- Jasmine Austin
Is the job something that is interesting to you? I am a mechanical engineer by degree but am currently working in telecommunications which is more an electrical engineering job. The best advice I got from someone is the "An engineering degree is a problem solving degree". Employers know you are able to learn and they can teach you the technical part of the job. If the job is something that is interesting to you take it! But you never know what you will actually like until you try it as well. Also does the company have electrical engineering jobs that you could move into after a few years in the mechanical department? If you truly want to do electrical engineering you want to make sure there is a way to easily move out of the mechanical department. Having a different degree will help you bring insight to the department that will give you an advantage.
Hi Theresa,
With either robotics or aerospace you choose either electrical/ computer engineering or mechanical engineering. In a lot of colleges aerospace/ robotics falls under mechanical engineering, some schools even have an undergrad program specifically for aerospace engineering. I would definitely suggest taking fabrication at your high school, it would give you hands on experience that would be useful later on. Plus any discipline you pick will have something to do with manufacturing in the end even if you don't work with it directly. You will be able to design better products if you know what is easy to manufacture and what is not.
Hi Jess,
Since you are a sophomore I would look into how difficult it would be to switch disciplines. It may put to a semester or so behind in graduation date if you switch now. However, if you do want to switch the sooner the better so you don't get too far behind. From what you described it does sound like mechanical engineering would be better for you. Mechanical engineering gives you a better insight into how things work. You will still need some very basic computer programming since a lot of programs involve some sort of programming now.
Also remember that an engineering degree is a problem solving degree. You are not limiting yourself to the discipline you major in. I studied mechanical engineering but now I work in telecommunication engineering. So if you stay with electrical or switch to mechanical it does not mean you have to have a career only in that field.
Hi Jess!
Thanks for the question. To add on to what Kate said, I think mechanical engineering may be a better fit for you, especially when you discuss understanding how things work, usually that is more geared towards a mechanically-minded person.
Keep in mind that Mechanical and Electrical engineering majors usually offer a minor in the other. For example, I had a bunch of friends that minored in electrical engineering or controls as they had an interest in that. And like Kate said, engineering is a problem solving degree so you can have opportunities in many fields. I have many friends who have degrees in mechanical but actually spend the majority of their time doing electrical engineering.
One thing I would recommend is to try to apply for an internship this upcoming summer in either of the fields so that you can get a better idea of what engineers in that field do.
Oh and don't worry, I wasn't very good at coding either. :)
I chose to be an engineer because I wanted to be financially independent of my parents when I was 15 years old. Then I chose electrical engineering because I was good at math and physics. That was a challenge then.
Years later, I have a lot of experience, I graduated 22 years ago, and I think I could not have studied other profession that was not electrical engineering.
The best part is that my work is still a daily challenge, and I still have many things to learn in my career and life
Hi Rimsha,
Thank you for writing to me.
When I started my undergraduate degree, I wasn't fully into it. I didn't find some of the courses interesting. However, now I look back at my own journey in the field! The courses that didn't fascinate me much, gave me the skills that were necessary to advance in many other areas of interest. I also tried to experiment with what I thought I was interested in. I really did think I would like 'Network Security' as a career choice but I didn't feel quite passionate about it after working in it for a year. Therefore, I have always tried to find things that will retain my interest and then tried to work my way in them. When you talk of developing your interest in EE, I'll say, you identify what you really like. My advice will be to begin a research process. EE is a very vast field with a wide number of sub-disciplines. I am quite sure, you'll like a particular area of EE. Once you find that out, study the current courses (as you're still in year 2) by linking them to your area of interest. I hope this approach will help you as it did help me very much in choosing my postgraduate degree.
All the best!
Dear Hannah,
You ask a very important question (quite similar to one that an undergraduate in mechanical engineering asked me last week). No, it is not important that you love every class that you take in engineering. In fact, I would say that would be quite unusual. This is not something that you should worry about. By the way, I simply detest chemistry and there were other courses that I could barely stomach.
I believe that an engineering education's purpose is primarily to teach you to think in a certain way. Engineers solve problems in a creative manner. So, it isn't the class or professor that is important, it is the knowledge base and the way to think.
If you assume that your entire college education consists of 100% of your education, in the work place, you will use an estimated 10% of that knowledge. Much of what you will need to know will be the result of on-the-job training after you start your job.
