Looking for a college major

[Brandon_L]

I'm a senior in HS and looking for a major, but can't find exactly what I like, what 'floats my boat'.

My interests and what I'm looking for:
In FIRST, I'm the programming and electrical guy on my team, and thats what I'd like to do as a career. I like making something physical that I can program with a PC. I'm more interested in the programming then making the physical thing, so I'd settle for something like "Hey, program this robotic system we made". Ive been looking for majors and can't find anything like that.

I am going to do two years at my local community college then transfer to a state college probably for 2 or 3 years. Heres what Ive found so far:

One of them I would take engineering sciences at the community college, then transfer to NJIT (My top choice, pretty much) and major in mechanical engineering. After a year or two or something like that, I'd specialize (is that the word for it?) in robotics. The problem I have with that is I am more interested in the electrical/programming end then the mechanical end. I don't mind a mechanical class or two here and there but majoring in it would drive me crazy.

I can't remember any other options off the top of my head, but I did look at electrical engineering at Rowen and it still wasn't exactly what I was looking for.

Any suggestions?

[,4lex S.]

This is why we have Mechatronics (http://www.mme.uwaterloo.ca/undergrad/mechatronics/home.html) Engineering.

If you want more info, just cruise around that website, its probable that a local University has something similar though.

[Brandon_L]

This is why we have Mechatronics (http://www.mme.uwaterloo.ca/undergrad/mechatronics/home.html) Engineering.

If you want more info, just cruise around that website, its probable that a local University has something similar though.

Going to look at that now. I also stumbled on this:
http://mechanical.njit.edu/research/roboticstraininglab.php
the "Programmable Logic Controllers" caught my interest.

[RC Dawson]

Though it's not in your area, check out http://ecee.colorado.edu/ for ideas. I take my engineering students on a tour, hosted by the ECEE faculty and students each spring and the kids love it. Your post is exactly what we hear from the students in this program. Good luck!

[andreboos]

In FIRST, I'm the programming and electrical guy on my team, and thats what I'd like to do as a career.

If I'm not mistaken, this is practically the definition of EECS (Electrical Engineering/Computer Science). I'm hoping to major in EECS as well when I get to college. After learning (very) basic electrical principles in school and high-level languages of my own accord, I want to learn about the levels of abstraction between the two and hopefully get a career in something in between.

[Brandon_L]

Well, my mom has a mind set on "It has to be in NJ" while my dad says it can be anywhere, don't listen to her. So preferably something in NJ. I think the Mechatronics is exactly what I'm looking for.

Oh, and my GPA is meh, this why I'm going to the community school first.

[Stephen of REX]

Computer engineering is halfway between being an electrical engineer and being a computer science major. Looks like it fits your interests, and I believe it is fairly common.

Also here's some shameless promotion for my university (http://www.cs.umbc.edu/portal/ComputerEngineering/cmpe_ugrad/main/index.shtml) if you're interested.

[kgzak]

I am kinda in your position. I found a school that I really like (Lake Superior State University) which offers Computer Engineering major and a Robotics Technology Minor, which is what I think I am going to do. I really like the programing and electrical side of things but also like to do a little of the mechanical side so I think it fits me perfectly.

[Brandon_L]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_engineering

I'm not big on PC hardware, I'm more of a software guy.

I guess I don't even know what I really want..

More like...the programming of something physical, rather then the creation of it? My head hurts trying to figure this out lol.

I looked and Electrical and Computer Engineering also, I was pretty set on that for awhile. But again, it was a but hardware intensive. Maybe I should just go for CS?

I am kinda in your position. I found a school that I really like (Lake Superior State University) which offers Computer Engineering major and a Robotics Technology Minor, which is what I think I am going to do. I really like the programing and electrical side of things but also like to do a little of the mechanical side so I think it fits me perfectly.

Im going to look that up now, thanks

[Chris is me]

Try for Software Engineering. Or just Computer Systems Engineering and no electrical dual if you want to avoid a tiny bit of the hardware, I guess.

[1986titans]

If you can't decide, you might try to go for a Computer Engineering/Computer Science dual degree, but it would take an extra year and you would wind up with a masters degree. The same goes for Computer Engineering and Electrical Engineering.

Here's (http://checksheets.ou.edu/cpengr-cs.pdf) an example of what would be needed to fulfill the requirements to get the first dual degree.

