<p>So, I'm sure everybody majoring in engineering goes through this but I need some advice. Chemical Engineer with a concentration in biomolecular at Notre Dame- really hate it but I'm in my sophomore year which is apparently supposed to suck. So, I'm struggling through the curriculum and I'm fighting just to stay above a 3.0 and everyone's telling me that it gets better and my advisor keeps telling me to stick with it and that my GPA will improve. Well here's my problem: I don't know if I will ever like this. I know I can get through it, but I don't see the point if it makes me miserable. I picked this because I liked the idea of working for a biomed or pharmaceutical company. I'd love to write for a scientific magazine. I don't know- is that a valid reason to go through this. I like writing and English and despite this unedited post I am a very good writer.I also absolutely love philosophy and I take the electives whenever I can. Each lit and philosophy class is an easy A for me and it doesn't even feel like work. So to be honest that's what I love but I don't really see any career prospects for those. I am genuinely interested in chem and bio, I helped with some research and really liked it, and I like the career prospects but I don't know if I'm cut out for this and I don't want to pursue this if I in the end will be so passionless and unhappy. Weed out courses make me livid-its like they are knowingly just wasting two years of my life. Also I could switch to business. I'd hate that too, but it'd probably be easier.
Anyone with life experience gonna give me a hand??? Please?</p>
<p>I am sure you will get posts from students who have gone through the same experience but i will be happy to provide you with advice from a faculty member who has seen many students pass through this kind of crisis. I am a professor of physics at Illinois Institute of Technology and over the years I have been an undergraduate advisor, i have spoken to many students who are wrestling with just these questions. I also have two sons, one of whom is an engineer and the other a scientist and they definitely have different world views. The bottom line is that you need to decide if an engineering career is really what you want. It takes a very special kind of individual to be an engineer. You are training to design and make “things” with the typical undergraduate engineering curriculum.</p>
<p>Depending on your answer to the above question, it seems that you have 2 choices:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Change to a science major that appeals to you more. You mention Chemistry or Biology. I am sure that at Notre Dame, as at IIT, these departments will try to accommodate you in such a way that you don’t lose any time toward graduation. These programs will often also have more free electives which will give you the opportunity to minor in philosophy and take writing courses. An engineering curriculum, is usually not that flexible. A science degree can prepare you for a research career as well as a job after graduation. You might not be able to compete as well for an “engineering” position but if you have decided that it is not the career for you, then that should not be an issue.</p></li>
<li><p>If you are not certain whether to pursue graduate school or a job after college and you think you still might like engineering, tough it out. It is certainly possible to do research as an engineer and at the Ph.D. level there is much less difference between an engineering and scientist than at the undergraduate level. In addition, with an engineering degree, you are not limited to being an engineer in the workforce. You have a solid technical education and have been trained in problem solving. These are good skills which translate to many types of jobs and form an excellent foundation for a career in business. As an engineer, you can probably learn the other skills you need to be successful, either on the job or with an MBA later. The analytical skills you get with an engineering or science degree cannot be duplicated and will serve you well.</p></li>
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<p>Whatever you decide, make sure you are happy with the courses you are taking and those which you have planned in the future. If college is not challenging but fun, then you definitely need to rethink what you are doing. </p>
<p>Good Luck!</p>
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<p>A word of warning is that chemistry and biology graduates tend to have a tough time in the job market, according to the career surveys from some of the schools that have them (e.g. Berkeley, Cal Poly, Virginia Tech).</p>
<p>OP, It sounds as if your decision is already very well made: there is nothing in your post to suggest that you would still enjoy or are even really considering staying in the field long term. I think you sound much more like a science major; perhaps pick up a minor in technical writing as well since you mentioned you would love to go that route?</p>
<p>“I don’t know if I will ever like this. I know I can get through it, but I don’t see the point if it makes me miserable.”</p>
<p>And honestly, there wouldn’t be much of a point except that you would be able to earn a living- something that does not necessarily require a college degree; why go through with a course of study for something that makes you so unhappy- your comments suggest that this isn’t likely to be limited to the short term.
Yes, the job prospects for pure science majors can be bleak depending on education level and where you get your info from (who knows the actual situation, such as do we really have a shortage or excess of STEM majors? etc), and they can certainly be far less profitable than any form of engineering- BUT, if it is something you love or at least find some enjoyment in then you may just find that it does not feel as much as work…think about it, you do not want to force yourself into a career if you may already foresee yourself dreading going into work the next day; you can point yourself in a different direction now. And a career that makes far less but that brings great enjoyment would be preferable to a good many people, myself included. However…
“I picked this because I liked the idea of working for a biomed or pharmaceutical company.”
Another problem may be that you aren’t quite sure what it will actually be like- and you may want to try an internship just to be comfortable and certain with any decision, allowing you to see if you liked the idea more than the actual job of engineer.</p>
<p>At least you will have a good amount of science major prerequisites/core courses out of the way (chem, orgo, bio, calc, physics) with both types of majors, right? So changing shouldn’t set you back too much…always good.</p>
<p>You probably want to dig deeper into why you loved the idea of working for those types of companies/that kind of work. Desire to help people? Might you have a underlying preference for research? etc…</p>
<p>In the end you just have to do what makes you happy. You are right there really is no point to do it just for the job prospects/amount of curriculum complete/thoughts that it will get better if you can never see it esp. after a bit more exposure. You may just end up finding yourself back in school for the degree you would have picked if you don’t find this out now!
Life is too short. :)</p>
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<p>Not all STEM majors are the same in job and career prospects.</p>
<p>[Post-Graduation</a> Survey and Report | Career Services | Virginia Tech](<a href=“http://www.career.vt.edu/PostGraduationSurveyReport/PostGrad.html]Post-Graduation”>http://www.career.vt.edu/PostGraduationSurveyReport/PostGrad.html)</p>
<p>Virginia Tech’s 2009-2010 career survey reports by major (% unemployed, pay level of those employed):</p>
<p>Chemical engineering, 22%, $65,000
Civil engineering, 33%, $50,000
Computer engineering, 12%, $65,000
Computer science, 17%, $62,000
Electrical engineering, 24%, $63,000
Mechanical engineering, 21%, $59,500</p>
<p>English, 32%, $31,000
History, 32%, $34,000
Philosophy, 67%, NA (only 6 graduates)
Political science, 33%, $37,750</p>
<p>Biochemistry, 31%, $36,500
Biological sciences, 35%, $32,000
Chemistry, 35%, $35,000
Economics, 29%, $48,000
Mathematics, 19%, $55,500
Physics, 32%, NA (only 13 graduates)
Psychology, 38%, $32,500</p>
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<p>Correct, do not major in something you do not like because of the job prospects. However, be aware of the job prospect implications of your major, so that you are not surprised at graduation. If you choose a major with poor job prospects, you can try to be more aggressive about seeking internships, cutting costs to reduce debt, etc…</p>