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09/23/2005 11:10:13 AM · #26 |
Well, I'm a mechanical engineer by training. The important thing to realize is that most engineers do not work in vacuums, it is essential that you understand, at least the basic underlying physics of what other types of engineers do because most likely you will have to interface your work with theirs and make it play nicely.
I'm a test engineer, mainly I deal with sound, environmental shock and vibration. All mechanical stuff, but I have to measure them too and often it's impossible to buy off-the-shelf hardware to do that. I could get someone else to build it, but that's expensive. So, most of the time, I have to build what I want and program it to do exactly what I want. MOst of this involves electrical kinds of things; wiring, circuit design, signal analysis etc.
Even though I work for a Fortune 100 company, I'm the only engineer in my lab, I'm also the supervisor for all of the technicians in the lab. This has probably been one of the most challenging areas (for me anyway) of my job and one of the areas that is most neglected in engineering school.
Communications skills are a must for engineers, you can have the greatest ideas, but if you can't explain them to someone with a a non-technical background, you are screwed because usually the people with control of the money to do these great technical projects have little or no understanding of what engineering really is about and don't really care.
The path I took to becoming an engineer is pretty atypical, but I don't really wish I'd done it any other way.
If you want more information, PM me
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09/23/2005 01:57:24 PM · #27 |
| Your best bet is to get a course catalog and look at the courses and see what appeals to you. In general civil engineering will deal with fixed structures like roads and buildings while mechanical engineering will deal with movable structures like automobiles but that is a gross over simplification. When I was a student (too long ago to be relevant) I decided on Aerospace because it didn't have an undergraduate thesis and wound up working on bioengineering problems. The department is really less relevant than the projects you work on. |
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09/23/2005 03:03:05 PM · #28 |
Kirsty do remember the US degree/university system is differerent to the UK system. Are you planning to study in the states?
You are young (16) to be putting in UCAS forms.Which year are you in, Upper 6th? Do find out what you want to do before committing to the degree course else you can easily waste a year. I would think your careers teacher would be helpful but a gap year working within the industry would really help you decide if it is for you and if not you would be able to change your course before starting at uni.
Good luck!
Remember uni is not just a choice of course but lots of other elements that go to making it a great experience!
P
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09/23/2005 03:17:49 PM · #29 |
electronics enginner here
no advice foryou
just a general complaint how i can't get hired ......
and how i am a librarian now
and how i should be on social assistance except as a librarian i make too much money (all 400 bucks a month of it)
engineering: not a good career move |
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09/23/2005 03:41:37 PM · #30 |
Originally posted by Twyla:
electronics enginner here
no advice foryou
just a general complaint how i can't get hired ......
and how i am a librarian now
and how i should be on social assistance except as a librarian i make too much money (all 400 bucks a month of it)
engineering: not a good career move |
Wow, where are you at? Plenty of Jobs here.
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09/23/2005 03:50:33 PM · #31 |
Originally posted by Twyla:
electronics enginner here
no advice foryou
just a general complaint how i can't get hired ......
and how i am a librarian now
and how i should be on social assistance except as a librarian i make too much money (all 400 bucks a month of it)
engineering: not a good career move |
That sucks, never been like that here.
Even when layoffs were going around, we were still looking for qualified engineers.
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09/24/2005 01:45:54 PM · #32 |
Originally posted by Riponlady:
Kirsty do remember the US degree/university system is differerent to the UK system. Are you planning to study in the states?
You are young (16) to be putting in UCAS forms.Which year are you in, Upper 6th? P |
well noticed :-p
yeah, I'm actually ahead a year in my schooling so I'm in upper 6th but should be in lower 6th given my age.also, as i'm applying to oxford the ucas forms had to be in really early for my college to check before the oxbridge deadline.
and i'm gonna study in the UK (oxford/bristol/edinburgh/sheffield/cardiff), but thought everyone's advice would be pretty general, even if they studied in the US
I am taking a gap year ,mainly because of my age, but am applying this yr for deferred entry so i dont hav 2 go through the process without college support next yr. But at least this gives me the chance to reapply if i change my mind in the next 18mths. I would really like to find a placement to get engineering experience, but don't want to commit to a whole yr cos i'd like to fit in travelling/volunteering in South america at some point. But if anyone knows anywhere good (work experience OR volunteering lol) please tell... :-)
kirsty
typos
Message edited by author 2005-09-24 14:02:43.
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09/24/2005 01:57:05 PM · #33 |
| Just a general related question, does consumer product design also fall under mechanical engineering in the US? |
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09/24/2005 02:32:04 PM · #34 |
From the Ameican Academy of Environmental Engineers:
The area commonly described as environmental protection or management is very broad. However, the large majority of people employed in this general career area are scientists and engineers.
Environmental engineering training offers you opportunities to work in any aspect of environmental protection. The major areas include air pollution control, industrial hygiene, radiation protection, hazardous waste management, toxic materials control, water supply, wastewater management, storm water management, solid waste disposal, public health, and land management. And, within each of these major categories are many sub-specialties.
Environmental engineering provides limitless opportunities as to type of work, for whom you work, and where you work. A career in environmental engineering provides a comfortable salary, job security, and considerable personal satisfaction.
It's a big field and getting bigger as we head towards a greener outlook on our occupation of the planet. My neighbor's daughter has a masters in Environmental Engineering. She specializes in management of watersheds and such. She just spent 6 months consulting in the Amazon River basin for a hydroelectric project.
R.
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