Electrical engineering is a highly diverse field. In fact, there are 39 separate societies under the umbrella of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. No one can be expected to be in love with all 39 areas!
So, please, keep on keeping on. You can do it .
Hi Daphne,
Great question! I studied electrical engineering and my husband studied mechanical engineering at the same school. What was interesting about is coursework was that he was able to take a number of required electrical courses whereas I didn't have any required mechanical courses. I believe that the breadth for mechanical engineering is wider whereas electrical engineering stays more focused, I think that both majors benefit from one another. Engineering will be a heavy work load in general and the trade-off might be one more semester or year of schooling but if it interests you, go for it!
Hopefully that helps!
I loved going to school in Rolla! It is a small town in the middle of Missouri, but St. Louis and Columbia are both close enough for a day trip. If you go to Rolla for school, don't expect to get a job in Rolla. The town is very small and there aren't many local opportunities for a person with a masters in electrical engineering. HOWEVER! They have a great career opportunities center, and the career fairs have sometimes 200+ companies looking for engineers! You just have to be willing to move around the country. I cannot speak for electrical engineering, but everyone in my department (metallurgical engineering) who graduated with me got jobs upon graduating. I would say the school is very good at placing students in jobs/careers after graduation. I hope you enjoy your time there!
Excellent question Kyle! As a female engineer who works in the automotive industry, I'm excited that you're thinking about a career in auto.
Traditionally automotive was dominated by mechanical engineers, but over the last 20 years, the auto companies have hired electrical engineers in increasing numbers, due to the added software components on vehicles today. At Tesla, where I recently worked, almost half of our engineering staff were electrical engineers!
My advice would be to do everything you can to get a summer internship or co-op either for an automotive OEM (e.g. GM) or an automotive supplier (e.g. Delphi). While I was in school, I spent my summer internships at Ford and Cummins, which provided valuable, hands-on engineering experience that better prepared me for my first job after graduation.
The answer to switch really depends on your interest level. If you haven't taken any Civil Engineering courses yet, then it becomes more difficult to determine which you most enjoy until you do. I would not base a decision though on which courses are easier. Throughout your education, you'll encounter courses that are both hard and that are easy. Their level of difficulty doesn't always correlate with your natural talent; sometimes it has to do with how the information is taught and whether it's presented in a manner that is compatible with your learning style.
I would recommend that you take the classes that interest you the most and don't worry about what the degree is called. The most important thing in my mind as an employer are what skills do you have (eg. programming) and what projects have you done (eg. a class project designing a medical device). You need to make those skills and experiences clear in your resume. Also, any work experience or internships will count for a lot more than the name of your degree. So if you love the biomedical engineering students, teachers, and classes then that's the degree you should get!
Good luck!
My work schedule varies from day to day. Some days I spend most of the day in technical meetings, other days I'm able to go out to the factory floor and observe satellite production.
Thank you for asking an excellent question that I'm confident many other engineering students also struggle with. It actually touches on a few different topics – many of which are the focus of a larger national debate about how undergraduates are trained to "be engineers".
To start, it is really important to recognize that your undergraduate coursework is simply laying a foundation and giving you a basic skill set. What you do with that skill set is up to you. For example, you mention programming. Many EE's will have an entire career where all they do is program. Other EE's will take a few classes in college, and (basically) never program again. Essentially, not every course you take will be directly applicable to your final career. However, conversely, your career direction must be based on your academic background, at least initially. This brings up an obvious question: how do you know you're in the right degree program, if you don't like the classes?
Let's start big picture: What do you want to do when you grow up? I realize this is a very hard question. So, perhaps think about the opposite – what don't you want to do? You've already identified that programming is out. What other topics do you truly dislike? Similarly what types of engineering activities do you really enjoy? For example, do you enjoy building or designing things? What part of the process – specifically – do you like? Are there jobs with descriptions similar to your interests? What degrees do these people have? Perhaps look at job listings or look on LinkedIn or other networking sites.
However, it is important to remember that even if you find your perfect degree program, there will always be that one course that you really dislike or that one semester when you really struggle. During this time, you need a strong support system or network. This can be comprised of friends, family, co-workers, and mentors. Really, anyone can be part of a support system because encouragement can take many different forms: ice cream after finals, career advice, study groups. But remember, the support system works best if the strength flows both ways.
