UC Engineering Major

<p>So im an incoming freshman at UCSB and I'm currently undeclared. I wanted to know what i should be expecting going in as an Electrical Engineering major and what kind of helpful tips I could use along the way. Now UCSB was one of my last choices and I'll be considering transferring to another UC. Engineering is an impacted major so what GPA should I be looking at to have a shot in transferrring. </p>

<p>you should count on the tide coming in twice a day.</p>

<p>You should not count on not liking UCSB just because it was at the bottom of your list. </p>

<p>Where do you think you might transfer and why? Do you think there’s any way you could get a better education there? why do you think this?</p>

<p>I’m not sure about transferring but it’s a possibility. The real issue I have here is that I’ve taken regular math classes all high school and was wondering how it will affect me as an Engineering major. I’ve gotten A’s in them but it was regular courses. </p>

<p>This could be a problem. So the issue isn’t UCSB. The issue is that either you changed your mind about a major or you thought it would be easy to transfer from undeclared into an [impacted] engg major.</p>

<p>Did you have any calc in high school? pre-calc? physics? chemistry? what levels?</p>

<p>If you are not an undeclared major in the College of Engineering then there are some classes for EE’s that are restricted to engineering majors only. Probably not going to be a problem when you apply to transfer, but look at the other UCs to see what prerequisites they have for transfer students. You may end up having to take an intro circuits course at a CC over the summer. You can also look at each UC website to see the average GPA of accepted applicants. Keep in mind that CC students have preference in admission, so the cutoff for accepting UC internal transfers will be higher.</p>

<p>As for tips – you will have to work harder than you ever had in your life. Guaranteed! Students that do well in math & science classes often find themselves spending 6-10 hours per week outside of each class doing homework, studying the book, doing extra practice problems. You are probably surprised by that last item, but there is no rule that says you can only do assigned problems. There are books called something like “Calculus Problem Solver” that have thousands of worked problems in them, kinda like a subject-specific SAT prep book. </p>

<p>The problem you are going to face isn’t the regular math classes you took in HS, it is motivation/effort. Can you discipline yourself to spend 30+ hours a week studying? The dropout rate for engineers is 1/2 to 2/3rds, and its usually not because they aren’t capable of learning the material. It’s because they look around and see their friends having a great time, while they are spending far more of their time in the library. </p>

<p>And, to be honest, you face an even bigger hurdle than many. It is common for kids to start college and disregard warnings (like the one I gave) about the workload. A quarter or 2 of grades they aren’t happy with, then they get the message and pick up the pace. No real harm, and grades in upper-division courses are what employers are going to care about anyway. But for <em>you</em> those early grades matter a lot, because if you dig yourself a hole then you won’t have the GPA to xfer when you apply Fall of your sophomore year. Or, for that matter, to switch into EE at UCSB. </p>

<p>My two cents…</p>

<p>I’m sure you have your reasons for UCSB to be your last choice, but UCSB has one of the best Electrical & Computer Engineering programs in the world. As an undergraduate student, being part of UCSB’s ECE program is HIGHLY beneficial to you whether it’s for getting a job or applying to grad school. In fact, UCSB’s ECE program for graduate school is ranked top 5, with their research being the 2nd best in the nation. My advice for you is to try your best to get into UCSB’s Electrical Engineering major and stay.</p>

<p>Don’t be discouraged by UCSB’s party scene. Honestly as an engineer, you won’t be caught up in that stuff because you won’t have the time. You’ll have time to chill and party here and there, but definitely not as much as others. UCSB has one of the best programs, so take advantage of that.</p>

<p>As far as transferring goes, it’s very hard to transfer to an engineering major to another school if you’re undeclared. It’s great that you got A’s, but since you didn’t take a couple advanced courses, you’ll need to really rock it out your Freshman year. Take the same GE’s the engineers have to take, and take a bunch of math courses. If you can get A’s in those, you’ll have a shot. But again, if I were you, I would stay at the school that offers one of the best Electrical/Computer Engineering programs and academic rigor + the best social scene. That’s UCSB.</p>

<p>Hope this helps!</p>

<p>I really appreciate the help people. And I have taken a regular Pre-Calc course and received an A both semesters. Personally I believe I can put in the time/effort because I have done so my Junior year of HS with AP Biology(a lot of work) and two additional honors courses. </p>

<p>And yes I changed my mind about a major. I’m currently in the college of Letters and Science but over the past months, I did a lot of thinking and want to go into engineering. </p>