<p>Hello,
Next year I am headed to a top engineering school and right now, I'm in for Computer Engineering but I am sort of at a cross roads. All my love I've loved working with computer software and hardware, so my capability at math and science has led me to this major.
My physics teacher in HS has not been very good and I'm not sure if I'm grasping all concepts, especially when it comes to electricity and circuits. I could be graced with an excellent teacher in college where it makes more sense to me.
I've sort of been deciding between Mathematics (actuary) and Computer Engineering and I think I'm going to start out in engineering. If you asked me what I liked more - math or physical science, I'd definitely say math. I love doing straight up problems and word problems in Calc much more than physics problem sets.</p>
<p>So recently I've taken on the idea of doing IE and working with statistics and such (seems like a great mix of math and engineering with slightly less physics than a raw engineering major like CpE/EE/MechE/CE/etc...).</p>
<p>Worse comes to worse, I could just take a 1st year engineering major to get my feet wet and figure out which one is my calling.</p>
<p>One other thing to note - I am not nearly as introverted as many computer engineers are but I wouldn't say I'm as social as a business major should be or something along those lines. I'd say pretty average, maybe a little lower than that.</p>
<p>I know my thoughts are jumbled here, but I just want some guidance on courses in the fields, major differences, and what you think would interest me more.</p>
<p>I would go with computer science. It is very mathematical, and not much physics at all.
But between those two, Industrial Engineering will be more mathematical. However, the job prospects for IE’s are, in my opinion, not as exciting. Neither is the pay. That’s just me, though.</p>
<p>First, don’t be discourage because you think you didn’t have a good physics teacher.
You are going to be a freshman. Everyone wants to be perfect. We don’t like going in curves. But something we do have to walk along a curve, instead of a straightline.</p>
<p>So spend your summer review your math, your physics, your chemistry. Just little bite. Don’t get crazy. Just enough to make you feel like you are doing something.
So spend your freshman first semester explore your real option. Look. Your major does’t bound you to a specifc career forever. It’s painful to make decision later because you don’t enjoy the stuff you are learning / you can’t find a job in your area.</p>
<p>In your case, since you like solving problems, CS might be a good major. But does it mean it’s really a good major for you? No. You have to try it out. Being in CpE you would take certain CS courses. How courses run depends on the instructors. Some instructors are very computational (all about applications), while some think theory and proofs are more important.
I dont have any idea of what IE really do so I won’t comment on that.</p>
<p>Summary:
Keep your option opens. You can waste one or even two semesters just to hopping around. Once you get into college life, you meet upperclassmen and you can start asking them how they feel about their majors.</p>
<p>You may want to check some of the IE departments. Nowadays, I am noticing IE degrees with information systems concentrations. Remember systems engineering is part of IE and is very popular as a graduate degree.</p>
<p>I think IE with a CS concentration is a great combo. As been proven on many posts and also from my career and a bunch of other software engineers that I know and work with, one does NOT NEED to major in CS…just take the right set of CS courses in a concentration/specialization. This allows math, physics or engineering student to at least pursue their first interests and have software development in their “back pocket” as backup.</p>
<p>With IE, you still have to take a bunch of Physics courses. At the U of I you are required to take four, all the way up to Quantam… [Course</a> Information Suite, Course Catalog, Class Schedule, Programs of Study, General Education Requirements, GenEd](<a href=“Course Explorer”>Course Explorer)</p>
<p>If math is what you like most, consider math and CS (either as a double major, or major + minor), perhaps with a few economics, finance, statistics, and IE/OR courses on the side.</p>
<p>Why not just do Statistics? Seems to cover all of your interests.</p>
<p>A Stats degree is 1/2 math, 1/5 computer science, 1/5 business/applications, 1/10 everything else…or something close to that.</p>
<p>I’m 2 months away from my BS in Stats and I’ve successfully avoided taking Physics until next month. It’s one of the last two classes I have to take. So the “need” for Physics in order to get a Stats degree is minimal.</p>
<p>OminousRun, How’s your job search going? I just got accepted as fall transfer to UT Austin and I’m wanting to do either a Stats or Computational Science (or both) concentration in the math department. Just wondering what kind of opportunites you’re seeing out there.</p>
<p>I’m going to be relocating 3000 miles away…so I haven’t started the process yet. Good news is that 3000 mile away location is Seattle, which has many opportunities for somebody with my background. </p>
<p>I’m a “non-traditional” student, so I actually have a significant amount of work experience (including running my own business for 9 years).</p>