Advice for a future College freshman Interested in Electrical Engineering

<p>Hi guys I am getting ready to go to Cedarville University in the fall and I am trying to get advice on what electrical engineering specialization I should look at and what they do.</p>

<p>I like leading groups of people and feel that is where I am gifted. </p>

<p>I have looked for descriptions of the specializations in electrical engineering but I can't really find any. So can you give me a general overview of each specialization in Electrical Engineering?</p>

<p>I really want to be able to manage projects and eventually climb the corporate ladder.
What should I be doing in college to help the above happen?</p>

<p>Oh and is a post bachelor's degree worth the time as far as opportunities it could open up in the future. I don't want to waste my time and my money :)</p>

<p>Any advice would be greatly appreciated.</p>

<p>Thanks JT</p>

<p>One step at a time, JT. Just about every freshman engineering major has your same goals, but only a few follow such a straight path. The answers (and the new questions) relevant to you will start to become clear around junior year of college. For now, take care of what you can control: keep up with your studies and don’t do anything to jeopardize a security clearance.</p>

<p>Every piece of every electrical thing has somebody specializing in it. I spoke with a conductive cardboard box engineer yesterday. Big companies have more potential than small ones for leadership positions.</p>

<p>Ok cool thanks</p>

<p>I think the best thing to do would be to prepare for your first semester math and science courses. You’ll then be able to have more time to visit professors during office hours to address your career concerns. Just know that engineering majors (at least at my school) barely have time. Prepping for classes a month or two beforehand will allow you more freedom that you’d likely benefit from.</p>

<p>Prepping a month in advance? As in opening your CAlc 3 Book in July and starting to teach yourself the material? Or is it something completely different?</p>

<p>OK I am talking calculus this semester at a community college and am in the process of getting some of the gen-eds out of the way</p>

<p>Yes, just glancing over the material a month or so in advance. Nothing too intensive. You probably have better things to do over the summer. But just take a look ahead at some required courses and consider looking at free lecture videos online. Perhaps taking out an interesting introductory book or two would do. Anything to get you introduced with the material, really. Youtube has these lectures, and MIT and Yale have open course sites. Khan Academy has math and science videos, but KA’s options taper off towards the college level.</p>

<p>In college, your main concern will be time. What will help your career out the most – reaching out to professors in office hours, trying to get TA/tutor positions, visiting career services, going to on-campus recruitment fairs – requires free time, and anything you can do beforehand to take control of your schedule will benefit you.</p>

<p>I suggested to get ahead in academics, but I was really offering a version of the following rule: “Free up your schedule by taking care of x.” “Taking care of x” will be a lot of things in college: doing your laundry, completing your homework, exercising, socializing to keep sane, and talking about all of those career-related concerns you have. It all comes down to time, and the quicker you can figure out how to master your schedule, the more successful you’ll be.</p>

<p>You’re thinking ahead and trying to put yourself in a good position for the future, and that attitude is great. It really does help that you’re proactive about these things. I remember thinking the same way before college, having very similar concerns. And out of all the advice I soaked up from my peers and adult leaders, the best bit they offered was to control your schedule.</p>