<p>Hello, I'll be attending UCSD this fall and will be majoring in Electrical Engineering.
I'm under an Air Force ROTC scholarship, so by the time I graduate I will have to commit 4 years. During those 4 years, I will be working on something related to my field of engineering.</p>
<p>Question:
1. Do you think this a good route to take? Should I just forget about ROTC and go straight to an Engineering firm right after college?
2. If I do decide to go for the AirForce, what would be the negatives? Will getting hired be problem, given I was in the Air Force for 4 years and not an actual Engineering company?</p>
<p>I'm probably not answering your question, but let me tell you a few things.</p>
<p>I go to UCSD (structural engineering), and I know a few guys in the EE department. Let me tell you, it is some tough stuff. It is definitely the toughest engineering major, right up there with chemical. My first year, the major was impacted, so you had to be top notch to get in.</p>
<p>As of last fall, it was no longer impacted, because so many kids were switching out of it. I remember considering switching to it when it had opened up, and the advisor was telling me that if I switch in, I better not switch out, because the department is unhappy about that situation. I've heard that they are going to relax the requirements a bit for a few of the lower div courses, so not everyone gets scared right off the bat.</p>
<p>Let's see if I can answer your questions. #1, it depends on what you want to do. If you want to enter the Air Force after college for personal aspirations, then go for it. I'm not really sure why else you want to enter it.</p>
<h1>2, I'm not aware of any negatives, unless you don't want to do it for 4 years (maybe only 2 or something). It is NOT something that employers look down upon; rather, they'll view you as a disciplined person, mature, and responsible for your actions. Note that I am not an advocate of any military complex, but if I were an employer that's what I would think about you. Getting hired will not be a problem if you don't choose the Air Force route because you're an engineering major. There will always be a job for you, maybe not what you want to do exactly, but it will be there.</h1>
<p>I have a couple of friends who served in the military before entering engineering degrees.</p>
<p>From my experience, these guys were the sharpest and most experience students. I have met. Of course it comes down to personality but the discipline and experience on working with "real" equipment, gave them an edge over most students. Also, from an employment sense, an ex-military student with a good GPA, would make a great recruit. Don't worry about employment (as long as you get decent grades), having a military background on your resume shows that you can be a leader and have strength. </p>
<p>Another ancedote, I have a Navy friend who graduated from Texas-Tech with a 3.9ish in EE, and he was heavily recruited from ALL the engineering companies and even Investment banking firms.</p>