It’s not that easy but if the person took physics, chem, and bio in HS they can have some basic ideas about electrical, mechanical, civil, chemical, and bio engineering and if they took AP Computer Science (not all HS have it) they can have some idea about computer science/engineering (part of the school of engineering at a number of college campuses).</p>
<p>I agree though - I’ve seen many posts on CC from HS students considering ‘engineering’ but they have no idea which area to go into and maybe not that clear of an idea of the differences in these widely different areas. I’ve seen posts from many parents on CC who also have no idea at all about ‘engineering’. It seems to be a mystery to many unless they happen to know someone who’s an engineer. Most lay people have at least a rough idea of teachers, lawyers, doctors, business people, nurses, and other professions they come into contact with in their life but engineering can be a mystery. Since the various aspects of engineering can be very interesting, afford a good income, contribute to society, allow one to be creative, etc. it’s a shame the schools don’t spend at least a bit more time explaining what it is and how, for example, EE is a completely different area than a ChemE.</p>
<p>It’s also true that females are very much in the minority in engineering despite the fact that many females do quite well in math and science and some of them have no interest in the medical field. I think more females should consider the various engineering majors as a possibility.</p>
<p>The engineering major certainly seems to be popular right now but unfortunately many who start out do not graduate as engineers, and than many who graduate as engineers decide to go into other fields. We need engineers in the US.</p>
<p>An engineering education teaches you how to be critical and analytical, to think scientifically, and to apply these skills to real-life situations. I’d hire someone with an engineering degree as an engineer, a manager, a laboratory worker, a production supervisor, a technician…just about every job I’ve ever hired for. My son’s best math teacher in high school was a mechanical engineer. Is it too popular? No way. We may not need more engineers per se, but we sure as heck need more people who think like engineers. To paraphrase Mike Rowe, engineers make civilized life possible for the rest of us.</p>
<p>For the last 20 years, China has been ruled by Engineers (The last and current Presidents were both engineers by training). Three of the five current top leaders in China are engineers. Look what they have done, 9-10% GDP growth every year for the last 20 years. Even George W. said China’s development was amazing when he visited as USP compared with the time when his father was an emissary to China in the 1970’s.</p>
<p>When asked as a HS senior what he was going to study, he would have replied, “Engineering.” He knew he was going into Mech E, but that would have been his answer.</p>
<p>Perhaps this is similar to the person who plans to go into pediatrics and who answers the same question with, “Medicine.”</p>
<p>“Brooklynborndad: was she fairly new to the school? I am thinking there is not a whole lot of turnover at the school so she could have been the low person on the totem pole”</p>
<p>She was fairly new to the school, and yes, we were told, IIRC, that it was largely a matter of seniority. Still, we were disappointed. </p>
<p>"Look what they have done, 9-10% GDP growth every year for the last 20 years. "</p>
<p>I would suggest that adopting an economic model of export led growth pioneered by Japan, and then by South Korea and Taiwan, and then by Malaysia, Thailand, etc and doing it from a very low wage level baseline, had SOMETHING to do with that. </p>
<p>Note, the only US presidents to be trained engineers were Herbert Hoover, and Jimmy Carter (if we exclude George Washington, a surveyor) </p>
<p>I am all for the importance of engineering (and if she changes her mind about Arch, I will be VERY supportive if she changes to Civil E) but I am not sure I would push for more engineers as political leaders ;)</p>
<p>There are many who START in engineering and fewer who finish with their degrees. Fewer still remain in the field with satisfying jobs. Hubby encouraged our S to consider engineering as a field which works for his strengths–math, science, computers–which S was interested in anyway. If he decides it’s not something he wants to continue in, he can opt for grad school or just get on the job training. Engineering is one of the few fields that hire at decent salaries with just a bachelor’s degree. That said, many of his collegues weren’t hired this spring when they graduated with their engineering degrees due to the challenging economy.</p>
<p>There are many options in engineering & it teaches good teamwork & problem solving skills. S has no regrets so far.</p>
Similar to my son. We also encouraged him to pursue an aerospace engineering degree because it played to his academic strengths and his personal interests. Whether he ever works in the aerospace industry is irrelevant because the basis problem-solving and team-work skills that he has acquired will serve him in many industries. His summer internship this year is in software development, and not at all related to aviation, and he remarks on how the disciplines share the same processes. But if he had not chosen an aerospace-related course of study, say had had to study geotechnical engineering, I’m not sure he would have stayed interested or done as well academically as he has studying subjects that he’s passionate about.</p>
There is some truth to it, but not entirely. China now is the largest market for many products, phones, webusers, TV, washing machine, etc., you name it. My point was enginneers are much more highly regarded in China than in US.</p>
<p>
Ironically, Hoover was a mining engineer in China in the early 1900’s. I think that Carter was a physicist though I could be wrong. Lincoln and Jefferson also did land surveying. Monticello still has the instrument that Jefferson used for surveying.</p>
<p>I was strong in math and science in high school, but was not encouraged to go into engineering there, but luckily for me, my dad encouraged me to study engineering and I did! I loved it. I worked until my S was born and then stayed home with him. I hope to go back one day when both my kids are in college.</p>
<p>I agree with all the people who say you can’t stay in engineering for the money - it’s not lucrative. But it can be very satisfying. I have found that engineers are more valued around the world than in the US. Some of that due to how those other countries are run. (Why would a communist country need a lot of business majors?)</p>
<p>I think it is an admired degree. Colleges also do their share of trying to sell the departments to potential freshmen, so they tell you how much you will make if you have an engineering degree. The prase I liked was, “If you can be an engineer, you can be anything you want.” Well, I guess it sells, but the engineering classes were much smaller sophomore year. The courses are difficult and not for everyone. If you plan on having a social life in college, don’t plan on being an engineer.</p>
<p>Engineering will never be TOO popular, unlike business as a major. Interest as well as ability is required. There are much easier ways to make money for most people. My father got his EE degree courtesy of the Navy circa WWII (they paid for his education), the war ended and he chose the specific type based on options available to him. Never heard of any engineering courses in HS. The sciences have some things in common with engineering fields but the two are very different. I was a chemistry major but chemical engineering never had any appeal for me. Somewhat like applied versus theoretical math and physics- they share a lot but are different approaches in choosing and solving problems. Different fields of engineering have different values over the years- some didn’t exist in my (or my father’s) generation and others are less useful than in the past. I also know of engineers who go on to get an MBA and become valuable to corporations with their dual skills.</p>
<p>I just stumbled upon this thread and am finding it so informative. </p>
<p>I am not a science/math person, but my S is. He’s a HS sophomore , does extremely well in science and math, and is exploring different areas. I’m trying to learn more so I can better direct him. The website posted earlier on this thread (by scansmom?) is excellent. I’m saving that one.</p>
<p>Engineering may just be what, archimom said, plays to his academic strengths and his personal interests. We will see… I know he has no interest in going into medicine!</p>
<p>Pizzagirl: What does your D want to do with a chem major? Any ideas or just too early? I know she’s just about to start senior yr in HS!</p>