Engineering "You Belong Here" Session

We attended the session which focuses on encouraging women and minorities to attend UT for Engineering. We left feeling disappointed. The session felt dreary to us with focus on things like the low rate of 4 years graduation from the Engineering major, the availability of “mental health services” (emphasis on this), students who presented appeared quite worn and tired, emphasis on performing activities in the session rather than learning about the school and major, and generally no one seemed very happy there or was very positive/happy about the experience. No mention of support from the professors, you are on your own if you need help (eg seek out a TA and hope for the best), huge class sizes, older engineering building, students who left because they felt like they “didn’t belong,” nearly impossible to change your major unless you have a 4.0 or want to change to something other than Comp Sci/Architecture/Business, etc. I saw through it as perhaps just not being a well-structured session that showcased Engineering in a very positive light, however the others now want her to go to another program that I am less fond of than this one. Now it feels like we are picking the best of the worst. There was no tour offered at the same time so my family is not familiar with anything other than this grim session. They no longer want to even go on a tour because they are that disenchanted with the school after this session. Can someone give a more realistic picture of what life is like for a female Engineering student? Or was this session true-to-life?

Is there a specific engineering major we are talking about?

My daughter is a senior graduating from ChemE this year as is her roommate and many of her friends girls/guys. She knows plenty of other girls in other engineering majors. I also went to Engineering school. First of all it’s a very tough four year curriculum that will at times be very stressful. That’s just how it is. Some classes are really really hard. It was this way 35 years ago and it is the same now as the courses haven’t really changed too much. If you were recently on campus - most engineering students are in that mode of studying very hard so yeah I wouldn’t expect to see lots of excited students. Personally, I always found Spring semester to feel harder than Fall Semester.

There is plenty of Tutoring on campus in a variety of forms, you can go to TA hours or professor hours and what you want to do is ‘find the group of students who work with you’. Society of Women Engineering is something you can join to become friends with other female engineers. Lots of other clubs in their specific engineering field and other clubs for activities you wish to join. You can make it as fun as you want. It’s a large school and you have to find ways to make it feel smaller. Clubs, activities, working on campus, research, going to events in the City like ACL and SXSW events, UT Sporting Events (Student Big Ticket), hanging at a park, working out at Gregory gym (which is like a mini resort gym) - lots to do.

Changing a major happens but it is just as competitive for a person to change a major as Admissions. You have to show them you can fit in. An Advisor goes over all these things with a student when they ask.

As far as class sizes - I know first year classes are large but not after that. Yes first year classes are called ‘weed out classes’.

There is a whole group of Texas Parents who would tell you they have engineering students (female and male) who are enjoying/loving their experience. They’ll also tell you at times it has been challenging.

Wow, I take that as a huge positive! My son developed schizophrenia as a freshman biomedical engineering major at UT. There wasn’t much emphasis on mental health services in 2010. From talking to my daughter, a college junior, you would be shocked how prevalent anxiety and other mental illnesses are. Schools HAVE to step up to the plate and do more.

I think @comptechmom’s post reflects more accurately the picture at UT. You’re not going to be spoonfed, but there are SO many opportunities for students! My son was doing research in the BME lab his first semester!

But yeah, engineering is a very tough major. I had almost a 99.0 unweighted GPA in high school. I got into honors engineering and just about died in freshman physics. Even with a tutor and LOTS of studying, I barely squeaked by with a C the first semester. I made a B second semester. I went on to graduate with high honors and got a full-ride fellowship to grad school. So I encourage students to stick it out that first year, no matter how hard it is.