<p>So I have been reading, asking a lot here about how hard an engineering major really is, (like the guy/girl in "worried about engineering") So I have basically figured it out I think. Engineering will be hard, but it is do-able, and If I have good study habits I can ballance social life with work. So heres my question: If I decide that engineering is too much, and I want a slightly more lax major, what is the next step down logically?
I think I am interested in architecture/environment-- I want to work outside if possible, and I was really interested in the Solar Decathalon. I think I would like to be designing/building greener establishments (or something like that). So what would be a good major for me? Is architecture a good alternative?
I also am somewhat interested in making some money, I know It wont rival Eng starting salaries, but something decent. And finnaly- I would like to excersice my creativity. I think I could possibly do that in eng, but something that would really allow me to use creative problem solving/streamlining. </p>
<p>Depends on what your problem turns out to be with engineering. If it's the workload, you wouldn't want to go architecture, but you might be able to find a pure science major where the grades are mostly test-based (ergo, less required work). On the other hand, if the problem is that you don't understand technical material well, pure science, whether in a high-workload or low-workload department, might be a bad idea, and architecture might be a better one (though I could be underestimating how technical architecture is).</p>
<p>Well, there are various engineering majors and they vary in difficulty depending on the school. For example at my school EE is harder than Operations Research Engineering. Maybe you might want to stay in engineering, but go to a different major.</p>
<p>If you want to leave engineering all together, I don't think there are other majors out there like it.</p>
<p>CS = good job prospect, can work for cool companies like google, can participate in bleeding edge technology, is relevant to virtually all industry (because they all use computers nowadays), great salary, possible to get rich quickly by joining/creating start ups, challenging and fun.</p>
<p>If engineering's too much work or too time consuming, I don't think switching to CS will help things much.</p>
<p>If you're really interested in engineering, I don't think you have to worry a whole lot about not making the cut.</p>
<p>You might want to look into Civil or Environmental engineering, since they have the reputation for being one of the "easier" fields in undergrad.</p>
<p>CS classes can be some of the most time consuming classes. There have been instances where I would sit down and program for 12 hours straight for days. Furthermore, CS can be very, very challenging.</p>
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You might want to look into Civil or Environmental engineering, since they have the reputation for being one of the "easier" fields in undergrad.
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<p>If you're into architecture and want to do that sort of thing, you're not going to be hitting up against the "easy" parts of civil or environmental engineering.</p>
<p>Also, I insert my obligatory and likely anticipated bristle at the concept that civil engineering is somehow "easier". ;)</p>
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Also, I insert my obligatory and likely anticipated bristle at the concept that civil engineering is somehow "easier".
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<p>I just don't even bother on this forum. I've noticed over the past few years here that this has been brought up multiple times, and you've argued against it every time. Yet, nobody ever actually tries to argue back against you. People just say it and don't come back to the thread, so I've come to the conclusion that they don't actually believe it, haha. </p>
<p>Back to the thread... if time management is an issue for you, don't go into architecture, especially a B.Arch program. Architect majors go into their studios and don't come out for days at a time. If it's an architectural studies major (aka the non-professional degree), you might have an easier time, but you have to go back for an M.Arch degree which can take a few years.</p>
<p>The good thing about your goals is that the building industry is really starting to take green building and sustainability pretty seriously now. My company is encouraging me to become a LEED AP, which is someone who is certified in the green building process. My grad school just recently started a chapter of the USGBC (US Green Building Council). There's a buildings industry trade show in June that I might attend, and this year the big focus is on sustainability.</p>
<p>CS is a poor choice for a major if you want to work outside and if your interest is in sustainability.</p>
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I've noticed over the past few years here that this has been brought up multiple times, and you've argued against it every time.
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<p>Yeah. It started out as a valid protest against a commonly-held notion, then it was a crusade, then it became a joke, and I'm at the threshold of the point where I'm just going to quit trying.</p>
<p>And yeah, there's a <em>huge</em> trend towards LEED these days, to the point that I've started studying for the LEED AP exam and will likely get certified within the next year or two (hey, if you find any good study courses, let me know!)... I don't go a day without running across some mention of sustainability.</p>
<p>Architects spend as much time in the studio as music majors spend in the practice rooms. If that's your bag, go for it. If not, might want to reconsider.</p>
<p>I don't know of any study courses, sorry (there are some good websites though). My company offers an in-house course, which I will take probably next year. Maybe I'll be certified in the next two years as well. It'll be good for me especially since the project I'm working on is pursuing LEED accreditation.</p>
<p>Oh, and I forgot to mention that my professors for my senior design project mandated that we look at LEED for our projects. Some schools even offer study courses for the LEED exam. I know Carnegie Mellon is one... they probably have one of the best green design programs in the country.</p>
<p>wow, thanks for all the replies. To answer a few questions: My <em>potential</em> problems with engineering are as follows:
1) I am from a private school, and I dont know what kind of a background I will have, ie will I be up to par before classes even start.
