<p>UCSC
-accepted as bioE bs
-i hear bioE has poor job prospects so im switching; i have a passion for bio-related fields though and ultimately want to do a bioE ms after getting a chemE bs; issue is that UCSC doesnt offer chemE so im trying to decide whether i want to do elecE
-im taking AP Physics and we did elec/magnetism, i did take some interest in the subject but im more interested in bio/chem/life science fields, but im willing to work hard and give elecE a try and hope i develop a passion for it along the way
-ive heard beautiful campus, great people, visiting in a few days
-7 hours away, a plus
-no scholarship
-#81 in engineering according to us news while ucr is #69
-silicon valley</p>
<p>UCR
-accepted as bioE bs + ms program
-$5000/yr all 4 yrs scholarship
-offers the chemE i want to switch to, their chemE also offers emphasis in bioE, a plus
-visited the campus, while i do feel its reputation is underrated, the campus is not as good
-1 hr away, too close to home
-higher ranked in engineering according to us news</p>
<p>I'm having a real hard time deciding. I'm basically caught between choosing a great college experience or an ideal major/education. Im also worried that with UCR close to home I wont be able to grow/develop as much as a person and i really want to come out of college as a very independent person. right now im not so independent.</p>
<p>I can only speak about UCR. the 5 year program is a great thing, if you can qualify. not trying to deter you, but it’s hard but worth it if you can make it.
ChemE and BioE are both great programs at UCR and if you do want to do more EE, UCR has that to.
I am only an hr away from UCR and while I thought it was too close, its not bad.
To grow as an independent person doesn’t mean go as far away from home as possible. Being an hour away isn’t bad, it’s honestly just far enough most parents aren’t going to just show up.
UCR has a great engineering program in my opinion and one of the best things about it is the BCOE orgs.
There’s at least one organization for each of the different majors and then then the minority organizations of SACNAS, SHPE, SWE, and NSBE. BioE has BMES (biomedical engineering society) and ChemE has AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers). Both have great people involved and getting involved with them will not only help with networking but also there are always so many different events going on to keep you busy on weekends. There is also the honors engineering society, Tau Beta Pi and the more social engineering frat, Theta Tau.
I can’t speak about ChemE or BioE classes, since I’m an EE but can tell you. UCR was not my first choice but I don’t regret deciding to go here. As well, the people I’ve met because I got involved not only kept me busy but has made me grow more independent and outgoing. It will have taken me 5 years, but I did have a major switch in the middle of time here, and I will be graduating with a job lined up.
UCR engineering isn’t the best in the world but the small college makes engineering classes not extremely difficult especially in upperdivs. BioE and ChemE have a good record of also graduating within 4 years. Creating the best college experience comes from finding people, it can’t be guaranteed from a college by looking at it, it takes time.
In my opinion, I’d go for what I really want to do for the rest of my life rather than just 4-5 years of a good time.
If you’d like to hear more about the UCR engineering, feel free to pm me or respond. I don’t always check this website but I’m more than willing to keep speaking with you about this if you have any other questions. </p>
<p>Hey thanks for the detailed reply, I really appreciate it. I have decided on UCR because I’ve heard a lot of good things about BCOE. However, I forgot to mention that I was waitlisted for UCI for Biomedical Engineering. I have spoken to their Engineering Department about the possibility of switching into ChemE and they said it shouldn’t be a problem since I haven’t started school yet.</p>
<p>Now I know there’s a slim chance of me getting of the waitlist and I am content with attending UCR otherwise but if I did, would it be worth it to go to UCI engineering instead? My original plan, which I know is not anything new, was to transfer from UCR to another UC like UCSB or UCLA. I don’t mean to sound like a scrub, I’m very grateful for UCR accepting me and if I didn’t get a transfer, I would be okay staying in UCR. I have heard a lot of stories of top tier UC transfers from UCR having a hard time talking to professors and getting internships their junior year. Would I have the same trouble finding research/internships if I got off the waitlist and attended UCI?</p>
<p>Congrats on choosing UCR!
It really would depend on you. I know very little about UCI’s engineering program than what I’ve heard from ear from friends. They say it tough. At the end of the day, you’re still getting a degree in engineering and from what I know both school should be ABET accredited. I also don’t know much about the transfer rate.
Fro what I’ve experiences about internships, start early. Even as a freshmen, start looking. You might not be qualified but it never hurts to try looking for internships as soon as you start. At UCR, we have Jun Wang and Rosie Zhang who send out emails all year round about internships and usually 1st and 2nd years never take advantage of this. If you continue at UCR, do so. This helps with getting your name out there.
The BCOE professional organizations are also extremely helpful in getting you to meet professionals and get possible internships.
If they’re having a hard time, it’s usually because they weren’t always trying.
I have never heard of UCR students having a hard time talking to professors. BioE and ChemE especially are always doing presentations for their classes.
Would you have the same problems? Maybe. It really all depends on taking what you have and making the most of it. I know plenty of people at UCR who have had internships. There is also plenty of internship opportunities around campus and really you just have to ask. </p>
<p>Thank you for the informative reply again! It’s been quite a while and I did indeed get off UCI’s waitlist but for a non-engineering major, so I am definitely going to UCR for ChemE instead. </p>
<p>Do you think its a good idea to spend the summer before freshman year doing research/internship? I have had previous research experience in genetics at another UC, so I could meet with a UCR professor in the Genomics Department and ask about working with him/her. I know it’s a good idea to start early but do you think starting this summer is too early?</p>
<p>Also, when I was talking about UCR students having trouble finding internships, I was talking about former UCR students who transferred to other UC’s like LA or SB at the start of their junior year. Sorry for the confusion haha. I have heard stories of these transfers at universities with “more prestige” having trouble having to start networking all over again. Some even regret leaving UCR and wished they had stayed since they felt it was much easier to stand out and reach out to the UCR faculty. What do you think?</p>
<p>I do agree, UCR engineering is a smaller community so there is a better chance to stand out. The school is definitely growing. I cannot stress enough getting involved with the professional engineering organizations. They don’t have to be the only organizations you get involved with but they’re the best way to network within and outside of your major. As well, they provide a way to grow. AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) recently won the title for best engineering organization award within BCOE and they have done quite a lot of work this year. They had many different professional workshops for members. SWE (Society of Women Engineers) also has put on their annual Evening with Industry during the winter quarter which allows students to meet with engineering companies during a dinner. There is a lot going on in the engineering college that have provided easier ways to get the internships and research positions.
As for starting to do research over the this summer, the earlier you start the better. I don’t think it could ever be too early. The more experience you can gain the better you are in my opinion. Even if by your final year in college you do not have the research on your resume, getting your foot in the door sooner is always better.
At the same time, do not be worries about taking this summer off and NOT do research. You deserve a break every once and a while and helps with preventing burning out. I would suggest though to start reading scientific journals or articles because it’s important to always keep learning and helps let you determine if this is something you really want to do. Even if you do not understand all of it, it helps to be exposed to new material. </p>
<p>Something to think about is what do you want to do after you get your undergrad degree. Research is what you want to look into if you know you want to go to grad school and pursue a higher degree. If you want to go into industry, you are going to want to look for internships more than you’re going to want research. It’s just something to think about when you’re deciding what to focus on. Being a freshmen and thinking about these things already is an advantage because it gives you time to find out what you like to do and what you prefer not to do. </p>