<p>I am considering majoring in engineering when I go to college, a large part of it being I am/was/idk interested in science but my mom has sort of pushed to engineering because of the better career prospects. However I fear I am not intelligent enough for engineering. All engineering disciplines are known for being very difficult and very few of actual declared engineers make it to graduation. </p>
<p>For the last few months I have sensationally said I would be going to do engineering in college. I always thought I loved math and science but I can't tell anymore. I read history books for fun. I find reading literature for English fun but I say I hate English when my teachers give me bad grades on papers I thought were so eloquent. I love foreign languages. Archaeology interests me. The thing is I always thought I was good at math and science. Over 6 semesters I've gotten 5 A's and 1 B in math. I got 3 A's and 5 Bs in science (oddly enough 2 A's were from 2 semsters of AP Enviro...the least "sciency" science). I got 5 A's and 1 B in history, 3 A's and 3 B's in English. Shouldn't I be doing well in science if I was good at science? Maybe I'm not??</p>
<p>Second time I took ACT I got 32 composite, with 34M, 33R, 30S, 31E. The first time i took it I got 31 composite, 29M, 35R, 28S, 31E. So ambiguous. Am I good at reading or math? I don't know. </p>
<p>Nonetheless what actually constitutes a freshman "introduction to engineering" class? Is "engineering" a completely different subject in its own right or is it more of a fusion of mathematics and science? </p>
<p>I know engineering major is very rigorous and would require a lot of studying. I don't understand studying though. I rarely see an increase in my test grades or quizzes or anything when I "study". I can't tell if studying is effectively helping me or not when I am studying. I would instantly memorize mathematical concepts we were taught. I think I "ingrain" things better by doing something over long periods of time other than through trying to force it down my throat by studying. I can't learn French verbs by studying them, I learn them by using them. I can't learn polyatomic ions in chemistry by studying them, I learn them by using them in problem sets over and over and over. I feel like this "natural understanding over time" will die out when I get to college because the breadth of material is soooo much more. Thus I don't think engineering would be right for me. A rigorous major with so much information would overload me. I wouldn't be able to 'naturally' understand it because college moves as such a quicker pace and class time is not spent like how it is in high school. </p>
<p>I don't know if I want to do engineering anymore. A lot of the schools I find appealing to me are the small LACs with tight-knit, intellectual atmospheres, like Reed or Grinnell. I feel like my mom would throw a fit though if I didn't want to do engineering. My only in-state safety is an engineering school. However some of these LACs are supposedly the cheapest on my list according to NPCs, and free to apply to as well. </p>
<p>It sounds like you are capable of succeeding in engineering but if it does not really appeal to you then you will be unhappy studying it. however, if it is just a worry about being at a large school studying engineering as opposed to a smaller school where there is more personal attention, you have to realize that there are small engineering colleges which give a lot of personal attention too. Take a look at the smaller [url=“<a href=“http://theaitu.org%22%5DAITU%5B/url”>http://theaitu.org”]AITU[/url</a>] schools.</p>
<p>As to your comment about studying. I think you are equating studying with just reading material and trying to remember it. That is certainly not proper studying. It is much more effective to learn by doing problems, using the language, giving yourself quizzes and so on. It is the application of what you have learned that helps cement your knowledge.</p>
<p>Here at Iowa State which I consider an average Engineering school, we have a dropout rate of about 50% by the end of Freshman year.</p>
<p>Even in Industrial Engineering which is considered “easier” than other Engineering majors, the dropout rate is just as high. I know some very smart people who got burned out quickly and gave up.</p>
<p>I am only 3 semesters away from graduation and looking back I think it was more of a test of endurance than really how smart you are. </p>
<p>I know I am never going to give up until I leave here with a degree. So far, I have not had to retake any courses but I know people who gave up as soon as they failed one course. </p>
<p>This is only my opinion but I think determination and drive often is more important than how smart you are. You wont know if it is for you until you try it!</p>
<p>I took a dual credit intro to engineering course in high school, and since that credit didn’t transfer, I’m taking a very similar class in a different college. At least for that class, the answer is neither. It’s mainly group work on simple hand-made projects, and writeups on how your team worked together and what you did. Completely math-free, and little science. It’s more of getting used to working on teams and writing technical reports, AFAIK.</p>
<p>Regarding engineering itself, yeah, you’re going to have to study. I was a lot like you in high school - I never studied for tests. I just did the daily homework, and that was enough preparation. Then I hit Calc BC and AP Physics C, and that’s where my academic talent ran out. I’ll be honest: those classes kicked my ass. I had to really change my work habits to get through them, and start putting a lot more time and effort towards my schoolwork. I ended up doing OK, but man they were rough. I thank God every day though that I had that experience in the low-pressure, low-risk setting of high school. I am now taking both of those courses again, and if I had tried to just blow them off and cowboy it like high school, I’d be in a world of hurt right now.</p>
<p>glad I can relate to you in that way… I sort of set myself up for some hard crap by taking no honors freshman year and one honors class sophomroe year - senior year I’m taking AP Physics 1 and AP Chemistry. Got a high B on the AP Physics test, but a C on the AP Chem test. I thought I had it all under my belt too, was expecting A’s on both. Hopefully if I can actually start studying, reviewing, getting used to it this year… so if I do decide to do engg. in college, i’ll be ready.</p>
<p>The “Intro to Engineering” classes vary a lot. Within the same school, it may have many sections with different focus, some of them may be more tailored to specific major. There may be also one that may give you a feel on each field of engineering.</p>
<p>My dad was the professor for my “Intro to Architectural Engineering” class many years ago. He talked about the field in detail, but also had a guest speaker each week. It was helpful to get a feel for the career. He still teaches the class, most years.</p>
<p>my intro to engineering course has two components:
guest speakers talk about every field of engineering and by the end of the semester the goal is for you to have a better idea of which field you want to go into.
