<p>I'm willing to put in the work, but i'm not sure if i would enjoy it once get into it. Is there a way I can experience first hand the work they do, the typical day at work, etc?</p>
<p>im becoming a senior in hs</p>
<p>What type of engineering are you interested in? Just saying "engineering" is like asking "is science right for me?". </p>
<p>Do you like mechanical, architectural, computer, software, electric, biomed...?</p>
<p>I think internships are a very good way to get a flavor of what the "jobs" require and consist of!</p>
<p>Maybe you can get an internship or two at Engineering companies (some call it co-op programs?) and see if that appeals to you?</p>
<p>Good Luck!!</p>
<p>p.s. the above poster is right, you NEED a discipline first!</p>
<p>oh sorry...i was probably leaning more towards computer/technology area...</p>
<p>so what should i look into? electrical, software, what else?</p>
<p>Yea, is there a specific area you're considering?</p>
<p>I've heard good things about the ACE Mentor program for those interested in architecture / engineering /construction. It's geared towards high schoolers, and is a year long program run after school.</p>
<p>The</a> Sloan Career Cornerstone Center</p>
<p>That's not firsthand, but it does have transcripts of interviews with those in the industry. </p>
<p>Internships would be ideal, but I gather that you're looking for something to help you decide while you're still in high school, right?</p>
<p>If you want to see if Software engineering (and to a lesser degree computer engineering) is interesting then I suggest you take any computer programming/computer science classes offered at your school. If there are none, I suggest looking online for tutorials or buying a book on basic programming (python is a popular first language nowadays).</p>
<p>is Java a good one to take? i'm taking that this year</p>
<p>Also, is the hard part getting into engineering school? or surviving it? </p>
<p>cause my dad said once you are in engineering school, it gets easier...of course, he went to engineering school at UT Austin a long time ago, so it wasn't as competitive</p>
<p>Java is a great language to learn. It is very widespread and can be used for a ton.</p>
<p>I am still in high school so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I think it all depends on what engineering school you are talking about. There are certain (Georgia Tech comes to mind) that while not so difficult to get into, have very demanding and rigorous programs. So I doubt it gets easier.</p>
<p>I graduated from Georgia Tech in Industrial and Systems Engineering, and let me tell you it keeps getting harder the deeper you go into it. Also look at the stats to get in, it's not that easy! If you want to be an engineer prepare to study like you never have before and see your social life decline, the upside is you will be making more on average than all your friends who decided to take liberal arts majors and party and then make bus driver salaries after graduation. Engineers bust their butt in college but are rewarded by making the most out of school then any other field, unless you become a medical doctor or lawyer. Even then the typical salary of an engineer in the field 6-7 years is usually above 100k. Good Luck</p>
<p>Don't forget that the U.S. needs more engineers and there's usually always plenty of jobs available in large cities. Also you get a sense of pride when people ask your career and you get to respond, an engineer.</p>
<p>Actually Engineer will most likely easily surpass Lawyers starting income. In fact you will surpass prosecutors incomes always.</p>
<p>Doctors may make $100k more after a while, but they have medical insurance to pay for as well as Med School.</p>
<p>Engineering can be a pretty rough degree and as a UT-Austin graduate, I can attest that the ECE program is pretty hard too.</p>
<p>Since you are an entering freshman, go ahead and major in ECE for your first year and take some introductory classes. If you like it--great! If not, no problem. It is typically harder to transfer into engineering so you should have no trouble transferring into another program.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Also, is the hard part getting into engineering school? or surviving it?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Depends entirely on the school.</p>
<p>Most engineering schools are fairly tough particularly if the school specializes in engineering or is well known for their engineering programs.</p>
<p>i'm in a similar position: confused if engineering is right for me. im an applied math major and enjoyed the few physics courses i've taken. but im a junior in college now. should i take engineering classes now? or wait til the summer to experience an engineering internship? thats if i can even get an engineering internship</p>
<p>If you're already a Junior in college it's already pretty late to start engineering courses. If you're interested in engineering, try to figure out which branch of engineering you're interested in - mechanical, electrical, chemical, computer science, etc., then try to take some courses in that area as soon as you can. </p>
<p>If you can get an engineering internship this summer then great, but it might be difficult since most companies are interested in people actually pursuing an engineering major with some courses under their belt.</p>
<p>really? i didnt know my major mattered that much in terms of finding an engineeirng internship</p>
<p>What kind of engineering are you interested in?</p>
<p>Well this is just be but I always like the legos and kinnex, hell Im 17 and when my 9 year old brother got this Kinnex thing on xmas I spent 8 hours making it. But over this summer im working at a local Lab as an intern for "wannabe engineers" and I am going to see it if I like it then. hopefully I will and raking in 550$ a week as a 17 year old wont be to bad anyways.</p>