I am so glad you asked! Electrical Engineering, like many fields, is very broad. Some electrical engineers design circuits, while others work in buildings, while others work in power plants. Some work with lasers and optics, etc.
Designing circuits is very fun and rewarding. It is exciting to finally get your circuit working!
What you do every day depends on the job you end up accepting. But at your early stage of being a Freshman EE, you are trying to determine if you will like your day to day work. I understand your perspective, because I was in your situation as well!
There are several ways to get the answers you are looking for. One is entering a co-op program or finding a Summer Internship. These opportunities give you an edge over other graduates. But, you will also get a feel for what you will be doing on the job. The internship job might be very different than your actual job out of school, (they usually aren't that fun) but, you will gain access to engineers and can look for a mentor who will help you.
Another way is to do projects on your own. Nowadays, there are many beginner electronics kits and programming platforms that are very low cost. Two main ones are Arduino and Raspberry Pi. I suggest you start learning about them (just Google and you will learn about them). If you continue to get more interested, it's a clue that an EE degree is right for you. If you become an EE, you will need to learn "embedded programming". Arduino and Raspberry Pi are great embedded programming platforms. In addition to leraning how to program them, they also allow you to build your own circuits that you will directly attach. What a great way to get some exposure and to assess whether you can become passionate about figuring out circuits. And, it will look **great** on your resume, too!
Hope this helps! Contact me again if you have additional questions.
The main reason I chose to do electrical and mechanical engineering was that I couldn't choose between them and was told it was a much harder degree. I like a challenge. I chose engineering because I enjoyed maths and physics but wanted to use them practically. I never had anyone tell me it was only for men, but I was the only girl on my course in my year.
How long did it take you to actually make a fully functioning robot like SmartNav or SnoMote?
It took about one year to build a working prototype and one more to get it functioning robustly in hazardous environment, with smarts.
Have you had any other jobs besides being a roboticist?
I've always been a roboticist – studied robotics at school, then was a roboticist working at NASA, now at GeorgiaTech.
I'm lucky enough not to have had to have a job interview for a few years but I've been through interviews for certain roles and most recently my Chartership, and I can't actually think of a time where I've faced criticism or sexism in these situations. I'm very sorry if this is not the experiences you've faced and this should definitely not be accepted! I think it's quite common to feel that women have to prove themselves as being a good engineer more so than our male counterparts, and unfortunately the only real way to prove this is through experience. So get some good, hands-on, experiences. Depending on the field of engineering you're interested in, this could be volunteering with a local company or using any connections you may have, be that personal or through your school. It's always good in an interview to be able to reference back to this. Having worked with many larger companies I believe the general feeling, right from senior management, is that female engineers are a good asset to any team. There are of course some people with different views, but I think you can experience this in most walks of life, sexist comments shouldn't be tolerated and if you experience this in an interview this should be reported back to the company HR (if they have one). This may not however, be a company you want to work for.
Interview situations are tough for anyone, so try not to worry about any preconceived ideas the interview may have and be confident in your own abilities. Focus on what you're strengths are and what you can bring to the role.
Do you have an example of something that's happened to you? I'd be happy to give my opinion on how I'd have dealt with the situation?
Hope this helps!
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Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (231 votes).
In short: Fantastic organisation - they seem to have thought of everything this year! For what Coventry lacks in scenery it makes up for in the warmth of the spectating crowd. I've now done this race twice, and will be back next year for more!Date of review: October 21, 2007
In short: Excellent race - very well organisedIn full: This was my first time at Coventry and my third half - and what a great atmosphere, well organised, well supported, marshalls were great. I got a PB but only just - but it was my third race in three weeks !Date of review: October 21, 2007
In short: What a cracking morningIn full: Not the easiset of courses, but I still got round 2 mins under my PB - I must have been having a good day. Superb organisation, fantastic marshals (even better when a young lady told me I had a nice bum - I'm old enough to be her dad)and the weather smiled on us. Well done to Helen and her team. Great event Date of review: October 21, 2007
In short: Thoroughly enjoyable race-will be back next year!Date of review: October 21, 2007
In short: 1st ever half marathon enjoyable with a friendly atmosphereDate of review: October 21, 2007
In short: A very well organised race, making the best use of Coventry's open spaces.Date of review: October 21, 2007
In short: Very enjoyable from start to finish, thanks to staff, volunteers and public supportIn full: Coventry should be proud for putting on such a well organised event. Hopefully now an established part of the racing calender. A PB so how can I complain. The weather helped I think, because even the hills didn't seem too daunting. Would have liked more goodies at the finish, I should have hidden a couple more twix bars down my shorts!!Date of review: October 21, 2007
In short: A fun first half marathon, although I ache allover!Date of review: October 21, 2007
In short: hilly in places friendly atmosphereIn full: tough coarse in places well organised got pb be back next year thanks to all the marshalls for there great work they do Date of review: October 21, 2007
In short: Some testing hills but enjoyable with the crowds who were great.Date of review: October 21, 2007
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Moderator: Mike
Exactly, HJ. WAD. I Love it....HeyJude wrote:I think Crippled Inside is rather about the hypocrisy of the society we're living in, not another hate-song towards Paul...
