<p>Hey. I'm a freshmen in college and studying electrical engineering. I've always had an interest in engineering (tinkering, physics, math, electricity, problem solving, etc.) and since I have had the idea of pursuing this for a few years now I want to do this the right way. I've been planning things out for a while and I would like to hear older, more experienced people's opinions (if you don't mind that is..)</p>
<p>So anyway, I've been at my university for a few weeks now and I like the feel of it (It's a decent school). The work isn't incredibly difficult (at least not yet..but it's an engineering major so I'm expecting hard work and little sleep lol) and I've been thinking about what will set me up for the most opportunities possible in the future. I plan on starting undergraduate research this semester (I'm at a 31k Research-based institution so it shouldn't be hard to find a mentor). Then, additionally, I hope to get into the co-op program (Good money+ a few years of research experience+ a year of relevant work experience when I graduate sounds good) I was also thinking about minoring in business (18 credit hours total) because I think that it would help me develop a business-oriented way of thinking and help me come out of my shell (I'm kind of a loner and have trouble meeting people until I know them..then I can't shut up lol) and be able to communicate my thoughts and work with other people more effectively...also I would like to move into management (w/ an MBA after some years of experience) to expand my career prospects and help add value to wherever I work (as well as myself). I was also thinking about grad school after undergrad to have a better understanding, more job security, and more money (hopefully)</p>
<p>Am I getting too ahead of myself? How does this sound, too much extra stuff for a hard major such as EE? Any suggestions, comments, thoughts? </p>
<p>Are you getting ahead of yourself? No in fact you are doing the exact right thing and that is setting goals for yourself. Many students tend to drift along through school without much plans for when they graduate or even what they will do while in school.</p>
<p>So you know you want an MBA and end up in management one day? It's a fine goal to have, perhaps you'll change your mind someday too.</p>
<p>A co-op might be a little bit of a waste if you're going to grad school. You'd probably be better served taking your free time to do research and get summer internships at schools, national labs, or research-based facilities in industry.</p>
<p>Sounds like a good plan but take it one step at a time. Keep up your grades
and try for an internship during the summer and UG research during the year. Take your GRE/GMAT early when you have free time and nail em so you don't have to worry about test scores during application time.</p>
<p>"A co-op might be a little bit of a waste if you're going to grad school"
"try for an internship during the summer"</p>
<p>So why are internships preferable over co-ops? With co-op, you stay with the same company up to a year alternating between school and work sessions, working up to ascending levels of responsibility. I figure that you could get the same amount of experience with internships, but is it recommended because of the exposure to different environments/companies? </p>
<p>"Sounds like a good plan but take it one step at a time. Keep up your grades"</p>
<p>Yea, that's definitely high priority. I'm shooting for a 3.5 plus (if at all possible for me) Is that suitable for getting into a good school with the aforementioned activities and ok GRE/GMAT scores (never really been a good test taker, but I will study my ass off)?</p>
<p>Any other advice or suggestions (sorry if I'm bothering you guys)? Hearing other people's perspectives help me critique and make improvements to my plans.</p>
<p>Co-op programs generally add anywhere from an extra semester to an extra year to your undergrad education. If you're going to grad school for a PhD, you're already going to be adding in another 5+ years to your education. I also know the co-op students in my department weren't nearly as tight knit as the rest of us, since they would randomly disappear for a semester at a time and then wouldn't be in the same classes with the rest of us (small department of ~15 a year it was pretty noticeable).</p>
<p>It's also generally considered more favorable to work for professors over summers than in industry, which is what a co-op program generally is.</p>
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It's also generally considered more favorable to work for professors over summers than in industry, which is what a co-op program generally is.
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<p>If you are trying to get an industrial job right out of school and then pursue an MBA it might be more beneficial to establish industry contacts through internships/co-op programs than spending a summer in academia.</p>