<p>Well, I got wait listed by all of my first choice colleges so I decided to go to a small LAC that offers 3 / 2 program. I researched the forum and found that 3 / 2 isn't so popular because the last 2 years will be really hard and there are less opportunities. Anyhow, I still have some questions and was wondering if anyone could help me figuring out what to do with my life. So here's my questions:</p>
<p>1) If I major in applied physics and minor in math, would last 2 years of mechanical engineering be rather easier? In other words, will I be prepared for engineering courses after taking applied physics courses and math courses?</p>
<p>2) If I get the degree through the program, compared to another person who got the degree directly from the institution offering engineering, will I be in disadvantageous position in getting jobs? </p>
<p>3) During the course of taking 2 yrs of engineering classes, which tuition do I pay?</p>
<p>4) Generally, does big number of college students in the program fail the last 2yrs? </p>
<p>5) Any recommended minor to prepare for mechanical engineering? Or there is an option to have self-built minor, so any tip on what to focus on will be good too. </p>
<p>Or any other tip on the program will be helpful. Thank you for your time, it really does mean a lot to me.</p>
<p>The two big problems with a 3/2 are: 1) lack of internship experience / research experience during the “3” and 2) being bombarded with major courses during the “2”.</p>
<p>To resolve the first issue, talk to the career services department at the LAC and engineering school, and see if they can help you find relevant work experience.</p>
<p>1) Taking a more difficult major (physics) will help with the bombardment of major courses during the “2”, but it’s still going to be a problem. The issue is that major classes require much more time and effort than elective classes, and during the last two years, you’ll have twice as many major classes (usually) compared to students that went straight through the program.</p>
<p>2) There’s no difference from an employer’s perspective. The biggest challenge you’ll face is that when you interview in September of your last year, you’ll only have 2 semesters of GPA from the engineering school (compared to other students with 6-8). That means you need to do well your first year at the engineering school, since just one class can “make or break” a GPA. </p>
<p>3) You’ll want to double check, but every time I’ve seen it, you pay the tuition of the engineering school. You basically transfer after the first three years to the new school, and you’re treated like a transfer.</p>
<p>4) Usually people don’t fail out the last two years. Some people do not finish the program (stay at the LAC for a 4th year and get a BA), but most that progress to the engineering school usually graduate. Some have really low GPAs and have trouble finding a job, but they don’t fail out.</p>
<p>5) If you can find thermodynamics courses (Thermo I, II, Heat Transfer, etc), those would be good to take.</p>
<p>It is the physics parts of the engineering curriculum which are the hard ones, applied physics do deal with a fair bit more advanced physics than engineering so you should be just fine.</p>
<p>And since applied physics is really relevant for engineering it is a good choice overall and can actually help you get a better job.</p>
<p>A good 3/2 program should have you taking Physics I (classical mechanics) and II (e/mag) regardless of your second degree. Those are the only physics courses that most ME programs require.</p>
<p>Edit: Don’t get me wrong: Applied Physics is a good major for a 3/2 program. It won’t give you an advantage over something like Math or Chemistry, but it won’t cause a disadvantage.</p>