[Siri]

Honestly, I'd contact NJIT and try to speak with an adviser. Even though you're not yet a student, you may well be surprised at how helpful advisers can be.

Especially at NJIT and the like though, there are a lot (http://www.njit.edu/academics/degreeprograms/majors.php) (no really, a lot (http://www.njit.edu/academics/degreeprograms/minors.php)) of choices. Moreover, names can sometimes be deceiving, especially if you're not completely sure what you're looking for. I'd recommend clicking through the majors/concentrations & minors lists and looking through the curriculum/student outcomes.

Do remember to keep an open mind though, and remember that we sometimes focus on what we know we like rather than what might be even more interesting. Especially with a few years of community college to go, there's nothing that says you need to choose right now. (Case-point: The first class my mother took in college was biology for non-STEM majors. She's now an Ivy League veterinarian with a masters in statistics.)

[Jamie Kalb]

Remember, you don't have to have this entirely figured out coming into college. A large percentage (not sure of the actual number) of college students change their majors during their time there, and, as far as I know, it's usually not too difficult to switch between engineering disciplines. Many colleges don't even require you to declare a major until sophomore or junior year. The fact that you already have it down to two or three engineering disciplines is a good start. Come in knowing your general area, then try to pin it down during your first year. Your classes early on should give you a taste of what those disciplines are really about, and you may end up really liking one or deciding that you don't like one at all.

[mwtidd]

Remember, you don't have to have this entirely figured out coming into college. A large percentage (not sure of the actual number) of college students change their majors during their time there

I can't reiterate this enough, and I wish someone had given me this advice sooner. I entered WPI as a EE, and was eaten alive. Long story short, it wasn't a proper fit, and I switched to CS which I am now absolutely fascinated with various applications of CS (actually have sort of a division of interest between robotics and entrepreneurship).

My main point is if you start in one major, do not feel compelled to stay in that major. If it doesn't feel right after you've taken 2 or 3 courses in it chances are its only gonna get worse. So if you find yourself in this situation, change majors and try to do it sooner than later(I changed majors halfway through my sophomore year, I initially tried out some CS courses and never really intended on changing majors until my dad pointed this out to me[He started chem eng, finished ME, and is now a software engineer]). I wound up wasting so much of my early undergrad career out of some mis found sense of dedication to EE.

[Tom Line]

Unfortunately, it's VERY confusing. Even in the field, you'll find a slew of titles to go along with someone whose responsibility is mainly programming and logic for robots.

There are a large number of companies who specialize in robots. ABB, Fanuc, and a number of others. I'm 100% certain that we have folks in this forum that work for those companies. Tell them what it is you want to do, and ask them what type of degree they look for when interviewing.

Heck... there's some guy... ex-mentor for the Thunderchickens, now he belongs to the robo-somebodies... I think he wears flourescent green shoes alot....;)

You might want to ask him.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Brandon,
If I were you, I would truck down to the college placement or career office in your school and tell them you are unsure about your future. There are tests that can help you decide what you are really, deep down, interested in. When speaking with an entrance counselor at Bradley a few years ago he told my son "Our average entering engineering student has a 25-27 on the ACT with a 27-29 in math and 23-25 in English." If you need to go to community college for financial reasons that is fine. If you are worried about grades, then you need to ask to be sure. The perfect school is the one where you will be happy and learn.

[JamesCH95]

It sounds like you want to do Electrical Engineering in a Programming track (rather than a hardware track). Any major is going to have some classes that won't be terribly exciting for you, but you'll probably find use for most of them. For two robotics classes in college I made sure to get a programming track EE on my team. They were able to take care of the electronics and programming in each robot with good proficiency. Check out other colleges too, different colleges will have different EE-related tracks that may be more what you're looking for.

To be honest I never would have considered Cooper Union on my own, I just checked it out because my Mom was bugging me about it, I applied and considered it my 4th or 5th pick school. Turns out it was a perfect match. Go figure.

[IKE]

You may also want to check out Engineering Technology programs. These tend to be a bit less theoretical and a bit more hands on. Many students find these programs to be a better fit.

[artdutra04]

WPI has a Robotics Engineering undergraduate and graduate program with concentrations available for mechanical, electrical, or software.

[Joe Ross]

My recommendation would be to try not to specialize too early. At this point, robotics may be what you're most familiar with, but there's a lot of things out there. Get a degree in Computer Science, and try out a variety of classes. If you find something else you're interested in college, that's great. If robotics is still something you're interested, get a masters degree from a university that has specialties in robotics (eg Carnegie Mellon).

