Majoring in Mechanical Engineering

[Rob]

John and everyone else are right. Not only Mechy, but other engineering fields are hard... The programs are very intensive, demanding, challenging, and sometimes humbling. Engineering is also rewarding. Anything that you have to work this hard at and is this challenging brings the best out of us. That is why we choose to study hard things, and why we choose to engage projects like FIRST. Rising up to these challenges and taking on tasks that you think you may not be able to are what make our successes the sweetest thing.

I am a senior about to graduate with degrees in Mechanical Engineering and German. I spent last year in Germany studying and working at a german company that makes catalytic converters. This year I took all of the classes that my peers scoffed at as the "hardest" ones. I missed alot of time for FIRST and had to make it up during my normal "sleep time". I chose to do all of these things because the challenges of learning the art of engineering have taught me that I can solve any task or problem that I focus on. Any of you can as well. If you choose to study engineering, you will be sacraficing some college experiences that others take for granted, but you will also have a unique college experience that many others can't understand.

There is a reason that the engineers and mentors on your team studying engineering should be considered role models and heroes to the high school students. It is because they have learned it through lots of hard work and dedication on their own part.

Good luck studying whatever field you choose, just put everythign you have into it and you will get so much more than you ever imagined out of it!

Rob

[Andy Brockway]

Originally Posted by JVN

Being a Mechanical Engineering major is hard.

Yes it is, but it is well worth it. I still remember those days in school, I graduated from RPI '81.

As I look back though I would do it all over. My strongest memory was one day in Materials when the mid-term exam was returned and 60% of the class failed. The professor said he would not curve the test and said, "You are not here to learn this, any secretary can do this. You are here to learn to think!"

Stretching your mind, that is what it is about. Keep your chins up!

[Greg Perkins]

I'm going to be double majoring in Manufacturing Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. should be quite the long journey ahead, but i LOVE IT

[AmyPrib]

Yeah, ME is hard. But in my opinion, most other engineering curriculum's are harder! This is of course, only based on friends that were in them, or specific classes in ME that were required from other disciplines.
But in general, college itself is hard.

Just remember this - Learn the material now. Because next year, you'll take a class that requires you to recall what you learned the year before, and so on, and it continues to build. When you get into junior and senior year, it's amazing how many things you say "hmm.. I learned something about that before, sure wish I learned it better". All the sudden, all these classes you thought you'd never use again, you find they're all actually related in some way. Maybe you won't use it in the real world, but you'll use it until you graduate college!

And yes. Thermo is liked by very few people.

[sburro]

Originally Posted by AmyPrib

Yeah, ME is hard. But in my opinion, most other engineering curriculum's are harder! This is of course, only based on friends that were in them, or specific classes in ME that were required from other disciplines.
But in general, college itself is hard.

This I would have to disagree with. If you think about it, or at least I like to, ME's are every engineering field rolled into one. Electrical, motors, plastics, yess we need to know about them, chem, matrerial properties, etc. Maybee I am just bias but it is the way I feel. \

[ngreen]

Originally Posted by sburro

This I would have to disagree with. If you think about it, or at least I like to, ME's are every engineering field rolled into one. Electrical, motors, plastics, yess we need to know about them, chem, matrerial properties, etc. Maybee I am just bias but it is the way I feel. \

Chemistry...hmmm. If I remember right the mech e's here only have to take chem 1. That's enough chem principles to get them nowhere. I think most engineering majors are hard. I'd say the most time consuming is the arche. Not hardest just time consuming. If you want to take the most math and science classes go CHE or probably biocheme does more.

The feeling at our college is start in engineering and work your way down. Luckily I'm still in engineering. Or one of our departmental motto's. Chem E...because it was too late to change.

I take some business classes anyway but they seem simple compared to engineering type classes. They help my GPA at least.

So if Mech E is too hard for you. Just come be a Chem E.

[sburro]

Two words

Differential Equations

[ngreen]

Originally Posted by sburro

Two words

Differential Equations

Is easy.....I wish I would have skipped Calc 2

[sburro]

Originally Posted by ngreen

Is easy.....I wish I would have skipped Calc 2

Calc 2 was fun, but I forgot to mention that my professor for diff EQ speeks little english

[Ashley Weed]

hehe, I'm gonna "Chicken Out" of the whole process....

I can not even begin to handle Biomedical Engineering Medical School Track anymore.... so, I'm going to attempt a major chang-up to IST!

[sburro]

Originally Posted by Ashley Weed

hehe, I'm gonna "Chicken Out" of the whole process....

I can not even begin to handle Biomedical Engineering Medical School Track anymore.... so, I'm going to attempt a major chang-up to IST!

IST?

[Ashley Weed]

Originally Posted by sburro

IST?

School of Information Sciences and Technology

[Katie Reynolds]

Originally Posted by Ashley Weed

hehe, I'm gonna "Chicken Out" of the whole process....

I can not even begin to handle Biomedical Engineering Medical School Track anymore.... so, I'm going to attempt a major chang-up to IST!

Yeah, I was going to go for ME at Michigan Tech ... but thinking about it, I'm not so great in the math department and I hate physics. Sooo I changed to Scientific and Technical Communications (and probably a minor in German or Journalism. Or both.) I'll only have to take Calc I now!

[MOEmaniac]

I have no clue how im gonna make it through college because I'm struggling with high school

[ngreen]

Originally Posted by sburro

Calc 2 was fun, but I forgot to mention that my professor for diff EQ speeks little english

And that is new.....my recitation teacher is a low talker (refer to Seinfield episode) on top of speaking very little English....."do you understand?" is his favorite phrase...we all just stare blankly back at him