Bluebird wrote:John said in an interview in 1980 that he wrote "Two of us" and 70 percent of "Eleanor rigby" so I found it hard to belive him.. I think "I know I know" is not the typical Lennon ballad. I think it could be a friendship song. "Today I love you more than yesterday" which could mean that he always change his feelings to Paul..TRAINROBBER wrote:Bluebird wrote:But he wrote years have passed so quickly. He had only known Yoko for 4 years then. Paul for 16 years.. And he sings "Things getting better all the time, as we share in each others arms" That line is to Paul, regardless what. You must remember that he was very drug-mad in 1980 because of the drugs and find it sometimes hard to remember. Maybe he wouldn´t admit that it was to Paul. I still think Mindgames have a serious point here, especially because that Paul made BOTR before this song. ANd "I know i know is written two years after HOW DO YOU SLEEP.. I think it´s a sorry song to Paul.
He Had been married to Yoko for 4 years , he had known her since 1966.
John to my knowledge had never had a problem with his memory and for how many drugs he was taking by 1980? I don't know how anyone who would know that?
John never had a problem admitting anything as far as I'm concerned. It was common knowledge that Paul had written "Too many people" about John so john wrote "HDYS". I don't think it would have been hard for him at all to say it was about Paul. So I still believe the song was about Yoko.....
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Joy's Jaunt: Risque business with Amber Does Dallas' 'Rocky Horror' shadowcast — or, something non-holiday related to do this weekend!
Looking for something to do this weekend that has absolutely nothing to do with the holidays? We've got you covered in this week's Joy's Jaunt:
If you like your movies with a touch of "sweet transvestite from Transexual, Transylvania" — and that puts you in marvelously offbeat, probably heavily cosmetics-centric company — you've probably seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Like, 100 times. You know all the moves and words to "Time Warp." But I'm here to testify that you've never really experienced Rocky unless you've seen it with a shadowcast. If you haven't seen the movie, even better — as a total newbie, you're in for the ride of your life.
In shadowcast shows, the 1975 R-rated musical-comedy film plays on a theater screen while in front of the screen, actors costumed as the characters simultaneously act out the scenes. The audience is encouraged to shout and throw things — for instance, toilet paper gets tossed when Rocky's surgical bandages are being removed, and when someone onscreen yells "Great Scott!"
Amber Does Dallas stages Rocky shadowcasts the second and fourth Fridays of each month at the historic Lakewood Theater. The shows are risqué, to be sure — these Transylvanians are partial to lingerie (even the guys), and recommended for ages 18 and older. Younger folks can get in with a guardian, but be warned: This is definitively adult territory.
If you've never seen Rocky, the plot involves innocent young Brad and Janet, a newly engaged couple whose car trouble strands them on a cold, rainy evening. But look! Yonder, a castle! There they find a meeting of the Transylvanian Convention, and their innocence is, shall we say, compromised.
During the show, some audience members get called up onstage to participate in the Virgin Games (for those who've never seen the shadowcast) and other interactive zaniness. No one is forced to participate, though, so relax. Oh, and you're welcome — nay, strongly encouraged, to dress as your favorite character, although T-shirts and jeans are just fine, too. Lingerie is allowed, but bring a cover-up for trips to and from your car, the concession stand, etc. No nudity or flashing, please.
Outside props are a no-no for safety reasons, but you can get a prop pack for $4. It contains a water pistol, party hat, surgical glove, toilet paper and other items for use during particular scenes. The actors also sell other Rocky-related goodies before the show.
If all of that sounds over-the-top wacky — well, yes! You've got the right idea. "Time Warp" on, friends.
