am i killing myself with Computer /Electrical engineering

College Majors Engineering Majors
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<p>Im a Computer /Electrical engineering double major. At University at Buffalo. So far i like the work I have been doing. I find it hard but like the challenge.</p>

<p>As for the the topic of this post. In America am I setting myself up for disaster going into Computer /Electrical engineering. I read the bls.gov and engineering really isisnt that big in america. Computer engineering only has 77k jobs, which reallys int alot. Now I like computers and circuitry and woulda actually wnat to fabricate and design computer hardware.</p>

<p>But im really worried if im setting myself up for a failing field. I mean so much of the computer stuff we buy today is from asian companies, except for a few like intel. There really isint anything like mechanical engineering in America. I could be wrong.</p>

<p>let me here your outlooks.</p>

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<p>err then again Computer Engineering majors are maybe the 1st or 2nd highest paid college grads. If I were you I wouldnt sweat it, you are in a good field (IMO) and you seem like your handling yourself well. Also, the best part is that you like what you're doing.</p>

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<p>icer, from what i recall from your previous post, you seem to be a high school senior. </p>

<p>you're free to give your opinion, but i'd suggest you mention that you haven't even started college and probably not have the same issues in mind for as long as the op.</p>

<p>leave the suggestions to some more experienced people.</p>

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<p>with a double major in compE/EE, you will have a powerful background to go into the field of nanotechnology. Generally speaking, nanotech. covers several fields but one of the primary divisions is computer hardware development. check out this site:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.albanynanotech.org/%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.albanynanotech.org/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Suny albany has the biggest nanofab. facility in the world and is the leading institution in r&D of nanotechnology. It has more funding (by far) for it's program than any other instit. partly because it was one of the first pioneers to explore apps in the field and gain support and trust from some of the powerful tech companies. It is funded by several companies and the grads are aggressively recruited by the companies. Most of the grads go on to get their p.h.d.'s in the field. Outsourcing does not target research jobs in nanotech so you don't have to worry about this.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p>well firstly, CornellOwnzED10' it was my brother who is a 2nd year computer major who posted (he was too lazy to create an account).</p>

<p>Secondly, what does it matter my experience anyway. This is a free forum where all of us give our OPINIONS, this isnt expert-exchange.com this is college confidential where prosepctive students, students, alumni, and parents post.</p>

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<p>There's a ton of computer hardware companies based in America. Intel, AMD, and IBM are all American companies. There are a few Asian CPU companies such as VIA, but they aren't even close to being competitive with these guys. ATI (Canadian, but still NA) and Nvidia, the two major GPU makers, are also American. 99+% of all computers have American technology underlying them.</p>

<p>Asian companies will often make parts using American technology For instance, Microstar International (MSI) is an Asian company that produces video cards and motherboards using Intel, AMD, Nvidia, and ATI chipsets. But all of those technologies are still developed in America.</p>

<p>Hell, even the #1 OEM worldwide (Dell) is based in America. Indian call centers don't count. You are hardly entering a dying field. America has always been and still is the innovation capital of the world. Sure, as India and China (and other countries for that matter) industrialize and develop, American engineers will have to continue to make themselves desirable by adapting to the current market, but for the foreseeable future I think American computer and electrical engineers will continue to be in high demand.</p>

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<p>lol....u guys...I speak with experience and with knowledge from ppl:</p>

<p>Computer Science/Electrical Engineering will take you only as far as $80k-$100k and that too with a good job after a couple of years of experience....</p>

<p>CS/EE may be a good field etc. but its hard and usually not likeable just like the other engineering majors...unless u have "passion" (which after a while in any career its usually OVER)</p>

<p>What I'm trying to say is that engineering requires more work that say becoming a doctor BUT you still get paid only about one-tenth of how much these doctors make....</p>

<p>Its a screw-up deal, unless your a top-tier engineer that can manage/start ur own company then ur stuck making $80k to the most...</p>

<p>And yes I won't deny that the field of CS/EE is big and "in-demand" BUT take into consideration how many other CS/EE engineers are out there...</p>

<p>Engineering=hard way around life</p>

<p>not to mention: OUTSOURCING...</p>

<p>call AOL and they pick up India (NO JOKE AND NO OFFENSE)</p>

<p>engineers are pawns and are easily replaceable BUT doctors cant be outsourced/replaced etc...</p>

<p>-hope this helps (proly won't, sry)</p>

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<p>Doctors have hard lives too ya know ;) you seem to be using them as the easy life XD</p>

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<p>
[quote]
What I'm trying to say is that engineering requires more work that say becoming a doctor BUT you still get paid only about one-tenth of how much these doctors make....

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<p>The engineering curricula probably requires more work than a premed curricula. But if you are trying to say that an engineering career requires more work than a doctor's career, I have to disagree. Every doctor has to pull routine all-nighter shifts as part of their med school and residency shifts. Very few engineers pull all-nighters as a general routine. Doctors tend to be on-call and can be pulled in to work at night or on weekends. Engineers rarely are. </p>

<p>
[quote]
CS/EE may be a good field etc. but its hard and usually not likeable just like the other engineering majors...unless u have "passion" (which after a while in any career its usually OVER)

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</p>

<p>The same can be said for medicine. I'm fairly sure that if you don't like medicine, those all-nighters and on-call engagements will get old very very quickly. </p>

<p>
[quote]
Its a screw-up deal, unless your a top-tier engineer that can manage/start ur own company then ur stuck making $80k to the most...

