I am excited to be going to Alabama in a few months time for ChemE. Out of curiosity I was looking at the curriculum for ChemE and I was concerned about a summer course required during the summer following junior year. I am worried that since I am a Presidential Scholar, I will have to either 1) full-pay that course OOS ($3,000) or 2) At least shift from a Spring 2020 graduation date to Fall 2019 in order to continue my studies that summer on a scholarship. This brings up the issue of not only having to pay extra for staying the summer with living costs and potentially paying for the course, but worse imho to give up a potential internship experience right before senior year for valuable work experience. I was wondering what everyone’s experience was with this and how your child was able to cope. I am already with sophomore status (40 credit hours of transfer credit confirmed in degreeworks on MyBama). I have some flexibility but my parents and I would like to be ready for this. Hopefully I will not have to give up a potential internship or pay money for the course. Thanks and Roll Tide!!!
2015pop is correct, it is now offered as a fall and spring combo. With that said my S (SR in ChemE) does suggest that you do the summer course if possible. His opinion is that the prof/time commitment combination for the summer course is better than doing the fall/spring combo. Of course that could change by the time you have to deal with it. Just a current opinion.
Just a thought: if you’re living off-campus in Tuscaloosa by then chances are your lease covers the summer months. If that’s the case, since you have to pay for it anyway (unless you sublet), you already have a place to stay for no additional cost (except food).
Thanks for the replies everyone. I will look into those two 2 hour courses for replacement if possible. @MemphisGuy you mention taking the summer classes as a benefit. I can respect that view but what about internships? Is a summer semester at school worth replacing a potential work experience? Sorry for prying but I want to get as much experience in school and out as possible. Especially with the energy industry slowing right now I want to make myself as competitive as possible.
@aeromom I appreciate the insight. I am not as concerned with rent/utilities since my dad and I will be working together in real estate and I will have my housing covered (hopefully). The main concern would be miscellaneous expenses as well as food costs plus the opportunity cost of an internship that not only may pay well but also provide important work experience I desire.
@mom2collegekids I am coming in with both semesters of freshman english, chem 1, calc 1, calc 2, calc 3, DFQ, physics 1, and all my history/elective depth studies credits done. I believe all that I have left for gen eds are chem 2, bio 1, physics 2, and one elective (microeconomics). I can potentially graduate in 3 years easily taking 15 credit hours a semester but I would like to explore the option of taking fun classes, specifically business and economics topics that I LOVE. Any other insight will be appreciated! Roll Tide!
@atomicPACMAN07 - I imagine it would likely interfere with some of the internships. That didn’t bother S as he is also working his Masters in Biology and is pre-med. He has been in one of the Bio Labs doing research since Freshman year. As a Grad student he was kind of committed to spending his free time in the summer in the lab (with some pay) so the internship issue didn’t come into play for him.
@atomicPACMAN07 Instead of looking at internships, why don’t you look at a Co-op position? THe Co-op office was telling us the other day that they place people with Chevron.
Co-op is a way better option than internship if you are going into industry out of undergrad.
@CyclonesGrad I have been keeping an open mind to internships and coops. I was greatly interested in coops at Alabama but a list of coops provided by @mom2collegekids in another thread I believe showed very limited coop opportunities for chemE in places like energy and R&D, which I am interested in. If Chevron is hiring or of the sorts I would definitely like to get more insight for that. I love to work and I am actually taking a year off high school to work and travel in my state. Although a coop does extend the studying period for one year, I am still open to all options. I just hope companies don’t look at me weird that I graduate at 24-25 instead of 22 like the rest of my original class in high school.
@atomicPACMAN07 What age you are when you graduate means nothing. No worries there.
I was just talking to the Co-op office on Monday in their office. They gave my kids a list of the Co-op opportunities and I glanced at it. There were several Ptro-Chemical names on it. They also said that if there are companies you are targeting they would help you to try and get a Co-op.
THe Co-op office needs help from students to identify companies of interest, “one hand washes the other”.
Curious…is it true that most companies prefer coops over internships for educating engineers specifically? I hear mixed things about this but some companies find it more economical to educate you for a whole work year versus a summer term, especially to take you on as a full-time hire after college. I have been wondering that for awhile.
My cousin works for Exxon in Houston and she is so busy that it is hard to reach her on such information. My goals would to be ultimately get as much work experience down south as possible as I would prefer to stay in the region than go back west.
It just seems really inconvenient for UA to make the course be in the summer but I guess it all has to do with availability??? It’s nice though that there is the two classes that can substitute though. Definitely an option to look at for the future.
@CyclonesGrad you mentioned Chevron as a company that hires for coops. Can you recall any other Petro-chemical companies on that list? I am curious because it would be interesting to see how many of these companies are still actively hiring interns and full-time work even with the oil market as it is today.
Many businesses are moving towards co-ops because it’s a better investment for them. Finding, hiring, and training employees is expensive for a company and it’s a big investment to search out, hire, and train interns that may only be there for a few weeks. It’s a much better investment for a company to hire a co-op student who will be there for at least a year and then potentially join the company with that knowledge and training already complete when they graduate. Internships do still exist, but they are becoming more challenging to locate.
For the company my son co-ops for, he is considered an employee of the business year round even when he is not in an active co-op session. He stays in their payroll system, still has access to his email account so they don’t have to add and remove him each time he works, and still has access to the building. Since it’s right in Tuscaloosa it even gives him the ability to work on an occasional basis during his non-co-op terms.
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am coming in with both semesters of freshman english, chem 1, calc 1, calc 2, calc 3, DFQ, physics 1, and all my history/elective depth studies credits done. I believe all that I have left for gen eds are chem 2, bio 1, physics 2, and one elective (microeconomics).
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oh good!!!
plenty of room to fit those two 2 credit classes. i would recommend keeping a lighter schedule those two semesters
@atomicPACMAN07 I do not recall others because I glanced at it. I did see Hunt refining on the link from @jrcsmom . I actually worked at the refinery as an inspector out of college when I worked for UOP.
The price of crude coming out of the ground is low but it still needs to be refined (distilled) into asphalt, fuel oil, diesel, gasoline, Kerosene, jet fuel. This is done in the refineries you see all over. Who do you think operates those refineries? The answer: Chemical Engineers. The big guys (Chevron, Exxon Mobil, Texaco, etc.) and small guys (Hunt, Valero, Farmer’s Coops) are always looking for talent.
Don’t be fooled by the price of crude. Crude has gone down 70% in price, gasoline has gone down about 45%. Guess whose making the margin now, refiners or drillers?
I was wondering what everyone’s experience was with this and how your child was able to cope. I am already with sophomore status (40 credit hours of transfer credit confirmed in degreeworks on MyBama). I have some flexibility but my parents and I would like to be ready for this. Hopefully I will not have to give up a potential internship or pay money for the course. Thanks and Roll Tide!!!
