clove7965

I've been reading some threads about how much work engineering is..

Some people I know who never took honors/AP math and science courses seem to be doing fine in, like, computer and electrical engineering. I've always taken the hardest math/science courses in high school, and have always studied hard/gotten 90ish grades in all of them and 700 on my Math SAT (which I know is a little low compared to many engineers'); do you think if I went to an average public university like Rutgers I would have very much trouble with ChemE? It's only my back-up major so I'm not incredibly in love with the idea of becoming an engineer, so I don't have all too much motivation to do mind-numbingly difficult&endless work. I'll do 4 hours of homework a night, but if it's much more than that, I don't know...

Loverboyfan420

its not like only some small elite group is are capable of doing it. if youre good at the sciences and willing to put in the work then go for it. 4 hours a day usually will be fine, some more some less. your first year might have less homework, your junior year might have more etc

racnna

I was a B-/B average student in high school. i got a 620 on the Math SAT. I took Calculus(derivatives and integrals) in high school. I was just like you 2 years ago- i thought only absolute geniuses do engineering- not the case at all. I currently have a 3.66- rising junior at PSU(#14 in engineering). So you have absolutely nothing to worry about- especially if you go to rutgers. Typically, people who took calc/AP calc in highschool and did well, do fine in engineering. I have all A's in Calc 2,3, linear algebra and diff eqs...B in calc 1. I've taken thermodynamics and materials balances so far and they're not difficult. Thermo is probably harder but its not like- Oh my god! impossible. If you spend time doing the homework and understanding what you're doing you'll do well on exams. One thing i like about the engineering courses is that you don't have to read and memorize s**t like you do for chemistry courses...It's mostly thinking and problem solving- if thats your thing then engineering is for you. You're going to be in it with several other chem E students so you and your chem E friends can b**ch about how ridiculous the work load is while you're doing your homework. You'll also become really close to them and spend a lot of time with them, inevitably.

The most annoying time-consuming class you will take your first 2 years in chem E will be organic chemistry lab..Be prepared. 6 hours a week in lab and a s**t- load of hours working on reports. It was NOT cute and this class affected my other grades last semester. Materials is fun..thermo was boring...

lauraware

hahaha both my parents are chemical engineers (you can guess where they met :P). my dad always says that yeah, he worked hard in college, but he had fun too. moral to the story: both my parents don't seem scarred from college chemical engineering (mom graduated with like 3.4, dad graduated with 3.1 I think). oh, and both had jobs at the time of college graduation.

RETHEEM

just make sure u understand the concepts in the core engineering subjects....and do ur homeworks.