Is there something more than money?

College Majors Engineering Majors
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<p>I've been wondering something lately. Is there something more than just making money? I'm going to be an engineer soon (civil and electrical), and there's this old friend who really admires and desires to save the world, literally. Up until today, I really desired to be rich. But is there more to life than being rich? My friend thinks so.</p>

<p>I guess this goes hand in hand with....should I try to rise above mediocrity? Sometimes, my parents are just content with where I am, but I think I want something more than to just be mediocre. I want to be a hero. I want to save the world.</p>

<p>Sometimes, my life feels very empty. Lonely without my family. When another friend at school said that it is important to be part of something more than yourself, it stuck with me. My old friend today further confirmed that. Is life more than just making money? Is happiness more important?</p>

<p>I'm debating whether I should fulfill my old dream of going to UIUC for EE graduate courses while I'm working. I didn't get to go when I was 18. Now that I am older, I'm considering going there for maybe some online courses to finish up EE. I visited UIUC, and it just seems to be such a wonderful place, a place where I can actually grow.</p>

<p>It just seems so expensive. But it is something that would allow me to make a difference in the world, more so than at my current school. Should I rise above mediocrity? Should I consider UIUC online courses when I may have no financial aid? Are my two friends right?</p>

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<p>You're pretty well above mediocre if you manage to become an engineer considering 70% of the population does not even have a college degree and most that do majored in liberal arts. Also, why do you believe UIUC will help you save the world? Sure it's a top EE school, but saving the world is such a lofty goal that I don't think what school you attend matters much. What is your definition of saving the world, anyway? Some engineers save a few lives with the products that they design if that's what you mean, but I don't recall anyone ever saving the world.</p>

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<p>I want to design things that help people. I want to do something meaningful that saves lives. Two people at school got Homeland Security fellowships, and the news was all "they're going to save the world." My old friend saves the world by helping design fighter aircraft software, I believe.</p>

<p>UIUC just seems like a better place to do just that. The quality when I was there was so far beyond my school that I don't really feel anything for my school anymore. I guess I just want to go to places where my life actually matters.</p>

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<p>Also, I feel mediocre sometimes because my life seems to be without meaning. I just live my life everyday, and nothing really ever comes out of it. I think that may be because I thought money was so important. But now I am discovering there are more important things than money. There's the matter of helping people, helping humanity, which gives meaning to life.</p>

<p>I don't mean to sound depressing, I'm just trying to sort this out.</p>

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<p>Join Peace Corps after college. If you like it, decide from there what you wish to do.</p>

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<p>I was looking at your past posts and I'm confused. You originally got a BS in Biology and then you decided you hated bio and double majored in EE and CivilE? That's a lot of bachelor's degrees... You seem to want to keep earning degrees instead of working. But if you're really sure you want to settle on EE and you love UIUC, then I guess you should do it. Regarding saving the world, you can get a job that involves saving people or one that doesn't with the same EE degree so factor that in when you're searching for jobs, not right now.</p>

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<p>Thank you for your advice. I think the reason I got so many bachelor's degrees was that I was like "What am I supposed to do? I'm so medicore. I'm the worst biologist in the world. I'm the world's worst engineer." Even though I had a 3.4/3.5 GPA in college, with a 3.6 EE GPA, and 3.2 CivE GPA, and a 3.0 bio GPA, I still felt as though I was no good at the work. There's just nothing where I am from except what my family starts for me.</p>

<p>If it just weren't so expensive, I'd go to UIUC next fall and love it. Is there any financial aid I can get for online classes?</p>

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<p>you need money to be motivated....:rolleyes:</p>

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<p>oh yea.......</p>

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<p>I just saw the post on the parents forum. I think that something where I could work a normal workweek and make a very good amount of money would be great for me. Having a spouse would be awesome too.</p>

<p>I think there is something more to life than money. You need money to live, but there's also family and friends, and that's more important than anything.</p>

