<p>So, I've narrowed down my majors to mechanical or civil engineering majors. I'm just stuck between choosing one of these majors.
Can anyone please state the pro's and con's of each and explain what exactly are the differences?
thanks.</p>
<p>any ideas???</p>
<p>At most schools, Civil and Mechanical Engineering schedules are nearly identical for the first 1 to 2 years. From some of your previous posts, it sounds like you will be at UIUC. Here is a quote from a FAQ page on their website:</p>
<p>“It is best to apply to the major that truly excites you and motivates you to perform. You will excel best when studying the curriculum that excites you the most. While we do ask that you apply to a specific major at point of application, we understand that this is a big decision. Therefore, we will make it easy for you to switch majors after admission, provided you maintain an appropriate GPA and there is space in the new major. In the first few semesters, students from all engineering curricula are typically enrolled in similar core courses (calculus sequence, chemistry, physics, composition and so forth). Therefore, if you elect to switch your major, you will remain on target for timely graduation. Additionally, Engineering Career Services will host a number of career fairs offering you abundant opportunities to explore different majors and discover career paths.”</p>
<p>To me, this means that you don’t need to worry about this until the middle of your sophomore year. Talk to your advisers, other students, visit the career fairs, etc. Then take your time making a decision.</p>
<p>In our S’s engineering program, all students had to take an intro course where they were exposed to each specialty within engineering in the 1st year. That helped kids sort out which specialty might suit them best and gave them a bit more insight. See if the U you’re attending has such a course & when you’d take it. You might also want to check some journals for each of those fields & see which ones are more appealing to you.</p>