Is Engineering for me?

<p>Hi, I am currently a junior in high school, and I am not 100% sure about what I want to major in. Engineering seems to be a good option right now. I love math, I am very good with numbers, and I have a passion for all of the sciences, especially physics. I also enjoy working problems and tackling challenges. However, I am not much of a computer programmer, as I have not yet taken any courses in computer science. So, do you guys think that engineering is a good choice for me? Also, if I did make it into an engineering school, would the lack of programming skills put me at a disadvantage with respect to the other engineering students if I wanted to study EE?</p>

<p>No EEs will learn most of their programming skills at college not before. As long as you have an interest in it. Believe me you take your adv physics and math and you'll be fine there. If you like problem solving and math, engineering would be a great choice. Still remember that choices change and you may like high school math but not college math (my friend) or you may hate high school physics but love college physics (me). So just go off of your strengths and read a little bit more into the career (a possible option at a site like Princtonreview.com). If you have an idea that you know what kind of engineering you want to do (EE) by junior year, you may be on the right track.</p>

<p>The best advice I can give is do what you love, not necessarily what you are best at. Normally what you love and what you are best at are the same, but they can differ. It sounds like you will love engineering. Don't worry about the computer programming, that's just a small part of engineering. You'll pick it up just fine.</p>

<p>Also remember that just because you study engineering doesn't mean you have to spend the rest of your life in engineering. An engineering education is good preperation for almost anything.</p>

<p>is engineering boring? it seems like it would be. and do most people who go on to do engineering-type careers end up in cubicles with 9-to-5 jobs? also, i hear that engineering is really difficult. is this true?</p>

<p>Well, obviously for those who enjoy engineering it is not boring. At times it can get boring but as a whole it isn't. And while an engineering job could be 9-5, many engineers don't work in cubicles, at least not all day. The engineers that I worked with in manufacturing plants divided their time between offices and the plant floor, but the offices were not cubicle-style. The only people in the entire plant facility who worked in cubicles were the people in the accounting department. Everyone else worked in labs or in the production area.
If engineers were put in cubicles all day I would have chosen a different career. I like working manufacturing facilities but I would like to get into engineering that puts me outdoors a lot.</p>

<p>Is EE really programming oriented????</p>

<p>I'm a college freshman at RPI right now as "Undecided Engineering". I really like stuff like vectors, statics, free body diagrams, moments, and chemistry. I really hate programming. But I was considering EE because its challenging and has lots of jobs. But I think my strenghts are more mechanical oriented. That's why I was considering Aero-Mech E, since it's both challenging and up my alley. Do my strengths and weaknesses correlate to that of a mechanical minded person, or would I be fine in EE?</p>