In the long run, your undergraduate university won't be as important as your graduate university, so you can make your mom happy and stay close to home.

I went to a community college for money reasons, and then transferred to a private school. Overall, I saved around $30k. My student loans are almost payed off, compared to many of my coworkers who still have a long way to go.

[JamesBrown]

For what it is worth.

I have the same interests academically and professionally as you do. I am at RPI for Computer Systems Engineering (Usually just called Computer Engineering at other schools) I love the program and have had tons of opportunity to do Robotics programming. I will be graduating in December and already have a job doing "Embedded Systems Design and Robotics Control Programming" for robots that inspect nuclear power plants. Basically I will be working with high level electrical hardware (FPGA's) and Low level control software.

I started as a pure Computer Science major but found the classes to be too abstract for my liking. However that may vary by school, my schools CS department tends to hire professors with concentrations in more abstract parts of CS like pure Algorithm Design.

The best thing you can do is talk to students and professors at the schools you are looking at. As others had mentioned it is also a good idea to avoid a very specific concentration. While I was fortunate to find a job doing exactly what I wanted to do you can't always count on that. I also applied to Software engineering positions and had offers to fallback on if I didn't get the job I wanted.

It may be looking into Automation, Embedded Systems, and Embedded Control, all of these things are essential the same as robotics but are the terms used in industry. For example the lab I worked at at RPI was the Center for Automation Technology, which may or may not show up in a search for robotics programs.

[SteveJanesch]

Hi Brandon,

In addition to seeing what's available at your school's counseling office now, I suggest going to a few universities with ECE or ME departments and talking to people there. Most universities have open houses several times a year, but to really get a handle on things, call the main phone number for the department in question and say "Hi, I'm interested in studying [something] at [your college] and would like to talk to someone in the department about your program." It's a great way to learn about the school, the major, and how you might fit.

While doing this for my own kids over the last three years, I learned that (as others have said) the things you've described are probably a good fit for the Computer Engineering department, if it's separate from the EE department (assuming there's no Mechatronics or Robotics program). One challenging thing about controlling things with software is that it helps to know about the mechanical properties of the things you're controlling, the electromechanical properties of the sensors and actuators, and the electrical behavior of the controller, and the math that ties it all together. It does smear into ME and EE programs a little, but you'll probably find that the math and physics foundations are the same.

Since you're staying local this fall, you've got more time to explore your options before deciding on a university. It sounds like you enjoy a variety of things and that's great. The most important thing is to find something you enjoy doing in an environment where you're comfortable. And even after you've made your initial choice, you're always free to change majors. I took a non-traditional route - I started out as an ME, switched to EE, then transferred schools, later on worked for a semester, and graduated in five years. I've been doing circuit design for the last 25 years, I think it turned out okay.

Really, talk to people in the departments of the schools that interest you. You'll learn a lot.

Cheers,
Steve

[orezzoli]

Computer engineering is halfway between being an electrical engineer and being a computer science major. Looks like it fits your interests, and I believe it is fairly common.

Also here's some shameless promotion for my university (http://www.cs.umbc.edu/portal/ComputerEngineering/cmpe_ugrad/main/index.shtml) if you're interested.

Yes, computer engineering is like being an electrical engineer and a computer science major. It's common.

[Josh Fox]

Reported.

[Portnoy]

My major is e-commerce,at first,i really didn't like it at all,but now,when i about to graduate,i think it's a good major,and i love it!

[Brandon_L]

Reported.

Whos reported?

Not me I hope O_O

I think CS sounds good, maybe with a minor or something. I still have some looking around to do.

[Josh Fox]

Whos reported?

Not me I hope O_O

I think CS sounds good, maybe with a minor or something. I still have some looking around to do.

I reported the user orezzoli, his signature contained links to advertising/sales sites.

[mbprendergast]

Although this is a reply to Brandon, this applies to all. If you are considering STEM majors, take into consideration what problems you want to solve in your careers and not just focus on what major. Gain a solid foundation with programming, biology, chemistry including organic chemistry, physics, math, etc. Problems are becoming more complex and multidisciplinary that the foundation needs to be broad and deep at the same time.

[pfreivald]

I entered college as an English Literature major. I now am a high school teacher and community college instructor in physics, robotics, and American Sign Language...

So take that for what it's worth...

[Mcninch]

Just choose what you like!

