<p>I'm a chem e major, and imo, it's impossible to enjoy ANY engineering classes. They all suck. That said, why do we major in engineering?</p>
<p>Personally, I came into chem e wanting to do research and produce practical results in the name of Science. On the other hand, being a chem e major takes away your life if you ask me. Some people choose their major based upon their intellectual passions, others pick one just to graduate. What abut engineers?</p>
<p>Honestly if someone is going into engineering for the money, but are going to hate it than it’s not even worth it. You can find another career that’s going to earn you just as much or more in the long run and your college career will be easier. I’d say engineers do it because they’re passionate about it.</p>
<p>We all go to college for the money. It’s waste of time to go to college for what you love. There is no reason to go to college for things you enjoy. Hell, what is the purpose of going to college for art? You could learn painting skills for free. There are tons of resources out
there for artists. </p>
<p>To answer the OP, yes, I am an engineering major for financial reasons. Any engineering major who says he isn’t in it for the money is either lying or wishes to become an engineering professor or a real computer
scientist meaning he wants to get a PhD.</p>
<p>I’m not an engineering major for the money, and I know plenty of others who aren’t in engineering for the money either. There are several other avenues that would lead to making more money over the course of a life time than engineering. If it was completely about money, I’d choose something else.</p>
<p>Now do people appreciate the middle-class lifestyle that an engineering major can provide? Yes, as will I… but that’s not why I’m in engineering, it’s just a benefit.</p>
<p>^@knowledge- I get the point you’re trying to make, but I think you’re going to an extreme with it. It is possible to go into something because its stable and will make you financially secure, while still slightly enjoying it. For instance, I’ve considered both engineering and accounting, because they both fit the qualifications of slightly interesting and very stable and offer a financially secure life. Do I have a passion for either? Absolutely not. I have other passions that I’m not foolish enough to try to pursue as a career and wind up not being able to support myself. I’m not saying do something you DESPISE, but don’t feel the pressure of “if you don’t love your job you will be miserable”. Its still work. The days will come where you just don’t wanna go to work. The idea is to go into something where you can not be completely miserable at work and more importantly be able to enjoy life outside of work.</p>
<p>If everyone made the same amount of money no matter what they majored in there would be a lot less engineering majors. So yea it’s probably half about the money, but someone isn’t going to major in it if they absolutely hate it. Most people probably major in the best paying of all the majors they have an interest in.</p>
<p>@Ziggy, you are right. Most engineering majors are perceived to “love” math, but why are they not math majors? </p>
<p>@Domright, I get what you are saying, but you have to understand that we are all in college for earning potentials.</p>
<p>I think because math can be just as difficult as engineering, but there are more engineering jobs. Or at least that’s what I think. I was originally going to major in math, but I was worried about finding a good paying job right out of college with only a bachelors in math.</p>
<p>^@knowledge- I definitely agree. There is no denying that if sports writing/broadcasting was an easy to get into, stable field, no doubt I would be a journalism/english major. Instead I’m doing accounting. Does this mean I think I will be miserable in accounting or would have been if I went the engineering route? I dont think so. I think I will get a tiny bit of enjoyment, which is really all I’m looking for besides the obvious financial reasons for working. Its called work for a reason. Not a hobby. But I still think some people could find things like designing new technologies for renewable energy or designing skyscrapers interesting. I know I would. At least a little bit. Would I even consider going through the ridiculous amount of math if not for the well-compensated job I could expect? No, probably not. Not many people could claim they would still do Accounting or Engineering or whatever if they felt they would top out at 45k a year at the top of their career.</p>
<p>But my main point is, although I agree pay is a huge motivator, I still think its possible to slightly enjoy a well paying career.</p>
<p>And if money and job security is your only reason, theres no need to be ashamed of that. Thats the point of working. So you can go home, maybe to your wife and kids, and be able to relax and enjoy their company without worrying about living pay check to paycheck or maybe being layed off.</p>
<p>A B.S. in Math with no application area or specialization is not that marketable but a Math degree with a specialization can be pretty marketable.</p>
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<p>Hard as it may seem for you to believe, some people actually enjoy doing math, science, and engineering. That it coincides (often, not always) with in-demand jobs and careers happens to work out well for them.</p>
<p>Yes, there are people who go into it (or some other majors) only for the money. But someone who does not like doing math, science, and engineering is probably more likely to leave the major than someone who enjoys it.</p>
<p>Personally, I always thought of Math being a broad degree that could get me multiple avenues so that is why I approached computer science via the Math major than be a CS major. I was thinking “hey…maybe I can get hired as some mathematician somewhere or support some engineering effort while still keeping the software skills in my back pocket.”</p>
<p>When I decided on grad school, I KNEW I was not going to go for a M.S. in Computer Science. I went for a more broad “interdisciplinary engineering” degree that allowed me to take some engineering management and some systems engineering while taking 1 or 2 CS courses. Again…more broad.</p>
<p>@UCB, notice you typed “some”, which implies that there are more people in engineering primarely for the money than there are those who are in it to who “love” STEM courseloads.</p>
<p>It’s definitely the money for me. If I’m paying $60,000 for school, you bet I’m not wasting it on reading Shakespeare</p>
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<p>“Some” merely means more than zero, less than all. It does not imply what you are claiming it does.</p>
<p>I find it sad that some people base their life decisions on money. Really, I do. I, and most people I know (not all) dis engineering because they are genuinely interested in engineering. I’d I thought I would enjoy something that paid less more than engineering, I would do it in a heartbeat.</p>
<p>^ If engineering payed 45k a year, would you still be willing to go through the rough schooling when you could just be a teacher making the same amount and have a great vacation/work schedule? If you can honestly say you would, good for you, but I doubt it. Theres nothing wrong with wanting a good paycheck to feel comfortable with life. Your career does not define you. You dont have to love it. Love your life outside of work and work to enjoy that life.</p>
<p>Absolutely I would. I don’t deny that having a good paycheck is a nice perk, but I am a firm believer in doing what I love, not necessarily what will make me the most money. I enjoy the problems I tackle day-to-day as an engineer, and I do it for a lot less than $45k considering I am just getting paid the grad student stipend to do it all the while putting in probably 60 hrs a week average. I enjoy the work, so I look past that. I consider myself lucky enough to love what I do both at work, and outside of work.</p>
<p>I’m in it for the women.</p>
<p>I think it’s a large factor for a majority who become engineers, but not necessarily the only factor. Money is extremely important in life, or at least not having an absence of money is important. Many, many things cost money and your quality of life will be higher if you have money, unless your interests are all extremely cheap.</p>
<p>Some will say that if you don’t do what you love you’ll be miserable, have a hard time, etc. I love the things I do while NOT working. Having a job that pays me more money and has a flexible schedule allows me to do the things I love better and more often, they just so happen to not be at work.</p>