<p>Hi i'm new to this forum, I'm not the oldest but I came here because my family keeps talking about my future and aw man, I am so confused as to what I want to do. I guess I should describe myself: I am not the smartest guy, I haven't gotten under a 93% in math which is probably an average to most people who are engineers as of now. I dislike and like word problems, like those ones you see in those math textbooks, but I really do enjoy doing equations as my mind works really fast. I've liked playing with lego, but I was never creative enough to create a cool airplane or anything, I was more of a follow the instructions and build type of kid. And as a kid, walking around in the malls with my parents, i would constantly count the tiles i am walking on, going as high up to the hundreds. I"ve always been into computers, been on them since i was 4, typing 100 wpm when i was 6. I really don't know if engineering is right for me, i mean like, i've always wanted to be an engineer cause my dad kinda brain washed me into thinking that, but I realized that, you NEED to like solving problems, and be somewhat creative? That's why I'm kinda second guessing myself. You all may be thinking, " Oh yeah you're still young (grade 11 btw) you still have a lot of time." Yes i do have time but I want to have an idea of what I want right now. I've been bouncing around from medicine cause i thought being a doctor was cool since you get to be so prestigous, to a surgeon, optometrist, something like that. Although my memorization skills are mediocre, my writing is a piece of s**t LOL. Anyways, i know i shouldn't have brought up like being a doctor or something in the engineering forum, but if any of you could just give me some insightful information? As to what an engineer does? If I have any qualities that are good for becoming an engineer? I watched some videos of engineers on youtube, and they just sit in their cubicle and.. I don't know if all engineering jobs are like that. Anyways, thanks for taking the time to read this if you had!</p>
<p>You are not going to perform well in anything you don’t genuinely take an interest in. Yes, engineers are required to master the ways of physics and math but it is something to be earned through countless hours of trial and error and not something we are generally “gifted” in. It sounds like you have more of a problem with your work ethic than “problem solving skills” and “memorization”. Chances are you are in the middle of the Bell Curve along with everyone else on this forum; so it is definitely doable. Its a good thing you identified the problem so now you can work on it if you truly want to go into engineering. If you lack the inspiration, go read some books by Neil Degrasse Tyson. He is the sole reason I have been able to maintain a 4.0 gpa in all my courses because he makes science f****** awesome. Youtube and simple google searches don’t necessarily make engineering look as good as being a rockstar but there are some truly awesome projects you could potentially be apart of as our world becomes to value science and its life changing capabilities.</p>
<p>I graduated highschool with a 2.2 gpa and currently am taking some hardcore math/science courses at my CC and am hopefully transferring in 2014. Neil Tyson changed the cynical outlook I had on the sciences and maybe it will have the same effect on you. Read his book, “space chronicles”, if you have the chance and if your strapped for time just look up some of his lectures/clips on Youtube.</p>
<p>I graduated high school with a B average and had an SAT score significantly below the average. I didn’t take chemistry or calculus in high school. When I arrived to college, I immediately fell in love with the engineering sciences and committed my time ruthlessly to mastering the material. To explain what I mean by ruthlessly: I completed every problem in the books 2 - 3 times over. I excelled in UG by sheer passion. It really didn’t matter what happened in high school or the standardized exams.</p>
<p>Ask yourself what are you willing to do, what are you willing to give up, in order to achieve your goal. Have a passion and prepare for hard work. The best thing about the US college system is that you always have the opportunity to pursue your goal. It might not be at an Ivy League, but a college will open the door for you to try.</p>
<p>Oh, btw, I am a former electrical engineer and now a physician. Both required a passion for the subject and a LOT of hard work.</p>