Alright so currently I am in the engineering department at Virginia tech and have no idea what i want to major in so I was going to ask you guys for advice. here is some information about what i am and am not interested in:
-Like physics (mechanics not as much Electricity and magnetism) (ap c class)
-Chemistry was ok. thinking back on it, it wasn’t too bad but i haven’t dealt with chemistry stuff for 3 years
-Math dont “like” math but am good with it and definitely do not dislike it
-have small amounts of programming experience and enjoy problem solving aspect of it but the idea of being on a computer all day is a huge turnoff
-really love being outdoors and running/hiking/skiing/biking
-love puzzles and problem solving type things
-often think outside the box
-working in a lab appeals a great deal to me
-not super into cars and planes and machinery like that
-like bridges but dislike construction cites
-if i were to switch to something not in the Virginia tech engineering department i would want to transfer
-not super into computers but like the idea of robotics
-animal behavior and environmental stuff(such as global warming and how species interact with each other in an environment) interests me but dont like dissecting things and anatomical related fields
-want to work in a place that is making some type of difference in the world
list of majors i would be open to:
Chemical Engineering
Mechanical engineering
Computer Science
Chemistry(note: unless i double majored i would probably transfer for Chemistry so less prone to wanting to do this)
Aerospace Engineering
anything else you guys would be suitable for me
any and all advice is greatly appreciated
Thanks in advance
wow not even kidding we are almost identical bro. um yea i would go with something either computer science or aerospace engineering. But u said being indoors all day is a turnoff soo um, this is tough. lets see… then u might wanna go for mechanical or aerospace that seems more outdoory. Just imagine urself in 10-20 years and think about whether you would like doing whatever u choose at that time. Just think, is this gonna end up being boring or something Im not really interested in or is it gonna be something that will still be really cool. Like for instance if u are a computer programmer, u could code video games and stuff which sounds pretty cool to me. If you were an aerospace engineer obviously it would be more hands on, less computer time, perhaps more diversity and surprises cuz u get to find out how different stuff work… anyways i hope u get it all worked out dude. good luck and all the best in the future!!
Let’s start with the strongest emotion. It makes sense to first try what you “really love.” And working outdoors should be more important to you than avoidance of construction sites.
The most outdoors oriented of Virginia Tech’s engineering departments are Civil & Environmental (which has 5 sub-disciplines) and Mining & Minerals. Among the 5 Civil & Environmental sub-disciplines is one that deals with water especially (and, therefore, with chemistry and biology) and one that is about building outdoor structures (e.g. foundations, slopes, retaining walls, embankments, tunnels, levees, wharves, landfills). Mining engineers of course deal with mines especially, and their jobs are often in the remote outdoors.
The number of “Mining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers” is small, but grew slightly from 7,900 to 8,200 during 2012-2014, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The relatively large number of Environmental Engineers meanwhile stagnated at 53,200. (Sources: http://www.bls.gov/emp/ep_table_102.htm and http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000). On the Indeed.com jobs website there are today 3,917 results for Mining Engineer and 17,256 for Environmental Engineer (54,293 for Mechanical Engineer & 14,083 for Chemical Engineer).
Virginia Tech’s Mining & Minerals Engineering Department apparently is an especially good one and claims an “Excellent job placement rate” for its students.
Please do some research on what engineers do before making incorrect blanket statements like these.
@runnerbro
Based on the fact that you like physics/mechanics, creativity and problem solving, and robotics, you might want to consider mechanical engineering. ME is a broad field and makes for a versatile degree that could allow you to work on any variety of projects in any variety of areas. Engineering, particularly mechanical, is an excellent field for those who enjoy design and problem-solving.
I love being outdoors and running, hiking, and biking. I love communing with nature and all that stuff. But that doesn’t mean that I want to work outdoors. I like working at my desk in an office and reserving my outdoors time to my free time.
And that, I think, is the crux of this decision. You’ve listed a lot of things that you like - but everybody likes a lot of things. We don’t all do or use them in our work every day, though. At some point you have to make choices: what do you just like, and what do you actually want to do for your career on a daily basis? (And to be fair, selecting a major isn’t really about that, since an engineering major could eventually end up doing a different kind of engineering or exiting it altogether.)
Physics is pretty much the building block of all engineering, so it’s good that you like it. Solving puzzles and thinking creatively is also just part of being an engineer but also part of many jobs, so that’s just a base level. My questions are instead
What kinds of classes do you want to take in your next 4-5 years in college? and
What kinds of problems do you want to solve - and things do you want to work on - as an engineer?
If you are considering chemistry enough to major in it, and you want to work outdoors (not just enjoy it for fun), and you like the idea of working in a lab but not on machinery, and you like environmental stuff and studying ecosystems, civil engineering actually sounds perfect for you… Civil engineering at VT encompasses more than just construction engineering: it also encompasses environmental and water resources engineering, geotechnical engineering, and land development. A specialization in environmental & water resources or geotechnical engineering will likely include quite a bit of chemistry, little work on machinery, and some testing samples in labs. You’ll also spend a good deal of time outdoors in that career (although these days most jobs do require a lot of work at computers). And you likely wouldn’t have to dissect anything.
If you do not want to work at a computer all day, then don’t even consider computer science.