URGENT Major Change: ChemE to MechE.

Colleges and Universities A-Z Rice University
1

<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>I am having a huge dilemma and this next week is the last chance to fix it without doing some major long-term damage. I am a sophomore at Rice next year and am currently enrolled to be a ChemE, but I am seriously considering switching to mechanical engineering (NOT Materials Science). The thought process is long, but to make it easier to read I have narrowed down the reasons for my change and the concerns I have about changing. I am NOT changing because ChemE is too hard for me.</p>

<p>Reasons I want to change:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Though I love chemistry, I love machines a lot more. I have always been very gifted with my hands and have always found a passion and a supreme efficiency for making and envisioning devices. Essentially I THINK I will enjoy it more.</p></li>
<li><p>I feel it is more versatile if I want to work with places that have machines</p></li>
<li><p>I originally thought that being ChemE made it easier to go and be more flexible in petroleum, but am not sure if this is the case anymore.</p></li>
<li><p>I keep having to convince myself that ChemE's work with machines and that both degrees are basically interchangeable, which may not be the case.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Reasons I am afraid of changing:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I want to work in petroleum (at least at first - I am hoping that I could switch to a different profession late in my career if I decide against it) and am on track for that now. I don't know what MechE will do to this plan.</p></li>
<li><p>I have already taken Orgo 1 and Orgo 2 and did very well in both. I would lose those AND have to take CAAM 210 since I have not yet.</p></li>
<li><p>I have heard that Rice's MechE program (NOT MATERIALS SCIENCE) is worse (ranking or perception) than its ChemE by a lot. I want to know how seriously this may compromise my chances of getting into a top-notch graduate school like MIT or Stanford if I decide to go that route. </p></li>
<li><p>I want to go into management one day and get an MBA, I know lots of ChemEs take this path. I don't know about MechEs and how hard this will be.</p></li>
<li><p>I don't know what focus Rice's MechE program has. What kind of jobs are RICE MechE's good for? I am concerned it is too theoretical and I won't get jobs that are more practical.</p></li>
<li><p>A very close friend of mine is a ChemE and we have been working as a very good team thus far wherever we are allowed. This won't be the case if I switch.</p></li>
<li><p>I am not even sure if MechEs do what I want to do. Can they/do they work in designing and inventing machines? E.g. can I get a job leading a design team in making a new device in the energy sector or other?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I know both are solid degrees, and "I can't go wrong with either", but I need some serious help. I am sure I want to either be a ChemE or a MechE. It is just this choice I have to make now. This is my last chance and I want to make it count and hopefully not look back with regrets. Who can I contact at Rice? I don't really have an adviser... :(</p>

2

<p>Sounds like you should talk to your advisor and discuss these options and your thoughts. Have you taken thermo and such, or will you have to get those sequences in to stay on track and not lose a year? My Rice s changed from physics to Mech E in, I think it was his soph year. Other son (who did not attend Rice) changed from chem to Chem E and picked up some classes one summer while interning in order to stay on track to graduate in 4 years. Is this a concern for you?</p>

3

<p>You can go on to complete a masters in Petroleum engineering with a MechE undergraduate. As a chemE grad from a few years ago, I know several MechE’s who work in petrochemicals.</p>

<p>At the end of the day, put aside the reasons such as rankings and prestige and the likes and ask yourself what you would be happier doing. In my experience, that is where you will do better; the grad schools fall into place after that.</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the advice guys. I am speaking to an adviser in the near future. I just hope that I can register for the classes I want. I am concerned I won’t be able to special register for some.</p>

5

<p>ME is a dead field</p>

6

<p>Sorry but I respectfully disagree.</p>

7

<p>No need to be sorry.</p>

8

<p>And, along those lines, no need to be respectful either. Your trollish comment is off the mark. .</p>

9

<p>OP - You should be able to special register especially if you declare your major.</p>

10

<p>Great advice guys. I will still be on track. I just wont’ be ahead as I am now. I just don’t get Organic chem 1 and Organic chem 2 go toward anything and I need to make up CAAM 210 since I didn’t do that my first year either. Unfortunate since I did well in both Orgos :(.</p>

<p>Also, I highly doubt ME will ever be a dead field unless we manage to get energy to apply forces in its pure form without any moving parts. Till then, I believe there is work to be done!</p>

11

<p>Sounds like you are on track, SchoolAdvice. Good luck!</p>

12

<p>Have fun applying forces in a dead field.</p>

13

<p>Braggadocio. Not to be impolite, but I think you have absolutely no basis to even begin to give your opinions here on this thread. While I will not heed the information you have presented no backing for, others might be put off from doing similar changes as a result of the responses you give. </p>

<p>I have spoken to MANY very knowledgeable people and advisers both in the industry (I worked as an intern at a petroleum company this summer) and they all say that MechE is by far the most versatile major and the field is very much alive. </p>

<p>Seeing as you have not even graduated from high school yet, please cite your sources or stop trying to scare others off from making this difficult decision.</p>

14

<p>Well said, schooladvice.</p>

15

<p>Don’t feed the trolls.</p>