<p>I'm getting to the point where I need to specialize. I've always had a passion for science and engineering seems to be the right choice for me. However, I have so many interests I am exhausting myself trying to figure out which major is right for me. If this makes a difference, I am female, late 20s, already have some career experience (not in engineering, office/corporate type stuff).</p>
<p>I've narrowed it down to a few:</p>
<p>Civil engineering: I've talked to a few civil engineers and they all seem to be pretty happy with it. I'm really attracted to this major because it sounds stable and in demand - after a few years in the corporate world, I appreciate stability and a steady paycheck - I would not mind working for the government, for example, designing highways or water purification plants - I'd feel useful. I'd also like to open my own civil engineering company one day.</p>
<p>Mechanical engineering: The two things I am very passionate about is space exploration, and environment/renewable energy, and it looks like mechanical engineering is a very flexible degree and could work for both. My university has an astronautical degree but that's probably way too specialized for undergrad and could shut me out of job opportunities, so that's why I am thinking of mechanical instead. I would absolutely love to work on solar panels or satellites or for companies like Virgin Galactic. I'm just concerned about pay, stability and demand. I realize I'm also attracted to all the "cool" aspects of the degree - in reality I'm afraid I would end up designing HVAC systems which don't really interest me. What is the reality? Somewhere in between?</p>
<p>Ahh, I am mentally exhausted trying to choose. I need to make a decision, I can't really switch majors after picking one due to time/financial constraints. Can anyone give me any input?</p>
<p>Civil does, in general, have more opportunities for environmental engineering than mechanical, but mechanical engineering has a lot more opportunities to impact the environment from an energy efficiency standpoint.</p>
<p>Honestly, if mechanical engineering seems to be your passion, then go with it. Don’t go with civil just because you feel like it is more steady. They are both very steady career paths, and if you don’t want to do HVAC as an ME, then don’t. There are thousands more MEs who do, so it is very very unlikely that you would get stuck with an ME job that you don’t like. There are plenty of opportunities in pretty much all areas. The same holds true if civil seems to be your passion. Do what you feel you will enjoy the most.</p>
<p>I was an ME undergrad and I can personally tell you that I and nearly all of my friends had jobs waiting for us when we graduated, and that was last year when the economy was just as bad as now if not worse. I don’t know many, if any, people who had to settle for jobs outside their particular area of interest within ME. Civil has been harder hit by the recession than mechanical, but it is still possible to get a job, and since you have a few years until you graduate, that shouldn’t be an issue anyway. Honestly, go with the one that you honestly feel like you would enjoy more. You will be happier in the long run.</p>
<p>If you are undecided, I would pick one and start going to school for it, and then figure out your freshman year which one you want to do.</p>
<p>We have a civil engineer on here that was offered a job designing spacecraft for manned space exploration (structural work) and one of my high school classmates graduated in mechanical engineering and ended up getting his professional engineering license in civil!</p>
<p>So you can do either with either degree. Don’t fret about it and just enroll in the program.</p>
<p>There is the issue of more time spent on schooling if you were to be a Civil Eng. I haven’t rigorously researched this as much as the disciplines that are to my own interests, but from what I’ve heard and read, a B.S. in Civil is not enough to work in the field (and not do grunt work). I think it would be in your best interest to pursue post-grad options if you went the Civil route. Someone with experience in Civil or more knowledge could probably explain this better.</p>