<p>Hi there. This is my first question, so please bear with me. I’m a high school senior and I’ve applied to the top programs on my list of schools, whether that’s business or engineering. For example: Rice-Engineering, Illinois- Engineering, Boston College- Business, UT- Both Business and Engineering. I’ve felt super confident in my ability to handle an Engineering curriculum up to Senior year, and then I decided to take both AP Chem and AP Physics. AP Chem has been great, but Physics has been just absolutely terrible. The past 3 tests, I’ve gotten anywhere from a 30-40%. After our curve, that’s equated to a high C or low B. I’m just worried that I flat out won’t be able to cut it in college, and I was wondering if there’s an engineering discipline that I could pursue at any of these schools that is really not dependent upon Mechanics or Electricity and Magnetism (the Physics C classes I’m currently enrolled in.) </p>
<p>I also know that I’ll find myself in the business world once I finish school. My tentative plan is to go engineering undergrad and then go get my MBA. If you have any advice on what engineering discipline would set me up best for a consulting job or something else in the business world, I’d really appreciate it. </p>
<p>engineering
a : the application of science and mathematics by which the properties of matter and the sources of energy in nature are made useful to people
b : the design and manufacture of complex products</p>
<p>Engineering is the application of physics. You either have to try and get a little more confidence in doing physics or commit to business, because engineering is essentially still a type of applied physics.</p>
<p>Even computer science still requires the main physics track at most schools even though it doesn’t necessarily make heavy use of it later.</p>
<p>Why not just major in business? An engineer with an MBA is not going to get a management position straight out of grad school. You’d need working experience first.</p>
<p>That being said, Industrial engineering might have the least physics as far as I know. You’ll probably still have physics requirements as part as the engineering program due to ABET requirements, but I don’t think physics is used much in the IE specific classes. I could be wrong. </p>
<p>See how you do on the AP Physics C exam. Maybe your teacher is just really harsh. AP Physics C definitely wasn’t a cake walk, but I found it interesting (even if I hated the E/M portion). Plus I got a 5 on both portions of the exam and got to skip 2 physics classes in college.</p>
<p>The AP Physics exam is not a good indicator of success in engineering as it relies so heavily on the quality of the class at a given high school, which is far from constant.</p>
<p>Using myself as an example, getting a 3 on the AP mechanics didn’t stop me from completing a mechanical engineering degree with an A in my mechanics class(es) along the way, nor has it held me back in getting a PhD in engineering in a field that requires an above-average grasp of mechanics.</p>
<p>That said, I was still interested in physics back then even if I only got a 3 on the exam.</p>
<p>Computer science may require less physics - it really depends on the particular school, so you could look at the required courses at some of the schools that you are considering.</p>
<p>I got a B and a C in my two college physics classes. I decided to keep trying, and ended up graduating with high honors. I wouldn’t give up on trying the type of engineering that interests you most.</p>
<p>Weakness in any subject doesn’t have to be a lifelong sentence.</p>
<p>What aspect (or aspects) of physics do you struggle with? Have you thought about getting a tutor who could help address some of the fuzzy areas? Do you enjoy the idea of working in an engineering field that may use a lot of physics? If so, you might want to think about sticking with it and finding someone who can help make things more clear.</p>
<p>FWIW, I got a 3 on my AP physics C (E&M) exam and am now working on my PhD in electrical engineering at a good school. I had a poor attitude in high school, plus a teacher who was weak on E&M and gave it little real attention. I learned MUCH better in college!</p>
<p>Shoot, at least your teacher got to E&M in high school. Mine spent so much time trying to get a handful of kids who just didn’t care to actually care that we didn’t even get to cover all of the mechanics portion in a whole year. I turned out okay anyway, though my wife may not agree with that. :-P</p>
<p>We were a big enough / nice enough school to have AP Physics C, and you had to jump through hoops to get into it. We were his favorite class - all good at math, all physics junkies, all of us cared. He just wasn’t especially good at the E&M and put it off to focus on the things that made more sense to him.</p>
<p>Computer science is not the same as computer engineering (which definitely requires physics). I think chemical engineering or petroleum engineering will require less mechanics and electricity compared to other engineering degrees. Plus petroleum engineers do a lot of field work, which requires less theorethical stuff that you have in books.</p>
<p>I really appreciate all of your feedback. It’s been very helpful. I’m not sure what I’ll end up doing yet, but I think I’m going to lean towards Industrial, Chemical, or straight out business. Thanks so much. I’ve sort of been drawn to one of the engineering disciplines because I hear it’s much more hands on. I’m a little afraid of locking myself in a cubicle all day. Yet, I hear that there are a lot of engineers doing desk work. Does this vary within Industrial, Chemical, Computer, etc? </p>
<p>There is a tremendous variety of work in engineering, and in any discipline you are going to find jobs that are almost entirely hands on and others that are almost entirely behind a desk. The average engineer spends most of their time at a desk, but if you are set on maximizing (or minimizing) your time getting your hands dirty, there are certainly jobs out there.</p>