Engineer Survey: Engineering Vs Engineering Technology

[KenWittlief]

wow what an interesting topic. I think my exerience is a little unique. I started out taking electrical engineering at a community college, and after the 1st semister I was feeling swamped. Halfway through the 2nd I wasnt doing so well in calc2 and a couple other classes, so I decided to drop them and sign up for an associates program in electrical technology the next fall.

I didnt make it back to college the second year. I enlisted in the Coast Guard and served in search and rescue stations for 4 years. After that I decided to go back to college and give engineering another try, and I was able to get into SUNY Buffalo.

The big difference then was that computer engineering was really starting to take off. I took the required courses for electrical engineering and computer science for the first two years, but then I had to pick one major, and choose EE. The coursed I took were pretty similar to what is called a Computer engineering degree now, but I have a BSEE.

I really struggled with the math, and the last required math course (differential equations) I got a D! but a D is passing and that was all I needed :^)

I took something like an IQ test when I was a senior and learned my natural aptitudes were more geared towards being an artist than an engineer - for me, math and equations are like eating rust.

But having gotten through the BSEE degree I discovered that Im very good at something most companies call system engineering - thats someone who understands the whole system, the HW, the SW the interfaces to the user, the requirements of manufacturing, testing... someone who can grasp the big picture - and Ive had a very successful career so far because of this.

But one thing about engineering that nobody has mentioned yet. In engineering school you learn how to take what you already know, how to learn things you dont know (on your own) and how to extend that knowledge a little bit further - to take an idea, or a system, or a product to the next step - how to build on your past experience and understanding to come up with something new.

So in a way, engineering is about breaking away from the educational system, and being able to expand knowledge and technology independantly.

Engineers solve problems. The more you have learned in college (math, physics, control system theory...) the bigger the impact you are able to make - knowledge is like tools in your toolbox - the more you have, the more you can do.