lab where we work in groups and are doing a simple robot project</p>
<p>My intro to Engineering-IE 148-Information Engineering was really hard. A lot of programming, ridiculous amounts of homework, very harsh grading.</p>
<p>I am not sure if there is such thing as a “weed out” course but many people failed this course the first time or changed majors, under the assumption that all courses were going to be like this one.</p>
<p>I think persistance and resilience are key in Engineering. I know several smart and very capable people who got burned out quick.</p>
<p>People who give up easily and dont deal with stress well probably aint gonna make it.</p>
<p>I’ve always been someone who has had a lot of stress but it never really affected me. I never give up either!</p>
<p>Nonetheless, I’ve been having conversations with some family members and based off some comments on other forums I’m just going to keep my options open. I know I want to go into a science / mathematics related field. That’s just what I lean to. I am mostly interested in Physics and Chem Eng. </p>
<p>Thanks for all the responses, I sort of wrote this original post in a bad mood but I’ve sort of recollected myself.</p>
<p>Tell us what you like about Physics. We may be able to give some further advise. </p>
<p>For example, I liked AP Physics / mechanics and went into Mech Eng. College physics involves a lot of particle physics. That was not my cup of tea. But DS (elec/comp engineer) does, and had considered a Physics major. </p>
<p>I’m not sure you’re using the term particle physics the way it is typically used. The typical engineer barely touches on particle physics, with only passing references to things like quarks.</p>
<p>“College physics involves a lot of particle physics.”</p>
<p>What I like about physics is the theoretical aspect. For some reason I find relativity and quantum mechanics easy to understand. In chemistry, we have studied certain things that are technically physics concepts. The uncertainty principle, nuclear physics, to name some examples. I’ve read in my spare time a lot of astronomy and string theory crap. I’ve delved into some scientific journals and I find astrophysics and particle physics very intriguing. However many people tell me not to be sensationalized by the popular science of these physics subfields. </p>
<p>I’m sure this is an idea that’s already being tossed around, but I think that the “uncertainty” we have to deal with at an atomic scale is simply a crutch due to our current inability to completely describe it. </p>
<p>However of course getting a job in theoretical physics even with a PhD is much harder than getting a job as a chemical engineering. However my interests are always in bizarre and theoretical aspects instead of concrete, applied work. That is why I am not sure if engineering would be the best for me. For example in chemistry, stoichiometry, dilutions, thermodynamics is bland and repetitive. I like the areas that aren’t completely understood because I want to fill those holes in.</p>
<p>No, it is a fundamental limitation that is imposed by quantum mechanics and wave-particle duality.</p>
<p>As to your comment about getting a job in theoretical physics, it depends on the kind of theory you do. There are particle theorists, condensed matter theorists, cosmologists, thermodynamicists (very close to chemical engineers), and other flavors too. There are jobs available but not necessarily in academia where it is always hard to end up.<br>
Most Ph.D.s in physics do find a job but may not be doing pure physics. In fact, many of us in academia end up doing very interdisciplinary work also. The Ph.D. gives you the experience in applying what you know to new problems. There are lots of interesting problems out there in the world and not necessarily in pure physics.</p>
<p>You realize, of course, that you have exactly no evidence for such a claim or any reason to say it other than a gut feeling you apparently have, and that this method of just guessing without any supporting evidence flies in the face of the scientific process, right?</p>
<p>Further, you are arguing the point with a professor of physics. You should stop while you’re not too far behind.</p>
<p>I am not trying to argue with him. I just threw out an arbitrary hypothesis based off what I’ve read of some other things I’ve read. I’ve seen it argued before and I like the idea. I am not really interested in engaging in an in-depth discussion on physics since I don’t know much about the topic. I deeply apologize.</p>
<p>Sorry - my wording was unclear. What I meant was that Physics majors usually study topics very different from most hs physics classes. But it sounds like OP knows this already. </p>