<p>I am an upcoming 4th year structural engineering major doing an internship right now and i really hate the construction aspect of it, which I just realized is a BIG part. I like doing the math calculations (i love math) but every week my boss will take me to a construction site, and it's some bridge in the middle of nowhere. It just seems kind of stupid to me, and I HATE going outside. I hate the hardhats, the boots, the reflective clothing, the construction site, the big dusty trucks and cranes... Math isn't used as much as i thought, and a lot of the work i do is by "design standards" and "codes."</p>
<p>How often does a civil engineer have to go outside? I've talked to a couple of people who graduated and they all have to visit the site 2x per week. </p>
<p>Also, this internship is really making me rethink my major since i am so unhappy...should i power through my last year of undergrad or should i change my major (to computer science, which I've always been interested in) and graduate a year and a half late?</p>
<p>Sometimes we’ll go a month without going to a site - other times we’re going a couple of times a week. And to be a competent structural engineer, it’s a good idea to get a construction supervision job at some point. If you can do all the calcs properly but can’t draw details that are buildable, you’ll have a hard time!</p>
<p>If you get a job for a firm that designs buildings, you won’t be visiting bridge sites, if that helps. We don’t do bridges. Bridge design is very different from building design.</p>
<p>I know some engineers who are on site every day and also some who are on site for a week a year. It really depends on how your manager utilizes you.</p>
<p>That being said, if you really do hate being out in the field, then this most likely isn’t right for you. You can try to get a job in CS or IT… I know a few who went in that direction after getting degrees in CE or ME.</p>
I’d recommend switching not only because you’re unhappy anyway, but also because economists and experts agree that indicators point to the economy slowing down.
This means if you are to graduate with a Civil degree, there’s a likelihood you’ll be unemployed, considering housing hasn’t recovered and the US, unlike china, is not spending that much money in infrastructure.</p>