2) I dont want to have blinders put on me and be sent to some dark lab for hours on end, I want creativity and invention, which I think in essence is what engineering is, but lately in my view it has been somewhat perverted to a narrow, nerdy major (sorry, no attacks please)
3) I want a LIFE. College is one of the best times of your life I have been told, and skipping parties all the time just to do work on something that might benefit you with a couple extra thousand (or hundred thousand) bucks in 10 years just doesn't seem worth it to me.</p>
<p>I guess architecture is out b/c of the last one, so my next choice might be physics, or some other straight science which I could focus towards sustainability if I wanted.
how much easier would physics be than Eng? how about how different are the job opportunities?</p>
<p>Thanks again, this is a tough decision, and you guys/girls are a huge help.</p>
<p>If you really want to do architecture, you can probably go for a M.Arch program and do an easier BA/BS degree. That would tack on a couple more years of schooling though.</p>
<p>I hardly think architects put in that much work for the money. The overwhelming majority spend so much time on their work because they <em>love</em> what they do. You can probably major in something else, put in 1/2 the work and have a higher salary.</p>
<p>If you plan on only getting a bachelor's degree in physics, you have to be able to market yourself well to potential employers. Unlike architecture and engineering, it's not really a pre-professional degree. It doesn't point you towards a specific job. If you plan on doing a phd in physics, that opens up a lot more opportunities in research and academia.</p>
<p>I read a post from a math major who said that he could not get a decent job in his field after graduating with a BS in math. This post was in the last day or two, sorry I don't recall the name of the poster. He said that he was told in college that he could get a job in the computer field with a math degree, and that this wasn't so.</p>
<p>Why don't you minor in some kind of eng? Or take all the basic eng courses that are the foundation for most/all more advanced eng courses? That way, when you graduate and you are in the position where you cannot get a job in whatever you major in, you can take eng courses at night and over time you can become an eng.</p>
<p>Prudence in this matter is pretty important to your employability later on.</p>
<p>well, thanks for all your help. I guess there really is no replacement for Eng. I dont think I will go into arch though. I am going to take a basic eng class over the summer at U of maryland to see if I like it/understand it. I will make my final decision then. I just hope that in an eng field I will still enjoy college...</p>
<p>Engineering students were some of the most social, involved people when I was at college. Plenty of time for doing lots of extracurriculars and having fun and being a college student, so long as you structure your time pretty well. Don't worry about it too much.</p>
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I just don't even bother on this forum. I've noticed over the past few years here that this has been brought up multiple times, and you've argued against it every time. Yet, nobody ever actually tries to argue back against you. People just say it and don't come back to the thread, so I've come to the conclusion that they don't actually believe it, haha.
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<p>I said it figuring you guys would come in and mention something of the sort.</p>
<p>I'm just saying that from anecdotal evidence of people that did Civil and some other fields within undergrad. My CivE friends tended to have the most free time and spent the least on work, so it's pretty typical to assume they have the lightest load. I'm sure it's possible for them to up the ante and take harder courses, but it seems to be one of the fields where it's a little easier to avoid some of the most difficult classes.</p>
<p>Of course, once you hit the graduate level, all bets are off. I know a bunch of things I'm doing in materials and physics could easily be overlapped into the mathematical parts of CivE rather easily.</p>
<p>From my experiences, the amount of free time and the amount of time needed studying is more closely related to your peers than the subject matter. Why is that the case? The curve. If your class studies a lot, then you're pretty much forced to put in more time as well because there might not be a curve on the tests. The inverse is also true. </p>
<p>I knew the civil engineering classes at my school that graduated 2 years before I did, the year before, my year, and the year after pretty well. All four years were pretty different (and had very different personalities) and each required a different amount of work to succeed. I've heard similar things from some of my chemE and ME friends at my school, though I can't say I know those people outside of my year that well. In one year, the chemEs had to put in the most time studying; in another it was the CE's.</p>
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I've noticed over the past few years here that this has been brought up multiple times, and you've argued against it every time. Yet, nobody ever actually tries to argue back against you. People just say it and don't come back to the thread, so I've come to the conclusion that they don't actually believe it, haha.
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The reason people don't argue over this is because it is a given, not because "we don't believe it." Undergrad civils have a easier time academically for sure, and by far. At the graduate level, I'm not sure. </p>
<p>Nobody is degrading civil work. Buildings, roads and water resources are all dependent on civil engineering. It is just the inherent conceptual and technical rigor of the academic discipline is significantly less than other engineering areas (i.e. EECS, chemE/matsci). So if OP is thinking general engineering is too tough and has interests in environmental and green design engineering, civil engineering is a good match.</p>