<p>So I think that I have now ditched the idea of designing subwoofers and stuff, and would like to stick with computers if I do engineering (I'm also considering medicine). But the type of thing I would like to do is to do things such as work on building the microchip, work with networking, or doing things like coming up with ways to make things like DSL and stuff work better. I'd also like to work with technologies such as designing optical computers and working with new technologies like that (I'm not interested in doing pure reseach, but I would like to be able to work with a group to come up with things like that and then still be involved with designing stuff). I'm a noooooooooob at this stuff still, so I was wondering whether my interests so far would require me to write code. Programming is okay, but I'm not the best at problem solving, even though I LOVE math, and thus I dont want to be stuck at the bottom of the pack for the rest of my life. So what would you recommend? btw, I also like working with theoretical stuff as well...astrophysics = love LOL</p>
<p>can EE still design microprocessors and stuff though, because I still think that I would want to work with computers. Also, would it be possible maybe to double major in EE and CE?</p>
<p>There is a LOT of overlap between the two fields. Of course, there are some more CS-y type CE jobs, but virtually everything nowadays has a microprocessor in it. There's not a very huge distinction between CE and EE in practice.</p>
<p>California_love8, from all of your posts, you sound like you'd be more interested in like analog circuitry than digital design. Or even solid-state physics. Thats all EE.</p>
<p>Digital design is like computer science, for hardware. That's "designing" microprocessors. But digital designers use components created by analog designers (transistor-level logic), and lately most advances in CPU technology have come from the solid-state physicists (even less abstract). Digital design is considered CE, analog and solid-state stuff is EE. You have plenty of time to decide, but if you are applying for either EE or CE it sounds like you'd like EE better. If your school (or the schools you are applying to) have ECE, that basically just means that school combines CE and EE into one major and then lets students specialize (probably their jr. and sr. years).</p>
<p>Wow reading this makes me confused. My son was thinking CS and then swithched to CE. How would he know without much experience yet whether he might even like EE better? Any help on this would be appreciated. Which is the hardest to get into? He likes math and physics (hs junior so has not applied yet).</p>
<p>collegemom: He wouldn't know yet. In high school I never realized what computer engineering or digital design really were, but applied either EECS or CE anywhere I could. Now that I'm here (Cornell), I think I want to focus on communication and information theory (ECE major with minors in CS and Applied Math is what I'm shooting for), something I never even considered in high school because I didn't really know it existed (information theory, that is), or at least had never thought about it. </p>
<p>There won't be an "easiest major" to get into - some applications I think let the student select his top 3 choices. If not, just do general engineering, and maybe indicate an interest in EE or CE or CS somewhere else on the application. At least for Cornell (I don't really remember other apps), I applied as ECE, but then once accepted they sent out a form where you indicate your top 2 or 3 choices of major (1 if you were really set on it) and you get assigned an advisor based on that. Once you declare your major, you'll get assigned an advisor within that major (3rd or 4th semester, generally) after you've had a chance to see what it is you like. And even from there, you can transfer.</p>
<p>That is just how Cornell works, but I'm sure most schools will be similar. Most high school students don't really know what they want to do - a ton of my friends here have switched majors within engineering (IE, mechanical -> ORIE, chemical -> Biological, etc) from what they came here thinking they wanted to do.</p>
<p>CliffNotes: Don't worry about it. It's probably very easy to change around, and most high school juniors won't have a clue what they really want to do. All engineering is applied math and physics, some more so than others (Computer Engineering is going to be very abstract - not very much physics at all beyond basic E&M).</p>