Need an outsider perspective

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

Greetings everyone! I hope you have had a lovely day so far. Now I am confident that this is a very repetitive question in this forum but would love an outsider perspective. After long introspection, I still don’t know for sure what major I want to be, and what’s odd is that I am going through the second semester of general engineering year (that all my peers and engineering students go through) before choosing a major. So I have experience in different field courses, yet I am still confused, here are they:
-Introduction to engineering design: very intensive course that teaches teamwork, problem-solving and after finishing the course my team and I made an engineering artifact prototype (oddly my favorite even though I lost many hours of sleep)

-Engineering economy: an industrial engineering-based course, I found it to be easy but got boring after a while.
-Engineering Graphics: Solidworks course and of course the most mechanical of the bunch, I struggled a lot with this course and felt frustrated, but this can be due to “introduction to engineering design” collateral stress
-Matlab programming(ongoing): Pretty fun, but I am still doing the course.

Overall, I am still confused about what major to pick but narrowed it down to three majors, which are MENG ( Production and Mechanical Systems Design Program), COE( ECE Computer program), IE(Industrial Engineering, also least likely). I am interested in artificial intelligence, robotics, the internet of things, mechatronics, and overall still exploring interests. Now, this might seem, I am better suited to be a Computer Engineer considering I have WEAK hands-on skills. Yet, whenever I watch A Mark Rober video or every once in a while, I feel this nagging feeling calling me into mechanical engineering. However, when I compare my university’s programs, I think that the mechanical program is very lacking and limiting and hence not of true mechanical engineering nature. In contrast, the computer engineering program is decent enough to build me.

I would like an outsider perspective since declaring my major is right around the corner and I would like to see if my suspicions are correct about the different programs, so here are they:

MENG: https://meng.kau.edu.sa/Pages-Curriculum-E-MENG.aspx

COE: https://ee.kau.edu.sa/Pages-Curriculum-E-Computer.aspx

I am sorry for rambling on, but I would appreciate different perspectives.

2

The need to do “hands on” things as a ME isn’t the norm. If something like mechatronics, that can be more hands on, interests you, be reassured, your skills get vastly better as you use them.

I think this decision boils down to one thing really. Can you see yourself coding all day, every day. That’s what computer programming is.

If not, stick with ME. As you get deeper into fluids, thermo, etc. the possibilities will broaden. The very hands on stuff often happens early because you have no foundation yet for the more complex mathy stuff. ME is a VERY broad field with lots of job possibilities.

Also, you are equating computer engineering and computer programming. They are different. Computer Engineering has more hardware focus.

Good luck!

3

I am aware that computer programming is a tool for both mechanical and computer engineers. What I meant in computer engineering is that I wanted to specialize in artificial intelligence, robotics, and embedded systems aspect. However, in mechanical engineering, I don’t have a vision for myself, just this nagging feeling that although mechanical might be a bit tough for me, I feel somewhat drawn to it, yet know nothing about it. If I went the mechanical route, I would imagine I would like to find my time in the different specializations and see If I could add AI into the mix if possible, and most likely be a mechatronics engineer. However, I still don’t know, and I feel I don’t have much time to explore what to pick. Everyone tells me, students in uni, family, friends that I fit computer engineering just well, and should just go ahead and pick it, and If you wanted, take a master’s in mechanical engineering to become a mechatronics engineer. However, I felt that would make me a lackluster mechatronics engineer and not have my specialty in mind “AI.”

Thank you for your response. I’ll keep in mind that mechanical engineering isn’t as hands-on as I expected.

P.S. I think I can see myself programming all day as long as it has effects on the outside world or helps better things

4

Embedded systems and robotics both point to mechatronics more than computer engineering, if you see yourself using microcontrollers (that’s what my son’s BS and MS concentrated on with a significant fluids background thrown in). If however you are more interested in designing microcontrollers, that’s more the purview of computer engineering.

AI generally doesn’t happen until the graduate level. From my limited understanding, it (even calling AI “it” is probably incorrect as there are multiple types of computational intelligence) can be applied by multiple types of engineers. I know my son used it in a mechanical system (he and another grad student designed a torque vectoring system run by a neural network). I also know a CS and an EE that use AI independently from one and other for image analysis. It’s really just tools.

