<p>I'm a HS senior, getting ready to apply for colleges, and I was wondering how you guys decided to become engineers. I'm good spatially, but I do have some problems with math, as in it takes more work for me to get an A in the subject (only taken through precalc/trig atm). As of right now, I want to apply to liberal arts colleges, because I don't want to have to narrow myself down to a career when I'm applying to a school. Some have engineering programs and some don't, so I was hoping you guys could give me some advice that would help me figure out if I would want to go to a school without an engineering program.</p>
<p>Engineering is something you have to have the mind set and determination for. Just because (hypothetically) you were good in math/chem/physics in high school doesnt mean that you are supposed to do it in the first place as these dont necessarily say why you want to be come an engineer. </p>
<p>but on to your actual question. I would say if there is a possibility that you would want to do engineering, why not go to a school with it but not solely focused on it? you give yourself the best of both worlds. plus your in high school now and right now you may think that you want to do one or the other. From experience, that can/will change when you get to college</p>
<p>Yeah, that’s what I was asking about. Basically, I’m wondering if I would regret going to a school that doesn’t have an engineering program whatsoever, and I’m thinking I would at this point.</p>
<p>If the option of attending a school with an engineering program is available, take it. If it’s not available, you may always study a science + the required math classes most engineers take; additionally, contact companies that employ engineers in your area and convince them to give you an internship (or volunteer to work for free, if you can afford it). Get creative!</p>
<p>I decided to become an engineer because of a girl. I am not kidding.
I figure that I like math and science, and I like her 
Oh. I also co-founded (I am the absolute person) the robotics team in my high school. There you go.</p>
<p>
I know a girl who changed majors because she and her boyfriend broke up (they were previously in the same major).</p>
<p>Well, I kinda wanted the whole liberal arts and engineering too when I was applying to colleges. Really those are both very general so I say it got a lot easier in the search when I made a more specific goals (like I wanted a college that had a good theater program, even for non majors, something in computer graphic design, good solid ABET approved engineering in mechE, aero, or electrical, solid art program). I kept feeling like I might want to go into art or something, still do sometimes.</p>
<p>RPI, Rice, Carnegie, and Stanford came up for me. Cornell too but I didn’t really care for the place. Stanford was something I sort of recently realized might have been a good place for me to look at more but I was really against going to Cali for some reason, I think it might be too close to Texas and I felt like getting out (I didn’t apply to Rice for that reason). </p>
<p>I know a guy who’s gonna go to Amherst and do the whole 3+2 thing, but I think he’s an idiot for doing that since he got an equally full ride at A&M and he wants to do aero (always had) and he’s never shown any interest in liberal arts. I think he’s just the kind of guy who cares too much about what people would think of him going to a state uni. Don’t be that guy, apply to a state college because they’re pretty beast at engineering for the most part and they have a lot of other options if you want to change. I don’t think the 3+2 is bad at all (and I was really considering it, just because of how unsure I was at times) but if you really know you wanna do something like aero, go to a school for aero even if it’s not MIT.</p>
<p>@ Ken
The girl must be stupid because she just changed major for her broken heart. You can be in love and be motivated to do similar thing, but you have to like those things as well.</p>
<p>:) I like this girl for two years, and I haven’t talk to her since my senior year (2 years already). I still like her and I still like what I do with physics and engineering lol
In essence, motivation (love could be part of it), and interest keep me in this field.</p>
<p>Im a rising senior too and I just really enjoy math and science, especially physics. I’m a problem solving type of guy and I’m really logical, so I just sort of fell into engineering. I didn’t pick it so much as I just kind of gravitated towards it and knew I would like it. I could of course completely change in college too, but my parents think I’m very well suited for engineering, and I respect their opinion because they know me almost as well as I do, haha.</p>