<p>So I am currently a freshman engineering major and I'm having trouble figuring this out...</p>
<p>In high school I took lots of honors/AP courses and earned a 4.0. I always did well on tests and turned in my assignments on time, etc, etc. But I always hated actually going to class. There were very, very few classes in high school that I actually enjoyed. But I just kind of sucked it up and tolerated it. My rationale was, "well, I have to take all these classes whether I like them or not, so I might as well just do well in them so I can take classes I actually like in college."</p>
<p>Well, now I'm at college taking a freshman engineering curriculum and feeling the exact same way. I just do not enjoy any of my classes at all. Just like in high school, I'm doing fine in all of them; I have solid As across the board right now, though I'm borderline with physics. Still, it's not the difficulty that is problematic for me. I just really hate being in class. I don't find the material interesting, and I'm sick of sitting through lectures and completing all manner of busywork.</p>
<p>There are so many academic areas (history, english/writing, physics, math, programming, music theory) that seem so intriguing on the surface, yet in all of these cases, as soon as I actually took a class on each subject, I lost interest. </p>
<p>At present I'm just hoping that I will find something interesting about my upper-level engineering courses, but honestly I'm kind of tired of just tolerating my coursework and waiting for classes to get better. That's what I did all through high school and it never did, and right now it just feels the same.</p>
<p>So I guess what I'm asking is, does engineering stop being miserable after all the prereqs are out of the way?</p>
<p>The coursework is and always will be a chore. That is a simple fact of any schoolwork.
You’re not sitting in class to have fun. You’re there because you want to get a degree. Once you have that, you can learn however you want to. But you’re there to get a distinction, not to have fun.</p>
<p>If all you ever do is go to class and do the coursework, expecting someone to make it come alive, or entertain you, you may be waiting a long time. </p>
<p>Have you looked into what research is being done at your school and what interests you? Getting involved in research early can lead to a greater depth of involvement in areas you’re interested in. These aren’t experiments that get cleaned up after you get a grade…they actually matter and make a difference. Have you looked into engineering ECs? My son is involved in the baja race team (think live sized Mario carts). They design, manufacture, and compete against other college teams on all terrain tracks around the country. Obviously it’s very hands on and completely student run. I’ve heard of other schools that build solar cars. Find out what’s going on beyond your classes to feed your desire to do something other then be passive.</p>
<p>I think class are more enjoyable when it comes to Physics, Chemistry or classes with Lab experiment. They’re hands-on, teamwork, social interaction, and problem-solving. I’m not sure if you’re in any of those class, but to me those are “fun” class.</p>
<p>well, i suppose in the same vein as scientists/researchers/engineers: doesn’t knowing more information actually reveal how much information you don’t know? engineering will get interesting, it just takes forever depending on the person/curriculum. even though i just switched to the quarter system, i still feel like the pace of the curriculum should be faster. however, i believe this is because im only taking 3 classes, so i should be taking 4. then i will develop a high rate of sensitivity to theories and their applications. i will be doing undergrad research for the next two quarters: tangibility/accessibility to pathways of information/experience will enrich my journey as an engineering major</p>
<p>Some engineering students prefer upperclassmen classes because there is more opportunity for course selection. Most will still be professional electives, within the major. But hopefully they are in areas of interest.</p>