How hard is Materials Science compared to other fields?

<p>I was thinking of majoring in Materials Science, but it seems like it's either under Chem engineering or an emphasis on MS at my school. I was thinking of avoiding the ChemE option since it seems more harder. I want it for the prestige and probably to make things, and maybe getting into the nanotechnology field. But I heard from an EE major that nanotechnology can be hard, and EE is a hard field itself. I don't consider EE anymore going by how it's ranked in difficulty on this forum. But I'm of junior status, so I can't afford to fail any courses. Mechanical engineering is also another major I thought I wanted to do. My major was Computer Science, but I failed C++ and have to take it again! There were some nights where I spent my time at the computer labs with my partner just staring at the screen. I think programming can be a hard subject to teach due to it's abstract nature, and the work and long nights you put into a program just seem so exhausting, that I don't think it's worth it. </p>

<p>But if that's the case, is engineering really for me? I mean if it isn't I was thinking of doing chemistry. But I wonder if that's just as hard and demanding of engineering. I am neglecting business cause I don't think it's a very respectful major, making lesser contributions to society and that it's for lazy people. But I really don't want to experience long nights at school again like I did with programming. But I also was bored to death with my econ classes I took. Does IS touch up on security and hacking prevention though?</p>

<p>If you like something enough the nights won't seem so long because the work will be exciting. I hate programming and love chemistry and math. Material Science generally is as tough as ChemE, IMO. If you can't see yourself spending long nights doing it though, don't do it... That statement can apply for any field. Find something you can see yourself doing for a long time without pause.</p>

<p>This question always depends on what you're good at. Materials science/engineering is highly interdisciplinary. You need to be able to go into generalist mode. You need to be able to learn the basics of totally new subjects very quickly, and to see how different areas connect to each other. Chemistry is less interdisciplinary - less generalist, more specialist. You need to be really good at chem and really like it, and you need a decent grounding in the other major sciences. Computer science, the way it's taught to undergrads, has always struck me as a specialist-centric field, though I'm finding it to be less so in my actual job (which is good for me - I am more generalist than specialist; that's one reason I majored in neuroscience).</p>

<p>Yes! That's what I need! A multidisplinary approach, with little classes of each. I think I'm that kind of guy, or making myself to believe, ahahaha. Just kidding. But I did see that they only need one circuits class, man, and I heard circuits was hard, and that is only a low level class, but it is the basis. The challenge is trying to connect different disciplines together. Hm, but I don't see others put materials science with ChemE as hard, probably cause it's under ChemE I guess. Anyway, thanks for the help guys, keep them coming. I will probably take a Materials Science class to see if I like it and can do it next semester. I just didn't like CS cause I wasn't getting anything done and it felt more like work than a game. I had three different labs, and it was all tiring. I don't know if I'm more of a hands-on kind of person, or that hands-on is easier to learn generally. Any other major or class suggestions, please throw it out there. Maybe like MechE? Chemistry was new to me, but I enjoy learning about atoms, ions, and the math, but I don't dig converting ratios dealing with scientific notation much. I could seek help for that. But again let me know if this doesn't sound right before I register for spring.</p>

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Hm, but I don't see others put materials science with ChemE as hard, probably cause it's under ChemE I guess.

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<p>Forget what others say about how hard different fields are. People are huge wankers on this topic, especially if they're in fields that are stereotyped as difficult. They like to brag about how much more hardcore they are than everyone else. And it varies from school to school anyway. Again, it depends on what you're good at.</p>

<p>If you like physical chem, I would look at chemistry, ChemE, and materials, which seems to be what you are doing.</p>

<p>Oo, I heard ochem is one of the hardest courses anyone can take in college. Which strikes me as weird, as I heard biochem and engineering had the toughest courses. Hm, I also should've mentioned that I didn't dig the long lab hours, but that's cause I had to do them at 8am in the morning.</p>

<p>As a ChemE I will also say O Chem is hard, and that anyone who majors in it is crazy.</p>

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Oo, I heard ochem is one of the hardest courses anyone can take in college. Which strikes me as weird, as I heard biochem and engineering had the toughest courses.

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<p>Again, everyone is different. I failed ochem (and didn't attempt it again, as I didn't need it), but did reasonably well at biochem and thought that I took many harder classes than biochem. Some of my friends thought that ochem was easy and fun, which I thought was crazy. Some of them also thought that building analog circuits was the most intuitive thing imaginable - while I enjoy my analog design class, I do not find analog hacking to be terribly intuitive. I got through the probability/statistics class in my own major just fine on the first try, but I knew others who had to take it repeatedly or take another option because it was too hard for them. Some of these were better than I at other subjects.</p>

<p>Man, and here I was thinking chemistry by itself was easier than Engineeering. But along with Ochem, I also hear physical chemistry because of the physics concepts that goes with it. But again guess it depends on the person like jessie has said. Still, this is what life is about I guess, exploring and discovery, sucks though, that you have to take some classes to find out. I'll be honest with you, I'm a junior right now, and if you were in my position you would probably want to find the easiest way out. Probably business, although I hear accounting is still hard, guess this sums up college: </p>

<p>YouTube</a> - No Easy Way Out</p>

<p>Ahahahaha.</p>

<p>But I'm still thinking of taking general classes from Materials Science, even though job prospects doesn't look as bright as other engineers. Is it harder that you try to put concepts together in engineering, or being specialized and taking upper division courses say like in EE or CS? Is taking a specialized engineering major easier since it builds and reinforces upon itself you think? Than something general where you have to put concepts together, hm? I heard nanotechnology is a hard but hot field eh, hearing this from an EE major who though CS was tough, but EE is easy cause of its hands-on approach.</p>

<p>If all else fails, I was thinking of heading the business route. Probably finance now that I'm giving it a second thought. I don't really care about money at all, but the career sounds pretty neat. Predicting the best outcome for a company sounds interesting than reporting past events with accounting. Also Economics, since statistics sound interesting, but man I had a professor in two intro economics courses, and his lectures are dry, and I got bored. Funny professor though, but I thought he was sometimes bored of the topics himself. Kind've one of those teachers that spaces out, which I had for my C++ class :&lt;/p>

<p>Still, I heard a business degree is not really needed to work in business, and if not, I'd like to get a degree that cultivates some other skill or knowledge.</p>

<p>Try industrial engineering.</p>

<p>I have bad news for you.</p>

<p>Getting the degree is the easy part.</p>

<p>Getting the job is the hard part.</p>

<p>I don’t think the OP needs advice now, since the thread is almost two years old. ???</p>

<p>Someone email him. Get him in here!</p>