Aeronautics/civil/mechanical engineering

sky
Fri, 29 Jun 2007 04:45:13 +0000

I don’t think anyone here can possibly answer that question. Why would you want someone on some internet forum telling you to do with your life?

Secondly, there’s no clear answer anyways. You have to do what you love … that’s the only way you will be happy with your choice.

And there are always compromises and decisions to be made. With aerospace, you will be limited in job opportunities. There are some states that have virtually no interesting aerospace jobs. The industry is cyclical and some say overly-specialized. With the risk-averse nature that the gov’t and industry is in, there won’t be as much innovation as you think. Project lead times are extremely long, and you’ll probably only work on 2-3 major projects in your career. But if you love aerospace, there is no substitute and you would be willing to make any sacrifices. With civil, the pay is towards the lower end of the scale, but there are plenty of jobs all over the country. You will have better than average job security. Lots of opportunities to work on different projects, and while there might not be a lot of innovation, that’s not to say there are no challenges or no interesting projects. Mechanical is certainly more versatile with regard to industries in which graduates work.

The point is, each has their benefits and disadvantages. … but the only way to succeed and be happy is to do what you are passionate about. Also, while Olympiad might be fun… it’s not really indicative of actual engineering work.