I don’t think altruism is a sufficient reason to believe you could code, and only do that, every day. What languages can you currently program with any level of proficiency?

5

I have basic or sub-basic proficiency in Python and Matlab, at least enough to know what concepts to search when doing an unfamiliar project.

I am aware that AI is just a tool, and it’s just a general term with my sub-terms and specializations below it, like machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing. I wanted to specialize in AI to find my niche and have a general knowledge of machine and deep learning to be a pioneer in and make applications in different fields (medicine, energy, robotics, and many more).

Seeing that AI is grad studies, I decided to choose engineering over computer science as I believed that engineering is “between the digital and physical world” and would give me a broad scope, however as I went further in, I started liking the problem solving and critical thinking nature of engineering and felt confused. As time passed by, I started seeing myself in different fields like biomedical, industrial, mechanical (not so much though, as my family tells me that I am not a mechanical engineer and would just make myself struggle).

Interestingly enough, there is a 3-course series mechatronics elective by SIEMENS given to both mechanical and electrical engineering students. Furthermore, rumors from the mechatronics professor in university that EE students can be offered a mechatronics diploma if they stay in for one more year of coursework.

My only problem is that If I choose mechanical engineering, I can’t help but feel that my program is limited as it either forces production and mechanical systems design concentration or thermal engineering and water desalination technology program. But videos from content creators like Mark Rober, polish the idea of mechanical engineering.

As for the embedded system, robotics and programming, I enjoy programming but I feel it’s one of the several things I want to do in a day. Moreover, for embedded systems and robotics I would generally aim for applications in different fields and uses.

I am sorry for being scattered in this reply and not short, Thank you for bearing with me.

6

Everything I read is pointing to mechatronics. Why not do that? There’s plenty of coding, typically in C++, machine code or Python, depending on how you are interacting with the microcontroller.

Why does your family say that you are “not a mechanical engineer?” Are any of them engineers? Mechanical engineers?

As for Mark Rober, yes he is a former NASA engineer, but his videos are tinkering. They do not represent what most MEs do on a day in and day out basis or what he himself did at NASA.

7

No, my family sees me having poor hands-on skills that might make me struggle or put me in an unfavorable situation. Moreover, someone who studied civil engineering in my family (knows me well) told me I am best suited for industrial engineering then computer engineering second due to me liking business and “my strengths lie there.” My family, however, are supportive in whatever major I pick, they aren’t pressuring me to enter into any major, its just their insights.

While I agree with some of their insights, I don’t believe my lfully align with my current abilities, so I have to “force” it if I enter mechanical engineering.

As for mechatronics, I wish my university had the major, but what I currently have is three mechanical specializations (Manufacturing, Thermal, and Aerospace), 4 EE majors(Power, Electronics and Communication, Computer, Biomedical). Furthermore, the 3-series mechatronics elective is offered both to mechanical and electrical engineering students. Also, rumors of a plan of adding either a mechatronics major in the EE department or a one-year mechatronics diploma.

So essentially it boils down to what I want my core is, and maybe somehow become a mechatronics engineer with an AI specialization.

8

You don’t need a piece of paper that says you have the concentration. At the end of the day, all any employer cares about is that you have the skills. If you want to do the mechatronics series, take it.

My son entered a ME program with a mechatronics concentration and had ZERO experience, unless you count LEGOS. :wink: He had never programmed, soldered, used a multi-meter or used tools on a regular basis. He didn’t fancy himself as being able to draw at all. He was very good at math and science and enjoyed the study of them (as opposed to some who gut it out to get through). His skill set is now amazingly broad and deep. You go to school to learn, not to simply display the stuff you already know.

9

You have a point; people go to university to learn new skillsets and expand their horizons. Whether I enter Manufacturing engineering and focus on learning mechatronics concepts or go into computer engineering and focus on learning mechanical concepts and then linking them, I’ll consider my options carefully, without any preconceived biases.

Thank you, I need to further read about mechanical engineering and computer engineering to also know about how to reach what I genuinely want.