What career is right for me?

[SuperBK]

I think you should major in EE. Also there are several colleges that have a Mechatronics major. Its a combination of electrical, mechanical, and programming. Georgia Tech has it I believe. From their website: "Mechatronics is the synergistic combination of precision mechanical engineering, electronic control, and systems thinking in the design of products and manufacturing processes. It is a relatively new concept relating to the design of systems, devices, and products aimed at achieving an optimal balance between basic mechanical structure and its overall control"

[Pat Fairbank]

Originally Posted by SuperBK

Also there are several colleges that have a Mechatronics major. Its a combination of electrical, mechanical, and programming.

I'll vouch for Mechatronics as a logical follow-up to what we do in FIRST. I'm a first-year Mechatronics student at the University of Waterloo, and although we haven't really gone too deep into the material yet, the program is designed as a hybrid of ME, EE, CE and Systems Design courses. The only problem is that there aren't yet many jobs in the industry targeted specifically towards Mechatronics Engineers (probably due to the current lack of graduates); my first co-op job was basically a manufacturing engineering job and my second looks like it's going to be programming. But I'm sure that will change over time.

[DonRotolo]

In one way of looking at it, it doesn't matter much what degree you end up with. That degree will help you get your first interview, that first job will help you understand what it is all those classes in school were for (and a bit about politics), and your second job will be the fun one, where you do what you really want to.

The point is for you to learn as much as possible, from the experts (your profs) about whatever subjects you are interested in. The degree will sort itself out once you name all the classes you want. Oh, yes - also learn how to write really well, that'll carry you a long ways.

EE with some ME background is a pretty good mix (I may be biased, it describes me) because you can do the EE stuff, and still get by on the ME stuff. CompE is a bit of a mix between the two, because you need to understand the hardware and electronics, but some CompE jobs deal with macro computing (i.e. systems architecture). The modern phrase is mechatronics I suppose.

Just remember that you can get a job doing whatever you like, and if you find such a job (persistence makes it's own luck - understand?) you will always be successful, because it's hard to fail doing what you love.

I have a job that allows me the freedom to do almost whatever I want, and it's great, even after 20 years. What little I miss, I get from FIRST. If I got any happier they'd have to shoot me.

Don