Have I over-idealized Engineering?

Callifornian
Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:26:26 +0000

Whenever I’m in a conversation the subject of my major inevitably pops up. After explaining that I’m a freshman that has tentatively settled on Chemical Engineering, I’m asked WHY I’m an engineer and WHAT job I plan on getting after school. Without thinking I provide what I feel is a passionate and well-meaning response, but after wading through some of the topics here and talking to upperclassman, I feel may be more idealistic and naive than anything else.

The reason I’m an engineer, specifically a chemical engineer, is two-fold. First, I’m the stereotypical kid that loves math and the sciences. It certainly helps that I’m good at them (after my first semester I’m maintaining a 3.9 GPA with a courseload that many call ridiculous) and I truly think chemistry and biology are really fascinating. Additionally, I love helping others, cemented by the fact I really enjoy community service. I’ve always thought of engineers as the men and women that “do stuff” - are the ones out building bridges, creating supercomputers, researching new pharmaceuticals and cures, and it seems like a natural progression of using my love of math and science to help others.

However, one reason I’m not going to be an engineer is for the salary or any financial incentives. As long as I’m not begging on the streets and I could support my family I don’t understand why I would need so much money; I value my worth in the fulfillment I will get helping others throughout my life versus the size of the piles of money at my death. So whenever someone jokes that I must be eager to make so much money straight out of college as an engineer I kind of give them a half smile and just agree.

So as for what job I would want when I’m ready to enter the professional world, I always say I would want to go into some sort of research or job where I’m out and about in the world. As I narrow down my interests I’m becoming more and more focused on biotechnology and synthetic biology, and I’m excited that I could one day do research in this, helping to find a cure for some disease or configure some amazing new biological marvel (this is also why I’ve contemplated double-majoring in Materials Science - for the nanotech/biotech aspect).

But I’m becoming disillusioned with what I keep hearing. A solid percentage of graduating engineers go straight into the financial world, and from these threads it seems that after a short period of time engineers are required to move into some managerial position. This is exactly what I don’t want to do. I want to stay in the forefront of the field and make meaningful contributions that help others. My biggest fear isn’t that I fail or don’t make enough money, it’s that my existence was ultimately meaningless and I’m forgotten in the sands of time.

I guess the question I have is, with my passion for helping others and logically oriented mind, is engineering the correct career path? Even if I’m being idealistic, will it give me the opportunity to do what I want with my life? Thanks for taking the time to read through this and for posting your thoughts and insight.