<p>What's life like after graduation?!
I'm going to be a 2nd yr in m.e. and I've taken a lot of the basic engineering stuff, from programing to material science to design, and of course <em>sarcastically</em> wonderful math and physics. But if I don't love it right now... should i switch majors? I feel like i'm just passing on average grades and there's nothing in engineering that stands out. I do far better in chem and bio so would it be a wise choice? I mean with health sciences there's more schooling required. But all I can't find a single positive engineering experience in the field. For the number of engineers out there, there seems to be a big lack of happy people. Any insights?</p>
<p>Most of the complaints I've heard are about life DURING engineering schooling, not about life afterwards. When you say "lack of happy people" do you mean a lack of happy engineers? or a lack of happy students in engineering?</p>
<p>The second is probably true, though the first is probably not. From what I know engineers have among the highest job satisfaction rates of any profession... much better than lawyers, for instance. That said, most of the engineering students I know at my school are pretty happy... there are a few that made the wrong choice and hate it but they'll probably switch out. The worst of the bunch are probably those who had horrible internship experiences and just couldn't take it anymore.</p>
<p>I would also say that its too early to decide whether engineering is for you or not. Maybe you should consider switching from ME to a more bio/chem related field in engineering, such as chemical engineering.</p>
<p>If you don't like what you are doing, stop doing it. </p>
<p>I am an engineer who has expressed dissatisfation in my career before, but I will never say that getting an engineering degree was a bad move. My first 10 years as an engineer was all about "getting experience" and maybe it shouldn't have been. Or, maybe that experience should have been more angled towards business and management, since that is what I like more. I don't know. Still, I wouldn't say that getting an engineering degree was a bad move, with an engineering degree you still have very open options for a career.</p>
<p>With that said, I still think if you don't like it, don't do it. I agree that feeling out other majors within the engineering department, for starters, might be a good idea. Biochem, Biomechanical, Chemical, Material Science, etc.</p>
<p>I didn't care much for the college part of engineering. I didn't really want to be bothered with college but had to go through it to get my degree. Life afterwards for me is better. I have a good job in the electric utility industry and I am married and have a three month old son. Being married and having a baby is tough but I found college to be more mentally difficult because of all of the boring coursework. </p>
<p>If you really are not interested in engineering, find something that makes you happy. I don't have a passion for it but my satisfaction with it was enough for me to endure 5 years of college. Now I have to spend 10 to 15 years paying back the school loans. Go figure.</p>
<p>I tend to find many more people satisfied with engineering once they're done with school. Once you're working on real projects, things get interesting and you tend to be more motivated to put in the effort. </p>
<p>What got you interested in mechanical engineering in the first place? Or did you just go into this just because you were good in math and science in high school?</p>
<p>I went into mechanical engineering hoping that there would be lots of hands on stuff. I was hoping that my educational experience would be more involved, but all I seem to get are these extra dull classes. Even in design classes, like wow, the definitions for drawing is extra boring and unnecessary; this is orthogonal to that, and you project this parallel, no really?!?! and then at the end of every engineering class there always seems to be a rush of math, that the professors never explain well. I just feel like I won't be able to pick stuff up as fast as I should be. Therefore I wouldn't be able to keep up in industry.</p>
<p>Mechanical Engineering. Don't regret my decision for a second.</p>
<p>Good job, good pay. I work on interesting stuff, with a mix of technical work & management. I work in the petroleum industry.</p>