11 p.m. Nov. 23 (and every second and fourth Friday) at the Lakewood Theater, 1825 Abrams Parkway, Dallas. $10. 214-821-7469. amberdoesdallas.com for info, lakewoodtheater.com for tickets.
GuideLive.com is the go-see-do portal of the Dallas Morning News where you can find:
Events – Search all listings
Movies – Search movie times and locations
Music – Search for concerts and other music events
Restaurants – Search for restaurants, reviews and locations


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Skip to comments.Mayor Bloomberg: Security Drones Over New York City Are 'Scary' But Inevitable
Posted on 03/24/2013 10:22:56 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg considers the domestic use of military-style drones "scary" but says that there is no way to stop it.
Everybody wants their privacy, but I dont know how youre going to maintain it, Bloomberg said on his weekly radio show. Its just were going into a different world, uncharted, and, like it or not, what people can do, what governments can do, is different ... you cant keep the tides from coming in.
In September a Congressional Research report stated that domestic drones may be able to bypass constitutional privacy safeguards because of their high level of sophistication.
At least 81 entities, including 17 police departments, have applied for permission to fly drones in U.S. airspace.
But the mayor seems to be referring to something more omnipresent, like having drones with ARGUS technology flying 17,500 feet above the Big Apple while transmitting high resolution images of people........
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
They weren't necessary before and they aren't necessary now. We have plenty of boots & LE on the ground.
If we lived in a Constitutional Republic with a representative form of government, then sure we could stop it, but since we don't...
Thank you for admitting what many Americans already know.
Sig Heil, Herr Commandant!!!
You keep telling yourself that mr. nanny.
I seriously hope he dies soon.
It's NYC, do you really think his replacement will be any better?
True. People will just vote in another ass.
Rudy kicked some butt, everyone hated him for it. He cleaned up the mess that was left when he took over and now bloomturd is destroying it all.
Rudy would have had a sh!tfit if he was still mayor when Air Fart one flew over NYC the way it did.
bend over people, you can't stop "scary" government
what spine! what backbone! what leadership!
A "reasonably" equipped drone could also do a lot of good in foiling bad guys.
However, the current administration turns everything on its head. I'd never thought of myself in revolutionary terms before.
put 10 or 20 drones hovering around Bloomberg's home then you'll see a different story
Mayor Bloomberg confers with David Axelrod.
His replacement will likely be worse for the City, but at least not have tens of billions of dollars to try to influence national politics.
The odds there will be a mayah who isn't a billionaire are very small. The odds that there won't be significant billionaire backers of said 'middle class' mayah are even more remote.
Politicians these days are either wealthy, owned by the wealthy or blackmailed.
I wish NYC luck with this endeavor however. They'll need it!
My thought, you must submit, there is no way to stop them. My big question, when will they arm them?
With all those tall rooftops, I would guess that those drones would be 'vulnerable'.
[except for the fact only a few have acquired target eliminators]
Likely won't be a billionaire, but sure, will have financial backers.
Can these drones see the difference between 16 & 18 ounce sodas?
"My big question, when will they arm them?"
If you think they're probably not already armed you haven't been paying attention. If they're not already armed, the equipment to do so probably shipped in the crate with the drone and awaits installation at a moments notice.
>>" you cant keep the tides from coming in."
You keep telling yourself that mr. nanny. <<
I am sure Chancellor Hitler used the same reasoning: "how long do you Jews expect to be left alone? This was inevitable so you should invite it!"
U.S. Army orders its first batch of suicide drones
If you were just awakening to politics and wanted to know what party that crazy ba$tard who's trying to run your life and spy on you belonged to, what would you learn?
That control freak represents the Republican party.
He must be the real deal for them, since he's the guy running NYC, just like Rudy Giuliani, so what he's doing obviously is what the Republican party must believe in, too. Right?
Yet another good reason to not be a Republican.
Can't you people see what's been done to you? This isn't your father's Republican party.
Whether from dirt or deals, the old crew just isn't on your team any more.
Time to either cure the party of the virus or burn it to the ground and phoenix up from the ashes.
What's the point of playing this game any more?
So standing orders would be 'shoot on sight'?
Can't be taking any chances.
I thank the Good Lord we are Americans.
Yes, it will be a bloody mess. So be it.
