<p>hey, i applied for ME in some colleges kinda because i knew it involved designing cars and iPods(according to my cousin @ stanford) haha. so what do u actually do in ME? is it a lot of designing stuff..basically, can any M.E. people describe to me what you do?</p>
<p>(BTW i got into ME at UCSD, still waiting for my undeclared ucb decision)</p>
<p>Mechanical engineering is not about "designing" in the context you mentioned. If you want to design an iPod, you are probably more interested in industrial design (unless you want to work on the iPod's electronics, then you'd be better off going into EE/ECE). </p>
<p>If you want to work on cars as a mechanical engineer, you will be designing structural components, suspension systems, the drive train, and many of the other <cough> mechanical systems. :) If you want to design the ways cars look and interface with their passengers and drivers, you would be in the wrong major.</cough></p>
<p>cool. not exactly what i thought of it as, but still interesting nonetheless..</p>
<p>Mechanical Engineering is way more than cars! Mechanical Engineers do everything...well...mechanical. This could be energy systems like power plants, heating/air conditioning, and engines. It could be mechanical design, like making all of the seats in a car stow in the floor. It could be huge things like jets and ships or it could be very small micro devices. It could be the redesign of a manufacturing plant or it could be research in making a better tennis racket. Mechanical Engineering is a very broad degree that enables you to do nearly anything in engineering.</p>
<p>dr_reynolds, what do you think students would do in a "mechanical engineering design lab"? I'm assuming they will build things?</p>
<p>lkf,</p>
<pre><code>You might build stuff, but you might not. They have a mechanical engineering design lab at Purdue. It is used for the sophomore and senior design classes. It has a lot of design books and computers, but students don't build anything. They design on paper and on the computer.
</code></pre>
<p>Thanks, dr_reynolds. At least is sounds like a step up from the basic freshman courses. After a year of chem, physics, math and computer, I hope they get to do something a little more creative and fun!</p>
<p>u prolly won't be designing cars</p>
<p>anyone else??</p>
<p>You build the weapons while civil engineers build the targets... everyone knows that.</p>
<p>That's aerospace.</p>