Being a senior in high school has got me thinking what I want to do with the rest of my life which is a really scary thought considering I’m only 18. Anyhow I’ve planned on majoring in math for awhile now because I’ve always excelled in math including calculus and I also find it interesting and have always thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m also good at science and because of this and my math ability I’ve naturally been pushed towards engineering but I’m not totally sure if it’s for me and I say this because I’ve never really been that interested in technology. I’m planning on double majoring with math as the obvious one and as of now the second one will most likely be eletrical engineering. Since I’m not entirely sure about the engineering career I’ve also been thinking about being an actuary (been leaning more towards this) which is more on the business side rather than the applied science side of math. My question is since I’m not set on anything yet should my second major be engineering even if there’s a chance I don’t want to become one? I’ve heard its countless hours outside of class and much more time consuming than other majors which seems unnecessary if I’m only half way considering engineering, however an engineering degree opens up options a little bit which I feel would be beneficial because if I went with the straight math degree with an emphasis in finance and stats I would be stuck in the actuarial direction. Any suggestions and sorry for such a long post I just felt as if I had to be as thorough as possible with my situation. Thanks
You can’t halfway consider engineering. The curricula are too rigid. As an example, my son’s ME curriculum is 201 quarter hours. There are zero free electives. Most non-engineering degrees at his school are 180 hours and have at least some free electives.
If you are dead set on this, go to a school with an actuary science program or at least a minor, whose engineering program doesn’t start in earnest until second year. Make sure you take physics. You can make your decision on which way to veer after your first year.
Good luck.
Thanks for the response the only problem is that I’m not dead set on either actuarial science or engineering and even though I currently say I’m leaning towards being an actuary I feel as if I don’t have enough experience in either to fully make that decision yet which is why by double majoring I would be keeping maximum amount of options open. That’s just my logic for all I know that could be mightily overwhelming though as your sons schedule seems.
Below are two curriculum charts. I picked Cal Poly for two reasons. First, their curriculum maps are easy to read and wrap your head around. Second, I know how to easily find them. They don’t have a degree in actuary science, so I chose the degree they recommend if you want to be an actuary, statistics.
Compare the two flow charts. Three things become apparent. Engineering has more hours, less free electives and more early specialized classes, specifically physics and any engineering intro classes.
If you follow the prerequisites from upper level back down to the lower, you will see that in is very sequential. That makes it VERY hard to switch into engineering, because when ever you do, you will essentially be a freshman.
For that reason, if you want to even consider engineering, I’d start there and switch out if doesn’t suit. Moving to actuary science from engineering will be far easier than the reverse.
http://flowcharts.calpoly.edu/downloads/mymap/13-15.76STATBSU.pdf
http://flowcharts.calpoly.edu/downloads/mymap/13-15.52EEBSU.pdf
I totally agree with eyemgh. There are many other threads on this topic. Engineering requires full dedication, and at most schools it’s tough to add a 2nd major (or even a minor).
If in doubt, start in Engineering. The credits will most likely transfer to other majors. Caveat - make sure you understand any GPA requirements for switching into another major… unhappy engineering students often have a low GPA.
It’s not a bad idea, but unless you are superhuman, it will take more than 4 years to graduate with a double major. Just something to keep in mind as far as paying for it goes.
My D’s at Rose-Hulman, which seems a bit more accommodating than described here. About 10% of the students graduate with double majors, often combining math with their engineering degree. Several of my D’s friends will be graduating in 4 years with two majors. Not easy, but doable with AP credit.
Thanks for the replies! I just feel as if I don’t really have a passion for technology which is what gives me doubts about engineering and I feel like I’m considering only because people have pushed me towards it and it’s a secure well-paying career. So I guess my question out of this is why did you choose engineering and did you always have an interest in technology or did it take an internship to truly tell that engineering was a right fit? And also I have a lot of college credit transferring so if I were to double major I could be done in four years so that’s another reason I’m really considering the double major option.
I’m not an engineer, so I can’t answer many of your questions from a first person point of view. This I can tell you though, the least happy engineers are the ones pushed into it. Engineering is very difficult, in my opinion, having gone the other route, far more challenging than pre-med. It isn’t simply memorizing and regurgitating, but a cumulative building of tools to form an armamentarium of interrelated problem solving skills. If it doesn’t speak to you, I fear you’d find it an unbearable grind. Do not do it for someone else, no matter what they say about money. Actuaries make a good living too. In the end, life isn’t all about money. There is a point of sufficiency when it comes to earnings. It’s not worth hating 40 hours or more of your life week in and week out just to make more.
BTW, if you are a senior, application windows for many schools have closed. Where did you apply? Lots of schools evaluate engineering applicants separately from the general student population. If you didn’t declare engineering, it might be too late to get in.
Many freshmen don’t even have a major in mind while most students graduated with a degree different from what they first thought when starting college. It is likely to be a waste of time for OP to design on a second major while still in high school. Once you get into college, you will open your eyes and learn more about other possibilities. There are many majors that most high school students have not even heard of. It would be fine if you have one primary interest that may guide your school application. Nevertheless, Math and Engineering may be in different schools of the same university that you may need to choose one to apply first. It is usually easier to transfer from engineering school to LSA later on but the reverse is also possible. Same case for double major across different schools. You have plenty of time to decide on your second (and even the first) major.
@billcsho, that depends largely on where the OP ends up. for unsure students, it’s very important to chose the right school. Otherwise, at best a switch would end up in a degree being longer and at worst end in transfer to a different school.
" also I have a lot of college credit transferring" - That’s helpful. But keep in mind that engineering has many required courses and prescribed course sequences. The CO students with hs IB diplomas get automatics 30 crediets (sophomore status) at CU, but most still need at least 4 years to graduate with an engineering diploma.