I’m a freshman at a community college. The community college I’m at has a mechanical engineering degree that seamlessly (or is supposed to) integrates you into most of the state engineering schools in my state.
I’m taking Engineering Graphics and am learning SolidWorks. I like SolidWorks, but I don’t love it. I don’t think I’d like to be using it all day long and solving problems with it…
So if I don’t like the engineering graphics, should I major in another engineering field?
Things like SolidWorks will be used in the majority of engineering fields. That’s pretty much universal. The good news is you don’t have to love it because technicians get paid to do the majority of SolidWorks work at many companies.
@boneh3ad Interesting. I didn’t know that at all. For some reason I thought the majority of ME’s used it. Do you have any advice on how to learn more about engineering majors? I obviously know a lot less about ME than I thought.
Sure a lot of mechanical engineers use it, but not as their primary job function. It seems rather common for engineers involved in the design phase of the product development cycle or in research to use at least some SolidWorks. However, it is usually either a technician or an engineer with a very specific job whose task it is to do most of the heavy lifting in those programs. Most engineers don’t use it as their primary job function.
What else do you want to know about mechanical engineering?
@boneh3ad Well thanks for the information!
Well I’d like to know what they actually do. I know they can work in HVAC, manufacturing, and go into other fields of engineering, but to be honest I don’t know what they actually do. Or at least not anymore…
The BLS isn’t very helpful with that. I’d love to shadow an engineer.
@boneh3ad I guess I’d like some actual examples of what engineers do. Like an example of a problem they’d solve.
Just google it, you’ll fine plenty of videos.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=what+do+mechanical+engineers+do&tbm=vid
There are still draftsman that do this work, as others have commented. Likely the types of jobs that most of your classmates are going towards, maybe a few game designers in there too.
Mechanical design engineers often guide the design process and most are pretty profiicient but not expert users. Analysts spend a lot of time in these packages too, likely more, since they have to turn complex parts into simplified models and then analyze them, often then visualizing the answers on the same geometry. There are a lot of other engineering roles outside of this.
So, if you want to do mechanical engineering for your career (excluding all the many ways you can use an engineering degree in sales, project or functional management, or as precursor to other fields), what I would like to see in a potential ME is that you find looking at a representation of hardware on a computer to be interesting and stimulating. Do you want to see how things look in 3D, what happens when you rotate an object or if you revolve something, etc. If you are bogged down in more basic functions, yes, everyone finds those boring? Are the demos or training videos interesting to you at all? Solidworks has a large website, see what their customers are doing with the code (designing engines, jet fighters, etc, from my memory).
Also, do you like your calculus and physics 1 (mechanics classes)?
On a top level, mechanical engineering deals with real hardware and how to design it to do mechanical things, whether support something, do some mechanism related work, etc. Electrical engineering is much less physically based, chemical engineering is much more concerned with pipe flow and chemical reactions.
If you are in driving distance to your 4 year school, I would try to go to an open house or schedule an appointment to see what you would be doing for years 3 and 4 in mechanical engineering. Or other fields. I am seeing one issue with CC here, the intro classes may or may not be giving you insight into what you would do even in your upper classes, which are much more like the center 50% of jobs.
Also, there is a ton of info out there even what topics juniors and seniors are studying and doing for projects, see if that is somewhat stimulating …
@PickOne1 Thank you so much for answering back. I do find the 3D parts and software very interesting. It’s more that my teacher just gives us assignments without teaching us how to do them. He teaches us some, but just throws us in the middle of it. Every other person in my class has worked with 3D modeling software like AutoCad before, but I haven’t. I still think Solidworks is cool, but I just wish he taught us how to use it. I think that’s a great idea. I should see what their customers are doing.
I like calculus, but I haven’t taken calculus based physics yet. Thanks for all of your help! I think you’re right about the CC. =/
What do you like?
@boneh3ad Thanks for the info! I guess I’d like to know what all ME’s actually do. I originally thought that they only did design. I didn’t know that they didn’t really do it. I think the best thing for me to do would be shadow an ME for a day. Do you have any advice on how to do that?
@4kidsdad Well I like the 3D modeling software and I think it’s really interesting. I think it’s the homework that I don’t like just because as I previously stated my professor doesn’t really teach us. He shows a few simple things and then gives us a picture to recreate with Solidworks. The CAD lab guy has horrible things to say about him.
I found this link for Solidworks videos - https://www.solidworks.com/sw/resources/getting-started-3d-design-overview.htm
But I suspect what you’d like is just a basic intro to 3D drafting. Maybe others can find a good link for that. Or better yet, ask for some advise from the CAD lab guy.
Thank you @colorado_mom ! I do need to look into it. I guess I just wish my teacher was better. And the CAD lab guy isn’t much more help. He knows autocad and not Solidworks. Thanks!
is very different to
In next 4-6 years of college, you will find many teachers that are not to your expectation.
Sure they do design. It sounds like you just have a limited view of what design entails. Engineers typically handle the more technical side of design, e.g. the tasks that involve the math and science and optimization. That does come with using software, including some CAD and a lot of other tools. The final, involved CAD drawings are usually done by technicians in many companies, though.
@4kidsdad No, you’re entirely correct. That is different. I do like SolidWorks and I find it really interesting. To be honest, I’m not sure if it’s more that I don’t like the homework. I think either way though I wouldn’t like to be on it all day.
@boneh3ad Very interesting. I think you’re right, I do have a very limited view… Thanks for the help! I just need to find out more about what they do.
A MechE grad can do MANY different kinds of jobs. It will be helpful to learn some examples, but know that there is a lot of variety. If you like problem solving, you will likely find a job that you like. It may involve little or no drafting.
" I think the best thing for me to do would be shadow an ME for a day. Do you have any advice on how to do that?" - Look for ideas in campus organizations or career center.
When I was a ME student, I was able to shadow an ME at GE for a day during Christmas break. It was eye-opening to see that he had a lot of meetings etc. It was just one job example. He was a senior employee that did a lot of coordination. My summer co-ops gave exposure to a bigger variety of ME (and other) jobs.