<p>I'm attending GT next year, and I'm trying to find out what Engineering major is right for me. Don't get me wrong though: I'm trying to narrow down my options, NOT deciding if engineering as a whole is good for me. I love engineering, I just realize I can't do everything.</p>
<p>For this, because I'm committed to GT, I would really appreciate it if you could put your answers in context of GT (but any answers are appreciated!)</p>
<p>So, I've narrowed (and I use that word very, very loosely) down what I think I would enjoy to: Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering. I'm really more of a math/physics guy, so I'm looking for a ton of that in what I pick. But also consider that I DEFINITELY want to go to grad and (possibly) doctoral school, and that I want to do "cool" things with my job (which has brought me to the research side).</p>
<p>I have taken AP Physics B at my school, and have thus been exposed to a bit more than just Mech and EMag. I liked both EMag and Classic Mechanics. I really enjoyed Fluids. Thermo and Heat Transfer was okay, not bad. Optics was pretty good. I liked waves as well. I haven't gone as much in-depth with EMag yet (2nd to last thing we learn), but it's giving me the same vibe as Classic Mechanics (which is good). We haven't done nuclear physics yet. On the chemistry side, I did pretty well in chem, and enjoyed the experiments. I'm in an ochem class right now, and it's okay. I really don't like memorizing and spitting out stuff like mechanisms.</p>
<p>At most colleges the first year engineering courses are the same regardless of the specialty. So it’s not a big deal if you pick one and then switch later.</p>
<p>Unless the various majors are “full” so that switching is administratively difficult (e.g. need to apply to change and hope your GPA is high enough).</p>
<p>One of the reasons why I push the Math/CS combo major is that most of the Math and Science departments do not give as many headaches about switching majors, need for super-high GPA’s just to stay in the program, etc. You can pretty much avoid all the admin “extras” from the Engineering and/or CS departments and just take the “CS option” of the Math program…and pretty much get hired for the same jobs.</p>
<p>…AND get more flexibility on CS course selection. :-)</p>
<p>Yeah, but I’m not interested too much in CS. While I haven’t had too much experience with CS as a whole, I can’t imagine staring at a computer screen all day.</p>
<p>Also, does anyone know more about Biomedical Engineering, or Aerospace Engineering? They seem pretty fun to me, from what I’ve heard. What are your opinions/advice on the subjects?</p>
<p>GT majors can’t be “full”. Anyone can transfer from any major to any other major within the first 60 hours regardless of GPA. This is because GT is an institute and not a university.</p>
<p>EE student here. At my co-op, I spend at least 20% of my time out in the field. And that seems to be true for the “real” engineers at my job too.</p>
<p>So that’s definitely not true for all engineering.</p>
<p>I didn’t mean that I wouldn’t mind using computers, I should have phrased it differently. I don’t want my main subject of work to be ON computers (unless it’s like circuitry, hardware, or a physical thing.)</p>
<p>I’m totally fine looking AT computers for work like CAD or other stuff like that. What I really wanted to express was that CS is not something I am considering/don’t want to consider.</p>
How snarky can you get? First off, I work 5 8’s. So 4 out of the 5 are in the office.<br>
And not everything I’m doing in the office is staring at a computer. </p>
<p>Talk about cynical… jeez.</p>
<p>I’m 4th generation engineer in my family. Obviously computers weren’t a big thing for my grandfather & great grandfather, but there are still plenty of engineering jobs that don’t require staring at a computer all the time. And my Dad certainly doesn’t spend most of his time in front of a computer.</p>
<p>Cynical? Not so much. Sorry if that offended you in some way. I just thought it was funny that somehow 20% of non cpu time is a huge difference. Computers are a way of life these days. Besides, for that 20% you’re (people in general, not you specifically) probably tethered to some sort of electronic device anyway…</p>
<p>Regardless, the OP doesn’t mind it now, just doesn’t want to code all day.</p>
<p>OP, </p>
<p>It seems from your interests that EE or ME would both be right up your alley. With Biomedical you will most likely need to go on to grad school, A friend of mine was recently laid off and also needed go on to get her MS. MechE would give you more options than AeroE.</p>
<p>there’s really no use in picking a major before you enter college. you most likely will change your mind. i’ve changed my major around 5 times. i went into college thinking that i wanted to do engineering and premed and that i really like bio. i despised physics in high school. i got to college, hated bio, realized that premed + engineering is a ridiculous combination, and am now a mechanical engineering major. if i told myself i would be doing mechanical when i was a senior in high school, i would not have believed it. i didn’t even know what it was. you don’t know what you actually like until you start doing it. i thought i wanted to be a doctor because that’s what my parents kept pushing, and it was definitely not the case. you will have plenty of time to figure out your major in college. whatever you choose now will probably end up changing at some point.</p>
<p>GT student here, so I can tell you a bit more about the programs! </p>
<p>BME is very problem-solving focused here, with a large emphasis on group projects. It’s a lot more soft skills than most other engineering disciplines, and usually does require grad school if you want to do design work - a BS is only going to get you consulting most places. </p>
<p>ME is very broad, and it’s a very good program here.</p>
<p>AE is specialized ME, and at GT it can get you the internships anywhere from Rolls Royce to Lockheed to NASA (I know friends at all 3). A program like that, you’re going to want a top school because the top jobs require the top students, and the jobs that everyone wants using AE are all top jobs. </p>
<p>EE is incredibly broad (I’m ECE myself), varying from Digital Signal Processing (more mathy) to nanotechnology to computers to networking to analog electronics. I can answer more questions about that if you’re more specific. </p>
<p>On a side note, I know you said you weren’t interested in computer science - do you have experience coding?</p>