<p>How will I pay for UIUC online EE classes though? Can I someday make a difference in the world?</p>

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<p>I saw the post on the parents forum. I am starting to agree that marriage and kids rank higher than money on the happiness chart. I am wondering, how do you fellow engineers maintain significant others? What makes you be happy with them? How do you make your relationship work with he or she?</p>

<p>I basically need a Relationships 101 because I have never dated anyone ever in my life. I want to though.</p>

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<p>You should call or email UIUC to find out what you or they can do about financial issues. Regarding relationships, you can probably find better forums than college confidential for advice on that.</p>

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<p>I think you've veered off into a subject better suited for some other board...</p>

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<p>Hunh... I could've sworn I posted something in this thread... Anyhow, what I was going to say was...</p>

<p>No need to go back and get another degree if you want to make a difference in the world. Check out the following:</p>

<p>1) Look into Engineers Without Borders. Fantastic organization. They do all sorts of incredible engineering stuff in third world countries, that make an incredibly huge difference to people living in remote villages... Things like water pumps for fresh water, sanitation systems to prevent disease, bridges to cross perilous rivers, water reclamation systems so that villages can irrigate crops that would otherwise die in the heat... Incredible humanitarian work, and real possibility for making a difference in the world. Amazingly satisfying to work with.</p>

<p>2) Look into volunteering with the American Red Cross and FEMA. Being a disaster relief volunteer is a great thing, and the ARC and FEMA are <em>always</em> incredibly eager to have someone with civil/structural engineering experience. Buildings get badly damaged in disasters, and people who know things about buildings are highly sought-after to control the area and make snap decisions as to whether or not buildings are safe. The ATC-20-1 certification program is a post-seismic building inspection course for engineers and emergency workers... I went through it at a week-long institute in consequence-based engineering at A&M, and now, I'm on the list such that if an earthquake hits in LA, I'll be deputized by the local authorities to go out and inspect buildings in the affected areas. I was on the list for St. Louis and Memphis when I lived in Champaign-Urbana.</p>

<p>Plenty of fantastically important ways to be a hero in this world as an engineer.</p>

<p>With regard to relationships...</p>

<p>I've been in a long-term relationship for a while now (six years today! =) ). We've been doing the long-distance thing for just over two years.</p>

<p>How do I maintain a significant other...? Regular watering and sunlight...? ;)</p>

<p>Seriously, though, I've been thinking on this a lot lately, actually. And yes, there are other forums that are better for talking about this than college confidential's engineering forum, but I think what I've got to say just now is applicable to most engineers, from the many I've encountered so far.</p>

<p>I've got a highly musical background. Before I blew out my wrists with carpal tunnel on a particularly crunchy Beethoven piece, I'd been torn between a career in engineering and piano performance. My sweetie, on the other hand, minored in physics and math, and majored in music composition for his undergrad, and is now working on his doctorate in music composition and conducting. I understand what he's talking about, but I'm not in his field so we're not competing (which is nice, because we're both pretty competitive), and while he's not stepping on my toes in my field, he knows what I'm talking about when I'm whining about MATLAB. </p>

<p>While he's a Cheesehead and I bleed blue and silver, we're both at least sports fans, particularly of football and hockey. He's a no-nonsense, hot-headed, get-the-job-done kind of guy, while I'm a more diplomatic, smooth-things-over, let's-find-a-compromise kind of gal, and we've been willing to learn things from one another... I don't get walked all over anymore, and he can resolve arguments without letting on that he's Irish Catholic.</p>

<p>We're complements. That's what makes me happy, being with him.</p>

<p>In order to allow room for complementary characters, though, you need a diversity of interests. Find <em>what</em> your loves are first, before you try to find <em>who</em> your loves are.</p>

<p>That's probably the 101-est of the 101 things I can offer.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

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<p><em>wipes away tears</em></p>

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<p>LOL. Shut up, Shackleford!</p>