I’m going to begin my junior year next month, and I want to start thinking about what I want to pursue. I’m not exactly sure what I want to do, but I would like something that focuses a lot on math/science/technology. Right now some of my options I have are:
-Computer Science
-Engineering (Biomedical mainly, but others as well)
-Medicine (I’m not sure about this one)
I’d like to know how some of you went about it on how to find what you want to pursue, and how you narrowed it down to a specific major.
Biomedical and medicine are high risk/ potentially high reward type fields. Look at the statistics of those applying to med school. Also realize that those who do end up applying are the ones that did survive and do well in pre-med programs that are already a great weeding out program. The biomed field has a lot of people that didn’t make it into med school competing for those jobs making the biomed field a tough one and one that usually requires an advanced degree to make it…
The best way to decide is to do your research and ask questions. Many high school students don’t have a great feel for what the various branches of engineering do as the are not exposed to engineering in their high school. Best thing is to choose a college that allows you options. Many schools require you to apply to a specific department and it is hard to transfer departments once you are there. Try to avoid these colleges, if possible, if you haven’t got a clearer picture of what you want to do when you are applying to college.
Also realize that your degree doesn’t lock you into a specific field. Engineering school teaches you the basics of engineering as well as how to think and how to learn. 95% of my engineering skills I learned on the job. That is common. It was those how to think and how to learn qualities that benefitted me the most. I have a degree in civil engineering but got into the aerospace world where I have worked for several decades. My son has a degree in mechanical with a specialization in robotics. At some periods in his career so far, he has been more of an electrical engineer than a mechanical engineer. And so it goes.