<p>Firstly, I'd like to give some background:</p>
<p>I'm about to be a 4th year ME student at Georgia Tech with a 2.83 GPA. I've interned in the engineering dept of a pulp/paper mill (used AutoCAD), I've worked 2 terms as a co-op at an FAA certified repair station (3D modeling and FEA analysis along with regular 10-20 pg technical substantiation reports), and this summer I worked as an undergrad research assistant in GTRI's electro-optical systems lab (supported engineers with carbon nanotube synthesis and testing).</p>
<p>I feel like at this point I've had enough exposure to know if I "love" my career choice, yet, I'm not entirely sure. I don't HATE it necessarily, but I don't think I love it by any means. I realize that engineering (ME especially) is an extremely versatile career path. Yet, I feel like I've invested so much time and energy into it, that if i chose another career path, my hard work will have been wasted.</p>
<p>I've been thinking about checking into MBA programs or law school, but I don't think my grades are good enough. I'm pretty sure I can get my GPA up to at least a 3.00 by the end of next spring.</p>
<p>I guess my questions are:
1) would I have a shot at tier 1 schools for law? MBA?
2) Should I stick with engineering and see if I can land a job I actually enjoy??</p>
<p>(I realize the first question is extremely generic, just used it as a starting point.)</p>
<p>I understand your feelings completely. I had a similar view when I was a senior and when I graduated. I seemed to lose most interest in engineering and I was just going through the motions because it would be dumb to waste all that time I put in. I didn’t absolutely hate the idea of being an EE but it wasn’t something that got me going in the morning either.</p>
<p>1) Very unlikely unless you have done something extraordinary to make you stand out. Working as a co-op does not count. Good MBA programs may also target those with a few years of work experience rather than new graduates.</p>
<p>2) Stick with engineering for now and get a job. While you’re working and making money, you can start researching opportunities and plan your next move. Perhaps look for a job that is different than things you have done in the past. Also, the co-op work experience can often be much different than the full time one. If you work for a large company you may have opportunities to move around and try out a few different jobs, perhaps as part of a rotation program. After two to three years, if you still don’t like engineering you should have had ample time to get prepared for whatever comes next. Good work experience and references will also help you offset your lowish GPA.</p>
<p>I managed to find what I thought would be a more interesting job. It didn’t turn out to be quite as exciting as I had hoped, but it is definitely a lot better than most of the jobs out there. I don’t have plans on leaving any time soon but in the long run I can see myself somewhere else.</p>
<p>Also, one thing to keep in mind is that it’s called work for a reason. Very few people are going to truly love their jobs. A lot more will tolerate their jobs or maybe slightly enjoy them for various reasons.</p>
<p>That’s a fair response, I like it. Anyone else?</p>