<p>So I'm gonna be a freshman in college this fall. I know I'm going to do a science or math in college because A) I find logic oriented stuff more rewarding B) I'm good at it and C) It's where jobs/money are (I think people that think that's a bad reason need to find a list of unemployed Ivy psych majors are).</p>
<p>There's one pretty big problem though. I've always been bad at "doing" things. For example in my seventh grade industrial technology class, if I needed to cut wood I'd need to have the teacher help me because I just sucked at that stuff. I guess I'm not good at physically "making" things in general. Additionally, my hands shake a decent amount, and while I'm not thinking about being a doctor/surgeon, could this be a problem if I went into engineering (if I did any kind of engineering, I'd want to do chemical engineering)? Or is it really 95% simple paper problem solving stuff and I could manage rather easily.</p>
<p>I'd appreciate any feedback on this. And if you think engineering wouldn't fit for me, what science/math is "legitimate" but also something that I could do? I'm thinking pure math doesn't have much application, and economics is legit for a social science but ahh...</p>
<p>I went on some tours at Cal over the weekend for engineering. I notice now a lot more colleges are leaning toward pratical vs theoretical. Meaning they want you to do more with your hands and get experience. I would assume that chemical engineering would involve a decent amount of working with chemicals and mixing them. Then running lots of tests on said solution. So as long as you can use pipettes and test tubes without breaking them wouldn’t you be okay. Now if you wanted to do mechanical and had to use drill presses, lathes, waterjets etc. I might suggest against it.</p>
<p>On the reverse if you go to the right school they could help you so much that you would hope you get over everything. Look into Calpoly they teach very heavily in the learn by doing philosphy.</p>
<p>An engineer doesn’t have to be good with making things themselves. Most can and do as they find it fun. It certainly doesn’t hurt.</p>
<p>What one does need is very good visualization skills, at least for the mechanical side of things. You need to be able to see objects in 3D and be able to rotate those images in your mind. You need to visualize how things react to mechanical loads, changes in temperature, etc.</p>
<p>@santookie
Thanks for that feedback, yeah that’s what I was mostly thinking. I wouldn’t want them to hold my hand <em>too</em> much though so that I couldn’t succeed after college.</p>
<p>@HPuck35
I’m a little confused, what would the non-hands on students do while the others make stuff? And I could see myself coming up with ideas and working in groups just hands-on stuff alone could be difficult. Visualization skills, however, I’m not worried about.</p>
<p>You’ll need to do ‘hands on stuff’ in labs, and you’ll be expected to help out at least a little bit. Chem labs especially in my experience. From what I’ve heard talking to my Chem E friends, they do a lot of planning/ “theory”, not a lot of like, tightening valves and stuff. Press buttons on a machine, do quality control, know your fluid mechanics and dynamics and thermo…</p>
<p>If you really like logic, look at Comp E? Programming is lots of logic.</p>
Programming is lots of logic.</p>