So I’m planning on majoring in Aerospace Engineering in college but I’m sure the college lifestyle is pretty similar amongst all engineering disciplines. I’ve heard many stories of Engineering students being more isolated and tend to stick more to themselves throughout their college years just due to the nature and workload of the major. As an introvert, I’ve never really been big on the whole idea of partying and going out too much so the lifestyle actually sounds somewhat okay to me. Are there any other introverted engineering students and how did you feel your college experience was because of it?
I was definitely an introverted engineering student but I made a lot of good friends in college and ended up having a great time. We studied hard and played hard. 
I typically hung out with groups of people and didn’t date much, but I met my future husband in grad school.
My coworkers son is a very introverted engineering student st UT. He spent his first semester happily studying and going to classes. Second semester he started participating in some engineering competitions. Third semester even more of that and happy with not many close friends and never really going out. Third semester did study abroad and learned going out with people from your competition teams was fun. He travelled a lot and came out of his shell. He is still an introvert but is now going to be an RA next semester and go eat out and play board games more!
Introvert, extrovert… It doesn’t matter, really. You’ll find people you can befriend. Engineers fall on a normal distribution of personality traits just like anyone else.
As above, some engineers are introverts, some extroverts. People will exhibit different traits depending on their mood, the circumstances, the need, etc.
Your personality can change over time also. Mine did. My daughter’s did. Both of us were more on the introvert side when starting college and were more on the extrovert side when we graduated. Sometimes it is just a matter of maturity and confidence. Engineering is a group activity and you deal with many more people and circumstances in college than in high school. You are also amongst people with similar interests and abilities, so conversation is much more easy-going.
Your college activities don’t have center around partying and drinking, they can be sports, gaming, outing club, or just about anything that interests you. You’ll find it easier to be part of the group and your personality can change or at least be more comfortable in all situations.
My some what introverted engineering college son is not anymore. It’s amazing what 2 years of college away from parents can do. He is studying abroad now and with 30 others students all engineering and having a blast in France, went to Amsterdam and Brussels.
You will grow in college. He also made friends with some Ross business students and others. You don’t have to just hang with engineering students. But that’s your choice.
Yes, college is a life-changer! My high school acquaintances would not have recognized me as a college junior.
LOL plenty of introverted engineers- it is a stereotype…
A lot of characteristics that are associated with being more ‘introverted’ are ones that align with temperament characteristics that suit engineering as a discipline. The key thing is that college is not HS, there are plenty of people across the extra-/intro- spectrum, and as the poster above noted, humans are not immutable. You will grow and change a lot over the next decade, and more than you expect in the decades after that.
IMO, starting college with the expectation that you will be ‘sticking to yourself’, whether b/c of your temperament or your subject is not a good plan. Humans are social animals, and at every college there are many ways of being social. You may not be leading the frat house drinking games or organizing the post-game party, but the engineering students that I know enjoy lots of forms of socializing- from building stuff to theatre tech to being foodies to board games to music (making or listening), to exploring the town and country around their university, etc, etc., etc. One lot- none of them remotely athletic- took a weekend ski class offered through the university, and now (5 years post-grad, off in different parts of the country doing various things) still meet up for a weekend of skiing together at least once a winter.
Engineering has become very collaborative. You’ll be hard pressed to avoid project teams and work groups. My D’s school has social outings for the engineers, field trips to companies, engineering clubs, etc… You will meet new people and make friends.
As noted multiple times up thread, there is no one size fits all to engineering personalities. My D does theater. Other engineering friends are in band, others play sports, others participate in Greek Life.
The important thing is that most students find their tribe in college. Be open to the new experiences you’ll encounter!
Watching the College baseball world series, Michigan (won 2 games so far) were announcing their players
So many are engineering students. Their marching band is like 1/3 engineering students. I think you will find engineering students in just about all sectors in college life but no question there are stereotypes. But just remember… Engineering students Rock!
LOL- Some athletes and some (and some of any category) are introverts.
Per engiineering students… I feel like it probably tilts more toward introvert at smallish Engineering-only schools, but it is pure speculation since I never attended a large university.
I wouldn’t worry about it. Yes many engineering students are introverts. And many are not, it’s just like any other major you’ll get a whole spectrum of personalities. I Def fall on the more extrovert side.
And then there are the introverted engineering students that, when surrounded by their peers in an environment they love, come out of their shell a little and become more outgoing… ?
Yes, lots of types. But plenty of introverted engineers can pull out the collaborative skills when needed. It’s an inherently collaborative field. It’s more than doing your own work and getting your grades.
@Rivet2000. Yes. Yes and Yes. I have seen this first hand. I think once their comfortable they might even compensate a bit.