<p>I like math and science like all engineering students, but how hard will the work be? Is the increase in difficulty gradual or extreme throughout the 4 years of college? Do people/your peers find it manageable or do they think the jump is too hard?</p>
<p>What options do I have for EE in the future? Are MOST PEOPLE stuck in the R&D department or do many people get higher management positions?</p>
<p>Last silly question: Are the EE projects cool?</p>
<p>I personally think EE projects are pretty awesome.</p>
<p>I’m almost done with lower-division classes and start upper division this semester. It’s no freakin’ cakewalk, but it’s manageable if one keeps one’s nose the grindstone, reads the texts, and asks questions where something does not quite make sense, or just to be sure.</p>
<p>It’s really not that hard, in my opinion. You do not need to commit your entire life to engineering in order to do well. In fact, with good time management and study habits you should have plenty of free time to have fun.</p>
<p>Engineering careers can take you anywhere. You might end up being a CEO. Or working on the latest and greatest technology. Or become a director in charge of marketing and sales. You are not going to be stuck in engineering forever. Personally, I plan on leaving engineering for the realm of management within a year or two.</p>
<p>The key will be to establish a reputation of working hard and work at companies that will enable you to pursue your goals. If you demonstrate leadership skills and initiative, you can expect that will start becoming a management candidate.</p>
<p>In school, I found EE labs to be mostly enjoyable. They’re also designed to be relatively easy, be completed within a given time frame, and produce results. In the real world, projects are not so compliant and may take much, much longer and not produce nice results. I think some projects are very interesting and others are extremely boring, but this is largely dependent on your interests.</p>
<p>“Personally, I plan on leaving engineering for the realm of management within a year or two.”</p>
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<p>You really think your going to get anywhere near management with just 2 years experience and no MBA???</p>
<p>Well I have near 30 yrs experience as EE. Just do EE as invidiviual contributor for at least 5 years after graduation. Don’t worry/considre management for that period. That old adage of those who can “do”, those who can’t “manage”, those who can’t manage “teach” is really true (well profs with research are different, the’re researchers not teachers).</p>
<p>I am already an informal manager of a small team of people and have been specifically told that I am on my way to a management position if I desire it. It’s honestly more a matter of such a position being available, my boss’s boss and his boss would place me in such a role tomorrow if it was possible. When I say “If you demonstrate leadership skills and initiative, you can expect that will start becoming a management candidate” I am talking from my own personal experience and of those immediately around me. So, yes I know that I will get into management with no MBA and very little experience without any difficulty, should I choose to go down that path. I also have the opportunity to stick with engineering and my management would be okay with that decision as well. </p>
<p>As for sticking with engineering for longer, that’s probably a good idea for most people. However, knowing when a good opportunity presents itself and snatching it up is very important. I see plenty of people with many, many years of experience who are just working very average engineering jobs and I have no desire to become that. I know someone who is very good at FPGA design and has plenty of experience doing it. He could definitely move on to a more demanding job that entailed more responsibility, but he does not care to have any kind of management responsibility and enjoys what he does.</p>
<p>I would also agree with those who cannot do engineering are managers to some degree. I see some managers who were obviously poor engineers and completely lack any engineering knowledge, despite having an engineering degree. These people also wonder why they are stuck in low level management positions and unable to move on.</p>