<p>It can be something from school, something from work, a perceived thought about engineers, something engineers do, etc. You get the point.</p>
<p>Being that I'm still in school, I hate the large load of classes I have to take. I read a thread on this forum talking about the possible route that ABET is going to take in regards to engineering degrees, specifically making a B.A. of engineering with a more liberal emphasis, and then a masters in your chosen field the required element to gain licensure. I think this is a great idea, as it opens the door for more students to try engineering without getting bogged down by the idea of so many classes, and it will help students determine whether or not engineering is for them by requiring them to get masters should they choose to be engineers.</p>
<p>This might not be specific to engineering but coming from my premed/mechE coursework, I really have started to despise labs--primarily poor equipment.</p>
<p>I know it is inevitable for equipment to break down but I remember many times when I spent 3-4 hours in a lab just to get results that were completely off the mark due to faulty equipment. </p>
<p>What did I learn? I always put down "equipment malfunctions" under sources of error--no error propagation for me!</p>
<p>haha thats funny. I've put down equipment errors for my labs since like grade 9. In my 1st work term I found out that instead of just listing your errors you actually have to fix them....</p>
<p>I agree with the course load. Other majors barely take any courses it seems. My girl's roommate had no classes on Mon or Fri! That is a 5 day weekend every weekend! It is not so much the courework I hate but the fact that it is all technical work. That is great to hear what ABET might do because I would love to be able to take more liberal courses besides the required English 101's. This would help those who might be considering law school or a non-traditional engineering career.</p>
<p>I agree that the coursework is very demanding. </p>
<p>However one thing that I love about my engineering education is how well trained we are to solve problems. I know it might sound cliche but it is pretty cool to actually be able to see things in real life and know how they operate. Heck, I remember thinking how everday objects were so complex until I actually took them apart and saw that they were so simple. I find the great boon of an engineering degree is that we have a solid analytical foundation and can attack ANY problem--I know my friends in Business or Economics can't do that. </p>
<p>TheABET-required masters change would be interesting but I feel that it would force too many engineers into graduate school and clash with the current work force of engineers.</p>
<p>I prefer the "general engineering" option with technical focus in your junior/senior years. This way all engineers get a broad education in circuits, thermo, fluids, materials and then can focus on ChemE, ME or etc specialties/electives in their upper division classes. Graduates would graduate with a Bachelors in Engineering with focus in ME or etc. Those who don't want to continue as an engineer could just graduate with a Bachelors in General Engineering and instead take whatever electives they want. </p>
<p>Maybe combine this with a MEng option which lacks a thesis/report and is just courses--this will help supplement any deficiencies due to the reduced course load at the UG level. </p>
<p>However, I doubt ABET or any board has the authority to instigate such a change and forcing universities to change their age-old programs would be difficult.</p>
<p>I hate the books. They are always way too expensive considering their quality. In my experience, the most egregious offender was my controls book. It was well north of $100 but was nothing was text, stick figures, and MATLAB output.</p>
<ol>
<li>Non-english speaking professors</li>
<li>Horrible labs with equipment from the 40's</li>
<li>No funding for my research, having to buy equipment with my own money</li>
<li>Problem sets</li>
</ol>
<p>ABET wouldn't be requiring all engineers to get a MS. It may only possibly require those who are seeking professional licensure to go that route. </p>
<p>Something I'd like to see implemented is the OPTION of doing a Bachelor of Art/Science combined with a Master of Engineering OR a Bachelor of Engineering, similar to the system architects have. Many people complain about the number of courses, so why not spread them out over a few more semesters? Is it really necessary to cram everything into 4 years? What's wrong with 5?</p>
<p>I don't like the idea of a "general engineering" program for the first two years. It forces some people to take courses that they don't like and/or have no need for. If you want to make this an option, that's good, but I don't like it as a requirement. </p>
<p>What I hate about engineering the most is the necessity to take classes that I don't like/need/want, such as modern physics and physical chemistry. That's for me at least... I don't know if there are similar examples in other curricula.</p>
<ol>
<li>Homework actually takes a dozen hours / class</li>
<li>Requirements</li>
<li>Competition - I've taken many business classes at my school, and they're perceived as a joke by all business students. There was hardly any work (top ranked for undergrad. business). Engineering students actually work very hard and it is very hard to do well.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
<li>Difficult to get a high GPA, and it blows when every other major has higher GPAs on average and you have a lower one compared to many other people</li>
<li>Lack of pretty girls</li>
</ol>