What to do to change to engineering?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>Currently, I'm a freshman occupational therapy student at Ithaca College, but after a lot of thinking, I realized that I really want to be doing engineering. </p>

<p>I know that there's not a lot that I can do in the immediate future, but my primary concern is that I register for next semester's classes in a week, and I'm really not sure what to take. My current school doesn't offer engineering, but I looked into the curriculum for various schools, and it seems like what freshman are taking is calculus, physics, chemistry, and comp sci stuff, particularly java. </p>

<p>So that brings me to the first of my options:</p>

<p>Continue at this institution taking engineering-like classes that may or may not actually get me anywhere in the engineering program, @ about 2.5k in debt accrued or so.</p>

<p>OR:</p>

<p>Take a gap semester to work, save money, and pour my efforts into my transfer applications. If I were to go with this option, I would lose my health insurance because I am only covered if I am a full-time student. These two options are based on the assumption that I have missed the boat in terms of applying for fall transfer anywhere in an accessible geographic vicinity. </p>

<p>I'm really not sure which of these is the better option. On one hand, I feel like the first could potentially give me the chance to actually catch up with my peers and make sophomore standing after a semester at my next institution, presuming I transfer in for the spring semester, depending on their transfer policies. I'm not really sure what to expect though because it seems like the classes are "physics for engineers" and I'm not sure if that "for engineers" distinction is crucial or optional. I also feel like showing that I'm up the challenge of taking calculus and physics, which I unfortunately neglected to take in high school, might make me look like a more serious applicant for engineering when I don't have any other indicators on the application itself that suggest that engineering was a logical pathway for me. </p>

<p>On the other hand, I'm not sure if it's worth it to accrue more debt at this current institution, especially if I discover that what I take is not likely to advance me into the program in any way. If I do take the gap semester, I will have the potential at getting a full-time job at a place that employs engineers, so I could get some experience working alongside them and learning more about what they do. However, while getting this job is highly possible, it's not anywhere near guaranteed. </p>

<p>So basically, could you help me figure out what I should consider signing up for next semester, and which of the two options I have makes more sense?</p>

2

<p>One option you should consider - Ithaca offers a 3-2 program in engineering (the last two years are taken at a school with a full engineering program). I don’t know if the program is right for you, but read up on it. Almost any way you go about it, it is going to take more than 4 years for you to get an engineering degree, since you didn’t focus on calculus/physics this year.</p>

3

<p>Yeah, I did look into the 3-2 option, but kind of discounted it because I’m really not interested in dual engineering/science degrees and I want to go to a school that has a more legitimate engineering school. I’m from New York so it’s pretty silly for me to pay this much to go to Ithaca when I could go to Binghamton for much cheaper.</p>

4

<p>

</p>

<p>The program looks top notch to me. If you do it you will get an engineering degree from Cornell, Binghamton, RPI, or Clarkson… all legitimate engineering schools. Most engineers take 5 years any way and here you’ll have 2 degrees. With your core being from one of the 4 mentioned earlier. I wouldn’t dismiss that program so fast, it’s better than your option 2 or 1.</p>

5

<p>Yeah, I realize that it’s probably not a bad option, but I also really don’t like my current school and I want out pretty badly.</p>

6

<p>Cornell takes the most transfers of any top school, and has an elite engineering program. Unless you really want to get away from Ithaca, it seems like a good place to apply. I’ll bet if you visit they could give you advice on admissions and transferring credits, financial aid, etc.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for the advice guys. I just had a heart to heart with my mom, and I’m pretty sure I’m going to take the next semester off to reevaluate my options, get some work experience, and work on my applications. I don’t have issues with the town of Ithaca itself (it’s kind of cute and quirky), I just really, really don’t like my school and I’d feel trapped by having to come back next semester. In terms of the health insurance issue, we came to the conclusion that even if I cannot get back on her policy, schools usually have some sort of health insurance, even if it’s not very good, and that the stress of me being miserable at some place that I don’t want to be will probably hurt my health more than anything.</p>

<p>After the semester, I think I’m going to apply to SUNY Binghamton and Cornell, being relatively confident that I will get in at the former, and pretty sure that having no engineering experience, I probably won’t get into the latter. I’ll probably apply to other options as well, but those are the two I’ve strongly considered. After that, I guess I’ll see what happens.</p>

8

<p>Yes, the physics for engineers is more rigorous than other physics. If you can get some calculus under your belt, it would help. How far in math did you get so far?</p>

9

<p>Whoa, I really am fanatical about adequate health insurance. Do not go uncovered for any period of time. No matter how healthy you are, a simple fall resulting in a ruptured tendon can mean surgery, 3 nights in a hospital and months of physical therapy= thousands of dollars.</p>

<p>I was going to suggest looking into attending some university which offers engineering as a ‘special student’ or ‘guest student’ status. It means you are not in a degree program, per se, but your credits are valid if you apply for matriculated status in the future.</p>

10

<p>I was wondering if that was possible, but I’m pretty sure it’d be logistically and financially impossible, or at least very difficult. I rely completely on financial aid and I do not have a car, so basically other than taking a bus from home or living on a campus financed entirely by financial aid, there doesn’t seem to be a feasible option for me. </p>

<p>As for the health insurance thing, I’ve spent most of my life with no health insurance, so I think I can survive a semester, though I know I am testing my luck and tempting fate by doing so.</p>