Cordell Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I am seriously considering going to college. I am wondering about different types of engineering degrees. What you do, what it took to get there, and if you'd do it all again. I have always held my own as an electrician, and mechanic, but they really aren't much of a challenge. They both get boring as hell, the only thing I liked was fixing problems. Wiring buildings, and doing maintenence on cars sucks. Anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractor Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Engineering degrees are more for design, and fixing problems on paper. If you mean you like to diagnose equipment problems engineers don't really do much of that. Service techs and field service techs do the grunt work if thats what your wanting. Myself, I fix office equipment ie; copiers, faxes, printers, (try to stay out of network stuff, but end up doing it anyway from time to time.) Its way better work than wiring buildings (i've done that too.) About any diag type job leads into any other similar job. I work with guys who worked on airplanes, gas station pumps, cars... Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRocket1647545505 Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I took a class at OSU when I first started that explored a bunch of different types of engineering. They'd tour you through a different branch for each class. Was kind of cool, even though I never went the engineering route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted September 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I'm all for getting away from the grunt work. By fixing problems, I meant using my brain is what I liked. Just getting through college would be one hell of a challenge, I can't beleive I'm 27 already, but I sure wouldn't have stuck with it at 18. I am a Journeyman Electrician, ASE certified tech, and I don't care to continue my career in either. Most people find that hard to beleive, and tell me I'm good at both jobs, but I am bored with the monotony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Yes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I'll sell you mine on the cheap. Just change your name and you're in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmrmnhrm Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Engineering degrees are more for design, and fixing problems on paper. If you mean you like to diagnose equipment problems engineers don't really do much of that. Service techs and field service techs do the grunt work if thats what your wanting. This really depends on the degree and the nature of your job. My last gig in Cleveland was designing the thing, programming it, then going on-site to test and bug-squish. I'm also pretty sure they won't let just any old electrician into the ops center of a transmission grid ISO, either. My current job, well... Mensan knows how I'm feelin' these days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Hal Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I was an ME major but, I switched this quarter because I decided I couldn't handle the math. That is the biggest thing I would caution, be damn good with math. Edit: You can have a very hands on career as an engineer. OSU has a very strong program in automotive through CAR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmrmnhrm Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 That is the biggest thing I would caution, be damn good with math. The man speaks truth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mensan Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 My current job, well... Mensan knows how I'm feelin' these days Come to the dark side Scott, I have no degree. You don't need one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trjackson Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Come to the dark side Scott, I have no degree. You don't need one. Pm me job details please. Jackson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8 Beast Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Pm me job details please. Jackson Ditto Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Aquinas Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I'm a Mechanical E. Went to school at Dayton. I chose it because I was fairly good at math and physics. However, now that I'm out in the real world I use maybe 20% of that. Design and creative problem solving are more the traits I use. The biggest hurdle in my undergrad was the math and the total credit hours, I barely had time to drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TURBOED Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I have an M.E. degree from Purdue ('06). When people say you need to be good at math, it is not a joke. You know how all through life, you take math classes, and everyone (including parents) says "this is stupid, I'll never use this again ever?" Well, that couldn't be more false in this case. I spent my first two years taking math classes (three calc classes, two differential equations, probably one or two more I don't remember). Then, you spend two more years solving the world's problems with diff eq, haha. Seriously, you basically learn how to take any mechanical/thermal/etc system, and model it/solve it (making assumptions) using differential equations. The other hard part about engineering, compared to any other major, is that NOTHING is plug and play. If you take an econ class, or a stat class, or something similar, they give you all your equations, and you just figure out which one to use, and what goes where. With most questions in an engineering class, they give you the basic theories and equations, and you have to figure out how to apply them. You could use the same equation 10 different times in 10 different ways. It's kind of hard to explain exactly what I mean with this, but believe me when I say it is probably a totally different type of thinking than any other class you have taken. With that said, if you can get through it, do it. Any college degree is priceless, and I think the problem solving skills you learn in engineering are far and above any other discipline. Throw an MBA on top of that engineering degree, and you are a baller management candidate, since you have a technical background. Anyway, just my $.02. I'll stop my rambling now... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Limitedslip7 Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I will be graduating this spring with a Mech E degree and have been working for almost two years in an engineering co-op. The math really isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be as long as you just take it one class at a time. I'm not really all that great at math and I did fine through my sequence. If you don't have a strong math background and you look at stuff you will be doing in your diffy q classes, you will shit a brick, but once you get there it isn't that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brrcats Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I've got a degree in Chemical Engineering from UC '05, Turboed is right, its tough, and it teaches you how to either find a solution to your problem, or make one. As for what you can do afterwards, its pretty much anything, if you want a more hands on career, theres something out there for you, if you want more design work, theres places for that too. I've had a wide array of different assignments from co-op and full time after graduation. I worked as an Environemental Engineer at the Honda Plant as a Process Engineer at Millennium Chemical up in Ashtabula as a Engineer at Loreal in NJ doing everything from redesigning the warehouse to working on the manufacturing systems transfer to SAP. now I work as a Validation Engineer for a pharmacuetical company (high potency & hormones), working on plant scale research batches as well as solving process issues. So I mean with an engineering degree you can pretty much go in tons of different directions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted September 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I'm really liking the sound of this. Thank you guys for your input on the topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallard Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Engineering degrees are more for design, and fixing problems on paper. If you mean you like to diagnose equipment problems engineers don't really do much of that. Service techs and field service techs do the grunt work if thats what your wanting. Myself, I fix office equipment ie; copiers, faxes, printers, (try to stay out of network stuff, but end up doing it anyway from time to time.) Its way better work than wiring buildings (i've done that too.) About any diag type job leads into any other similar job. I work with guys who worked on airplanes, gas station pumps, cars... Evan That couldn't be farther from the truth. That can be one aspect of the engineering field, but that's not everything. I have a friend that has his EE degree and he travels to hospitals diagnosing and fixing medical equipment. I have my ME degree and I drive prototype cars all day, as do some of my college friends. It all depends on what you want to do, where you want to end up, and who you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cordell Posted September 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 That couldn't be farther from the truth. That can be one aspect of the engineering field, but that's not everything. I have a friend that has his EE degree and he travels to hospitals diagnosing and fixing medical equipment. I have my ME degree and I drive prototype cars all day, as do some of my college friends. It all depends on what you want to do, where you want to end up, and who you know. I want that. How long did it take you to get your degree? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallard Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I want that. How long did it take you to get your degree? 4.5 years. I went to a school that had a full-time co-op, so out of the year I was at school half the time and I worked half the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffmeden Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Come to the dark side Scott, I have no degree. You don't need one. Lol you saying that is about like Warren Buffet saying you don't need to study finance... There are exceptions, and then there is 99% of the rest of the population. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffmeden Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I want that. How long did it take you to get your degree? You failed at the most important part of his statement: It all depends on what you want to do, where you want to end up, and who you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berto Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I have my ME from OSU. I work for Cummins and I have desk work but I also travel to the field for hard to diagnose issues. Hands on, i get to utilize my degree. I <3 my job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug1647545489 Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 I wish I could go back to school for another degree in ME, but right now it's not possible with my work load. I'm kind of in a weird position as I'm doing engineering type projects. Spring design is such a small niche that unless you work for a spring company you're not likely to encounter much of it. I was lucky enough to have a mentor as my last boss and we spent a lot of time going over theory and all aspects of spring design. Hopefully sooner than later I get the opportunity to go back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kenny Posted September 23, 2008 Report Share Posted September 23, 2008 Anyone have an interesting job hook up for a CE/EE? My current job is boring as balls. If I can find something better I might switch... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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