I notice he doesn't mention whose drones they are. Are they in his jurisdiction? Are some of them maybe his? Are they keep an eye out for oversized sodas or illicit cigarettes?
He really doesn't say. But he's in a position to know, and probably even to block them—if he wanted to. Which he obviously doesn't.
Mayor Bloomberg doesn't fear government tyranny, because he is government tyranny.
With federal drones looking for public corruption in local governments—where the money is. See the tip for all of us common citizens from a man in the CIA (the actual quote from Ira Hunt—not the screeching hysteria in the paraphrasing of the posted piece). It's the state and local governments doing most of the cellphone snooping—not the feds.
CIA Chief Tech Officer: Big Data Is The Future And We Own It
With the remainder of the default process ahead, I reckon the Public Integrity Section will be a bigger deal in the future. The real zombies will be regulating bureaucrats and other pretenders receiving government incomes. They'll be all over each other for dwindling revenues/debt (no juicy targets elsewhere).
My mom is terrified of the female thing that may replace him.
[except for the fact only a few have acquired target eliminators]
Personally I wouldn't be at all surprised at how many "eliminators" are in that city. I would expect the majority to be very sophisticated and transportable inside briefcases.
What garbage.
The means to invade a person's privacy isn't the same as the right to invade a person's privacy.
Telephone's been around for decades - our leaders in the past got a judge to sign off on a wire tap. They didn't think it was their right to snoop on the private lives of citizens. Then again, our leaders weren't assh*les like Bloomberg - they NEVER used the excuse that since telephones made it 'easy' to listen in on private conversations that they could throw privacy out the window. We had better people running for office back then.
Bloombrerg's a jerk. A total complete jerk.
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2012 Mount Washington Preview - Page 3
"We've reached a place over the past several years now where we're really fielding strong teams," says Bolt. "Because of that, we've been getting more exposure, which is attracting people from other elite backgrounds."
Also contending will be former USMRT member Joseph Gray of Newcastle, Washington, another former steeplechaser who also owns a 1:05 half-marathon PR and U.S. Trail 10K title. Eric Blake of New Britain, Connecticut, is a former Mount Washington winner, USMRT member and 2010 runner-up in 1:00:40 (where he edged Gray, third, by just over a minute) who will also toe the line Saturday.
Sage Canday, recently relocated to Boulder, Colorado, will make his Mount Washington debut Saturday—the two-time Olympic Trials marathoner has shown promise in the mountains, finishing a close second in 3:49:28 at Washington's Chuckanut 50K in March despite making a wrong turn. And former NCAA Nordic ski champion Glenn Randall of Mesa, Colorado, will look to improve on his 1:03:36 and fourth-place finish at his first Mount Washington race last year.
Bolt says the many contenders (and variables) have raised the prospects of the USMRT's chances to perform well at the World Championship, where they placed fourth as a team last year and won silver in 2010—the last uphill year.
Still, he was mum on how the team might fare at the World Championships—at least until the team is set. "At Worlds, competition is so close at the top that it's hard to predict," he says.
LIVE UPDATES ON TWITTER: The race starts at 9 a.m. EST Saturday. Live updates will be broadcast on Twitter by the USMRT: http://twitter.com/usmrt, or follow @usmrt.


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Topic: Translate (not: convert) Git to SVN
I am relatively new to Web Development in general and to RoR in particular. But nonetheless I may have the chance to collaborate in a RoR-based project.
As by now I'm learning RoR with the brillant learning-by-doing tutorial of Michael Hartl (http://ruby.railstutorial.org/ruby-on-r orial-book) , but I already do know that the project in question will be using SVN rather than git.
I am not very familiar with either. Since the concept of said tutorial seems to be to teach only that subset of commands that is really needed (which comes in handy regarding the little time I've left), I wondered whether someone might know a tutorial that shows how typical tasks would be performed on both versioning systems in a Rails environment, kinda comparing or translating the respective sets of commands to each other, so that I could become familiar with SVN while reading about git.
Until now I'm using SVN via TortoiseSVN, which of course is more convenient, but I would switch to SVN on the command line (though reluctantly :-) ).
Am I just seeing problems where there aren't any? Or do you think that might be useful? And in case of the latter, do you accidentally know a source on the web that meets said criteria? I've already found this: http://veerasundaravel.wordpress.com/20 heatsheet/ , but perhaps you know something more close to my goals?
Thanks in advance