<p>I've heard horror stories about engineering, specifically chemical engineering. It's the hardest major, problems that take hours and pages of paper, tons of exams, impossible to survive without a group, going more in-depth that physics and math majors, etc.</p>
<p>I'm doing well in high school, haven't really had to study much, especially not for calculus and chemistry. I'm going to go into chemical engineering next year (well, matriculate after next year but start out in engineering next year). I really don't know what to expect. I go to a small high school, and three of us in my calculus class are going to this university...I think if the other two can make it, then I definitely can too. But, I don't personally know many people who have stuck with it all four years. Plus, I'm a female, and I've already gotten some strange looks when I've told people my intended major...are the stereotypes true? I don't really care what people think of me, but I'd like to make engineering friends of both genders. (ChemE at my future college is 78% guys, 22% girls.)</p>
<p>Thanks. Please add any additional advice you think may be helpful!!! :D</p>
<p>I don’t think you should be scared so long as you have the drive to study and tackle the workload involved.</p>
<p>The number one thing that will help you is to be familiar with the material before each class. Taking calc-based chemistry? Take an intro to chemistry class first, the non-majors take. Taking calc-based physics? Take an intro to physics class. Or get Dummies and Idiots books and study the subjects at home. What you absolutely don’t want, and this is what causes a lot of engineering dropouts, is to be sitting in a class and have no clue what the lecture is about or to be able to follow the professor.</p>
<p>Engineering isn’t like other degrees, you don’t just sit back and listen to lectures, do homework and papers, and get your degree. You have to apply yourself. The teacher doesn’t do all of the work. And that is what scares a lot of people. They don’t have the drive to really apply themselves.</p>
<p>So what gives you the drive to apply yourself?</p>
<p>Male, female, who cares?? I was a female engineering major 25 years ago, and I had no problems. I had male and female friends. Just don’t have a chip on your shoulder. Do the work and get good grades!</p>
<p>TomS, I haven’t taken calc-based chemistry yet, just ap chemistry that has basic calculus in a few chapters (kinetics, equilibrium). I haven’t even had a basic physics class yet. That’s a good idea about the books…I’ll read up on physics over the summer. I’m pretty into astronomy, so I know basic astrophysics which has taught me a bit of physics as well.</p>
<p>The drive to apply myself?- I want to be able to understand how everything I use works. I know that’s saying a lot, but it really drives me insane how much technology I use that I don’t understand. Although I don’t really do much in calculus or chemistry now, I have already begun to UNDERSTAND what I’m learning. I see that math is everywhere…and I want to connect that with my understanding for the make up of things, whether it’s a tv or a chemical compound. It was my reading on quantum mechanics that got me interested in the field originally. At one time I thought I wanted to be a chemist, then a physicist, but soon I realized that it’s great being to understand what is, but I really want to be able to do not only that but also to create something. </p>