[Matt Howard]

Before you even step in the direction of a college, it may be wise to try out some of the fields you think you might be interested in. Even this late in the game in school, internships as well as part time jobs are available with major government contractors/ "high tech" companies. This will help you determine what fields really interest you. Who knows, maybe you'll find one that you didn't even know existed!

Another thing to consider is the Air Force/ Navy. I'm an ET NAV in the Navy, which specializes in all Non-Nuclear electronics, as well as Navigation and Tactical Computer Networking. My job school totals out to just under 2 years before I even get sent to my first Squadron. Depending on what college I take my Naval transcript to, I can get almost a year and a half's worth of courses waived, towards a degree in Electrical Engineering. Not a bad deal at all in any sense. Another huge bonus of this, is that if money is tight you don't need to worry about paying for any of it (MGIB/ P-9/11GIB) I already had 2 years of College competed when I enlisted, combined with my job school, I'll have under a Bachelors in under a year.

My LPO has a Masters in Physics that he's completed over the course of his first 2 enlistments, and my LCPO has a Doctorate in Applied Mathematics.

Just my .2

[Zachary Pilarsk]

it might be worth checking out controls engineering

i did an internship over the summer with a control engineer and we worked on programming the automated robots in manufacturing plants although you lose some of the focus on electrical I think you might enjoy it

[blimey]

It is ok to go into college without being positive what you want your major to be. It is actually a good idea to have somewhat of an open mind once you are in school, taking classes to see if this is really the direction you want to go. You definitely seem to know what interests you and the area that you want to work in, so just explore some classes to get a better idea. Since you are completing 2 years at the community college this gives you time to figure it out and get your gen eds out of the way so you can be more focused once you decide where you will attend for your degree.

[obama6493]

If I'm not mistaken, this is practically the definition of EECS (Electrical Engineering/Computer Science). I'm hoping to major in EECS as well when I get to college. After learning (very) basic electrical principles in school and high-level languages of my own accord, I want to learn about the levels of abstraction between the two and hopefully get a career in something in between.

Well, my mom has a mind set on "It has to be in NJ" while my dad says it can be anywhere, don't listen to her. So preferably something in NJ. I think the Mechatronics is exactly what I'm looking for.

Oh, and my GPA is meh, this why I'm going to the community school first.

[Josh Fox]

Reported.

[NullEntity]

I'm looking for something similar. I think I'll double major in software engineering and electrical engineering. I have a bit more of a general interest in electronics, robots, and programming, so I think it'd work for me.

[ShotgunNinja]

I'm looking for something similar. I think I'll double major in software engineering and electrical engineering. I have a bit more of a general interest in electronics, robots, and programming, so I think it'd work for me.

If you're interested, MSOE has a great 4-5 year program for SE/EE (aka S-Triple-E), and since you're in the area, you should definitely consider us for your college of choice. For one thing, we are one of only 12 colleges in the country to be taking part in NEAT, a pilot program for what we hope will become a FIRST College-Level Robotics program by next year. Come check out our booth in St. Louis this year if you are able, as it will be operated by active MSOE students and members of our NEAT team, S.C.O.E. Robotics. If you aren't able to make it to that, send me a message and I can get you in contact with Dana Grennier or Laura Schumacher, two of our admissions officers, or I could try to get you in contact with one of our professors or students. Please let me know if you are interested in attending MSOE, as I feel it's the perfect place for FIRST alumni such as myself!

EDIT: One thing I've noticed from other posts is the emphasis on Computer/Software/Electronics/Mechatronics related degree programs. The thing is, though, a Computer Science degree from a technical academy or state college is NOT a Computer Science degree from MIT, Carnegie Mellon, or UC Berkeley. Or MSOE, for that matter! The two most important things that I've seen when deciding upon a college to attend were the following: (A) Find a college that offers YOU the things that YOU want to take away from it, and (B) Take progressive steps to make sure that YOU are getting the most that the college has to offer. I was disappointed last year that my school's FIRST Support Organization, formerly headed by the legendary mentor Kevin Kolodziej, had disbanded. So, this year, I started my own, with the help of some of the hundred or so FIRST Alumni that I have met throughout my time here so far. Maybe you can get involved too!

~ Nicholas A. Iannone
~ Sophomore, Software Engineering
~ Vice-President/Co-Founder, FIRST Collegiate Robotics Organization
~ Milwaukee School of Engineering
~ E-Mail: iannonen@msoe.edu