<p>What’s so interesting about building machines, structures, devices, and systems?
I am asking because at this point in time, I have no idea what I want to be. Engineering was a thought that I might enjoy, but I’ve no idea how it’s “fun”.</p>
<p>If it doesn’t sound fun/interesting to you, you probably shouldn’t be seriously considering engineering…</p>
<p>If you have to ask then it’s probably not for you. You should naturally gravitate to whatever field interests you.</p>
<p>It’s like how playing with legos is fun.</p>
<p>It’s the fact that these areas take immense concentration to produce great things that makes it so appealing.</p>
<p>The reason engineering is fun is because of the part where you say:
“Wow. I just made that massive contraption of metal go Mach 2 and safely carry a couple of dudes around in it.”
or “Wow. I just made a massive contraption of metal that glides through water so quietly that it’s completely undetectable to enemy navies.”
or “Wow. They actually let me build a skyscraper, and there it is right now. People live in it.”</p>
<p>…but if you’re not particularly jazzed about the idea of saying:
“Wow. I just made this electric fan three percent more efficient.”
or “Wow. I just told some guys to put a pipe in the ground that will carry feces for thousands of yards.”
or “Wow. I just made this spreadsheet.”</p>
<p>…then perhaps engineering is not for you.</p>
<p>I like it when my kids tell their friends, “There’s Mom’s building!!”</p>
<p>Just today, we were standing on a road in Portland, and my 16-year-old son realized that he could see FOUR structures his dad and/or I had worked on: an office building, a condo, a public market, and the supports for a huge time/temperature sign on the top of a downtown building. I like it that I’m not just shuffling papers, but helping design structures that should be around long after I’m gone. The math part is fun, too!</p>
<p>In general, making things is fun because it allows you to play god. There’s something about taking nothing and making something out of it that just makes you feel great about yourself.</p>
<p>Yes, I was drawn to the field by the thought that I could take something that existed only in my head or on a piece of paper, and turn it into a real physical object out in the world that people would see, use, and appreciate.</p>
<p>If as a child you didn’t have erector sets, linkin logs, robotics, chemistry and electricy kits, or you have had no tendancies in life so far that have shown you to love to build things or find out how things work, then engineering is probably not for you.</p>
<p>There’s just something about building and creating something that gets used and admired by others. Whenever I see one of my projects in the media, I get a certain sense of pride. Of course, not every building I put up will get hundreds of photographers and cameramen covering it. Some work I’ve done has been pretty mundane, such as trying to get the city to change a parking regulation on one block, but there’s still a feeling of satisfaction when it’s complete.</p>
<p>I agree with the general consensus. You either like it or you don’t. I had been interested in construction since I was a kid (my favorite toys were the construction vehicles), so guess what I’m doing now!</p>
<p>So you’re saying some engineers are construction workers?</p>
<p>I manage construction projects. I don’t work as an engineer, but there are plenty of engineering grads and former engineers who do this kind of work.</p>