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</p>

<p>I think whether it's a screwed-up deal depends on the individual. As I've said many times, I think engineering is an absolutely fantastic deal for those guys who aren't that good and end up in no-name colleges. After all, these guys aren't going to make it into medical school. So what else are they going to do with their lives? </p>

<p>Keep in mind that $80k a year is far more money than most Americans will ever make. There are plenty of people in the country who not only have jobs they hate, but also make nothing close to $80k a year. </p>

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[quote]
BUT doctors cant be outsourced/replaced etc

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<p>Oh really? Doctors can't be outsourced or replaced? Not at all? </p>

<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_tourism%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_tourism&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2005/04/05/PM200504053.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2005/04/05/PM200504053.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p><a href="http://www.ucsfhealth.org/childrens/health_library/news/2006/02/62459.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.ucsfhealth.org/childrens/health_library/news/2006/02/62459.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>
[quote]
And yes I won't deny that the field of CS/EE is big and "in-demand" BUT take into consideration how many other CS/EE engineers are out there...</p>

<p>Engineering=hard way around life

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</p>

<p>I am not saying that enginering is an easy life, but it's certainly a better life than what the vast majority of Americans enjoy. Just go down to the mall and notice all of the people working for minimum wage there. Engineers clearly have a better life than that.</p>

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<p>Why be an EE when you can just win the lottery? :)</p>

<p>but seriously though even though its hard work....if you love math and science, and love a challenge, then why not engineering....</p>

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<p>first of all why would you do double major in EE and Comp E? which are pretty related...in some colleges they even have EE with Comp E concentration...maybe you need to look into that...double major in your choice doesn't seem like a good idea</p>

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<p>well wouldnt it make sense to double since the classes would overlap?</p>

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<p>I have to take 1 more physics and 3 more elctronics labs. The rest of the classes overlap.</p>

<p>Seems like a good deal to me./</p>

<p>same with aerospace and mechanical, its only a few more classes. Worth it if ya ask me.</p>

<p>as to CH121S</p>

<p>I actually hate math, but not worse than chemistry. id probrolly make a better business major or somthing like that, but i love computers and stuff like that and really want to know the foundation of them.</p>

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<p>If you don't know the general foundation of computers and are applying for undergrad in CS...good luck :)</p>

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<p>Does the EECE curriculum get out of date quickly? I was talking to an engineer who said he learned very different things when he went to school.</p>

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<p>why would it get out of date? the basics of EE are pretty much the same and have been for a long time...as you move into specialization courses it might be different because of the leaps in tehcnology, but more or less every EE student takes the same classes in DSP, circuit analysis, network analysis, microelectronics etc.</p>

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<p>insecure101</p>

<p>The its really depends on what you mean by foundation. if you mean the foundation as being just the standards of computers. Such as what the average joe would know then i know alot more than that. If you mean that the foundation is programming and advanced algorithms, then personnaly im at about that level. If you mean the foundations as lets say microchip fabrication and circuit design and machine code implementation,. then this i am interested in.</p>

<p>Btw im a sophmore already in cse</p>

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<p>insecure -- you're another one to the list that strongly oppose going into the engineering field....myself, uggio, monydad, thedad etc., have all made the same points about engineering. Like you said, engineering typically work harder than doctors...the sheer amount of vocabulary to learn, along with organizational skills and presentation skills makes engineering a tough field for anyone over 30. From 20 -25, it's great!! You're a junior and can coast be doing design, architecture, implementations etc...but, after 30 you have to get good at corporate stuff as well.....allocating juniors to projects, making presentations at meetings, getting buy-in from upper management etc....typically the kind of stuff the prom-queens/kings are good at...It's ironic that people that are REALLY good engineers would be happier being doctors, and the people that like politics would be happy in the engineering world!</p>

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<p>Vocabulary? As in, unctuous? Abjure? Ameliorate? Effuse?</p>

<p>Your epithets have ambled from merely puerile to quixotic. So be gone, thou art sped.</p>

<p>...she said with her sheer amount of engineering vocabulary, that she's apparently learned reasonably well...</p>

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<p>
[quote]
engineering typically work harder than doctors...the sheer amount of vocabulary to learn, along with organizational skills and presentation skills makes engineering a tough field for anyone over 30.

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<p>Like I said, I doubt there is any practicing doctor who would say that he works less than an engineer. However, if you don't believe me, let's take it up with some of the practicing doctors here like PSedrish. Let's ask him about it and have him post his response here. Are you afraid to ask him? </p>

<p>
[quote]
you're another one to the list that strongly oppose going into the engineering field....myself, uggio, monydad, thedad etc.,

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</p>

<p>I don't recall monydad or thedad strongly opposing going into the engineering field. Why not have them come here and speak for themselves? </p>

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It's ironic that people that are REALLY good engineers would be happier being doctors, and the people that like politics would be happy in the engineering world!

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</p>

<p>It's no more ironic than the REALLY good doctors preferring to be investment bankers or financiers.</p>