Just wondering....

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Posted by Jessica Boucher.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Student on team #237, Sie-H2O-Bots, from Watertown High School and Eastern Awning Systems & The Siemon Company.

Posted on 12/10/2000 7:46 AM MST



Before FIRST, what was your intended major/career and after you became involved with FIRST, how did that change? What caused the change?

Just curious,
Jessica B, #237

PS - I went into high school intending to go to college for library science. Upon figuring out how to incorporate FIRST into my life, I have now done a complete 180 and now going to major in some form of International Business Administration/ Management Information Systems. FIRST has brought out the leadership capabilities in me, and though I am one of the few FIRST-ers to not go into engineering after being exposed to it, it has also brought out my computer skills, and I am ever thankful for that.

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Posted by Nate Smith.

Other on team #66, GM Powertrain/Willow Run HS, from Eastern Michigan University and GM Powertrain.

Posted on 12/10/2000 10:03 AM MST


In Reply to: Just wondering.... posted by Jessica Boucher on 12/10/2000 7:46 AM MST:



:... and though I am one of the few FIRST-ers to not go into engineering after being exposed to it, ...

I'm another one of that 'few'...I went into FIRST a complete computer nut, and came out pretty much the same...and so while I'm going to school as a Computer Science major, I have a feeling I'm one of those people who will never quite get away from FIRST....45 years and counting!

Nate

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Posted by Matt Leese.

Other on team #73 from Edison Technical HS and Alstom & Rochester Institute of Technology.

Posted on 12/10/2000 10:17 AM MST


In Reply to: Just wondering.... posted by Jessica Boucher on 12/10/2000 7:46 AM MST:



Well, I was going to go into Computer Science before doing FIRST. After FIRST, I changed my mind and went into Computer Engineering, which, btw, while being close to CS, is not the same thing; CE's do hardware too. So I guess FIRST did change my intended career then (then again I also realized that if I had to program for the rest of my life I'd commit suicide but I digress).

Matt

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Posted by Joe Johnson.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 12/10/2000 12:25 PM MST


In Reply to: Re: Just wondering.... posted by Matt Leese on 12/10/2000 10:17 AM MST:



CE is one of those area where the line between software and hardware gets very blurry.

The decision to put some routine in so-called firmware or to make an offchip circuit do the processing often comes down to decisions having nothing to do with coding and circuits. The questions often boil down to things like Can I save a dime per board by leaving XXX out and doing it in software? or Can I do some other task with the added CPU time if I offload the processor by moving this or that off chip to pre-processing circuit? or even I know I can save money if I do this feature in software, but do I have the programmers and/or programming time if I do?

Bottom line: Neither Computer Science Majors nor Computer Engineers are likely to be seen in the unemployment line any time soon ;-)

I expect the software/hardware ballet to continue for a long, long time!

Joe J.

P.S. Most of the latest chips from Motorola and company have so many and so powerful on chip peripherals that the lines between software, firmware, and hardware are even more confusing. Motorola's MPC555 for instance has about a dozen auxilary I/O devices ONBOARD. Many of these are effectively processors in there own right. Extremely powerful, but also extremely complex to implement. It is hard to imagine going wrong by going into computers.

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Posted by Jason Rudolph.

Other on team #459, , from University of Florida/Eastside High School and .

Posted on 12/10/2000 12:25 PM MST


In Reply to: Just wondering.... posted by Jessica Boucher on 12/10/2000 7:46 AM MST:



:and though I am one of the few FIRST-ers to not go into engineering after being exposed to it,

I actually was thinking of becoming a lawyer (I was a debater in high school in addition to FIRST), but I wasn't completely sure. Now I am majoring in CIS but it is based in the business world (a CIS major, but taught from college of business). I was always a computer nut, but I never got into programming, which FIRST got me into, and FIRST also helped me to develop my leadership skills, and was always going to minor in business....

Jason

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Posted by Lora Knepper.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Other on team #419, Rambots, from UMass Boston / Boston College High School and Seeking Sponsorship.

Posted on 12/10/2000 12:39 PM MST


In Reply to: Just wondering.... posted by Jessica Boucher on 12/10/2000 7:46 AM MST:



Ok...so I AM one of the FIRST-ers that turned to engineering and I'm proud of it! ) But if you asked me 4 years ago what I was planning on majoring in in college, I would have told you either Music Education or Television Broadcasting. But then I saw my first FIRST video, and well, the rest is history.

Ask me what I wanted to do after that first season in '98 and you would have gotten Mechanical Engineering\Electrical Engineering (always thought I should know some of both, but I'm a Mech E at heart!). I've always loved to tinker and design, and anyone that knows me knows that I'd go to toy store and drool over the Lego aisle...not the dolls...heck, I still do! D

~ lora

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Posted by Lora Knepper.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Other on team #419, Rambots, from UMass Boston / Boston College High School and Seeking Sponsorship.

Posted on 12/10/2000 12:47 PM MST


In Reply to: Music to Airplanes.... posted by Lora Knepper on 12/10/2000 12:39 PM MST:



S'pose I forgot to mention that I'm applying as a Mechanical Engineering major with Aerospace option (explaining the title of my post)...and in schools that I can't do that, I'm going for Areo E )

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Posted by Joe Johnson.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Engineer on team #47, Chief Delphi, from Pontiac Central High School and Delphi Automotive Systems.

Posted on 12/10/2000 1:12 PM MST


In Reply to: Re: Music to Airplanes.... posted by Lora Knepper on 12/10/2000 12:47 PM MST:



If you want to get a job in the Aerospace Industry, get a degree in ME or EE.

Believe it or not there are many more jobs in these specialities even in the companies that design and build aerospace stuff.

As an engineer, I realize that anecdotes are not proof. But, I think my experience indicates a general trend, so I will share my experience just the same.

My best friend/roomate in college was an AE major, while I studied ME. Evenso, I ended up getting an offer from Boeing, not him. I didn't end up taking the offer, but at least I got to interview, was flown to KS for a 2nd interview, and then got the offer. My roomate didn't even get past the on campus interview.

Just some information to keep in mind.

Joe J.

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Posted by Lora Knepper.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Other on team #419, Rambots, from UMass Boston / Boston College High School and Seeking Sponsorship.

Posted on 12/10/2000 6:08 PM MST


In Reply to: FYI: Boeing Hires More ME's than AE's posted by Joe Johnson on 12/10/2000 1:12 PM MST:



Wow..thanks Joe, I will keep that in mind! Right now, my first choice school offers a degree in ME with the chance to take a few aero e electives in my last year. So hopefully if I get in there, that's what I'll do. That way I get some backround in aerodynamics and such, while still offically being an ME... as for the other schools, well I will definately keep that in mind!

~ lora

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Posted by Jessica Boucher.   [PICTURE: SAME | NEW | HELP]


Student on team #237, Sie-H2O-Bots, from Watertown High School and Eastern Awning Systems & The Siemon Company.

Posted on 12/10/2000 4:15 PM MST


In Reply to: Just wondering.... posted by Jessica Boucher on 12/10/2000 7:46 AM MST:



Wow, didnt know anyone read this forum, with the amount of posts it had before that.....Ive got another question to throw out that's Career focused, but I'll wait until after this dies down. Thanks for all the intriguing responses!

-Jessica B, #237