<p>Is most engineering primarily focused on constructing various appartuses or can it be primarily theoretical as well? I am wondering this because I have very little experience actually designing and builiding things, so I really don’t know if I will be good at it or enjoy doing it. Also, does the amount of focus on design/building vary between different engineering disciplines? Any feedback would be appreciated</p>
<p>Engineering is definitely about creating, although the creation may be an algorithm rather than an apparatus. I work for a large company and we use engineers in a lot of ways - to analyze requirements, to design products, to simulate and test ideas, to document specifications, and to verify that the product meets the requirements. The strong engineering/problem solving education they come in with is useful in all of these roles. </p>
<p>I would think over your science and math classes. Do you get more enjoyment in solving the math and physics problems and determining which chemicals are in your mix, or do you prefer the high you get when you understand something you didn’t understand before? One might lead to an engineering major, while the other to a science major.</p>
<p>You should try to do some projects that involve building to see whether you like it or not. I had very little designing/building experience as well, but I had some experience from putting together computers and taking apart electronics before. I also had a lot of experience with programming, which is a good parallel to building and designing things.</p>
<p>The amount of theory vs design depends on your school. Certain school are geared towards the practical aspects of engineering, which helps if you want to get a job. Others prepare you for graduate school and tend to focus on theory more. At a given school, the amount of theory and design you get in each discipline should be around the same. However, some of the disciplines (like EE or ChemE) might seem more “theoretical” because they grapple with concepts that are tougher to visualize or have any intuitive feel for.</p>
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