Why are we all so dumb?

College Majors Engineering Majors
1

<p>Why are we all so stupid. When I first started college the average salery for a entry level MIS position was 36K a year. Now it is up close to 46k according to <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/08/pf/college/lucrative_degrees_winter07/index.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/08/pf/college/lucrative_degrees_winter07/index.htm&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I kinda really feel dumb now, the whole idea of going to school for engineering is being overtaken by the ease of Business majors. How could this have happened.</p>

<p>Business degrees are easy to get, I have friends who dont go to class, dont buy books and all they do is party and they get A's. while I struggle my ass off gor my CSE degree.</p>

<p>Why are we do dumb?</p>

<p>If somebody can work alot less in school and get paid just the same, why are we all doing engineering.</p>

2

<p>If all you want is money, then yea, you are being dumb if you're studying engineering. I would major in business rather than studying engineering or medicine if money is the * only * factor.</p>

3

<p>but when it comes down to it, even if you dont care about the money, why kill yourself. Why struggle so much for something that gives little or no rewards.</p>

<p>I think id rather do something i hated for a better paycheck than something i loved for half that.</p>

4

<p>
[quote]
Why are we all so stupid. When I first started college the average salery for a entry level MIS position was 36K a year. Now it is up close to 46k according to <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/08/pf/c...er07/index.htm%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/08/pf/c...er07/index.htm&lt;/a>

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well, to be fair, engineers still make significantly more than that. For example, according to that same link, ChemE's are making over 60k to start.</p>

<p>But I sympathize with your general point. MIT didn't even offer an undergraduate management major at the Sloan School until 1984. Now, management is the 2nd most popular major at MIT (after EECS). And like I've said on other threads, many MIT grads, including engineers, will take business jobs, i.e. banking or consulting. Similarly, many Stanford engineers will also take business jobs. </p>

<p>I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The real problem is with the engineering companies. For whatever reason, they just don't want to pay their engineers better. Yet apparently they seem to have no problem in paying millions in fees to consulting and banking firms, the very same firms who hired those engineering students who refused to work for those engineering companies because the offers were too low. Hence, these eng companies are STILL paying these guys high salaries anyway, only they're doing so indirectly (through fees to the consulting/banking firms, which then trickles down to salaries to these guys). Since you're going to pay them well regardless, why not just cut out the middleman and just give them better offers in the first place? </p>

<p>Nevertheless, if things continue as they are, engineering is going to continue to lose top talent. The best students are not going to want to get engineering degrees, or if they do, they're going to take non-engineering jobs. </p>

<p>Don't get me wrong. I still think engineering is an excellent choice for the vast majority of college students out there. Most of them end up with liberal arts degrees that truly pay them a pittance. For example, according to that same link above, lib arts grads are getting paid 30k a year to start. They are clearly financially better off in getting an engineering degree. </p>

<p>The problem is at the very top - with the very best engineering students. Most of them are probably better off doing something else because engineering firms do not want to pay them a salary that is commensurate with their abilities. But consulting and banking firms will.</p>

5

<p>I'd rather NOT do something I hate for a better paycheck. Why kill yourself for 40 years doing something you dislike? Being happy at work is perhaps the most important factor for me when it came to choosing my field and which company to work for. </p>

<p>Who says engineering gives little or no rewards? It still pays very well compared to other majors after only a bachelor's degree. </p>

<p>Really, it all boils down to how important money is to each individual person. There are plenty of people who need to make more money than everybody else, and engineering would not be a wise choice for this group. And then there are those who just want to be happy with what they do at work. </p>

<p>I see how this can be unfair, but you will always find things that are unfair in life. Teachers and police officers are relatively low paid, but are also perhaps the most important people in our communities. Architects take 5 years to get their first degree and work just as hard as engineers, but why do they get paid significantly less?</p>

6

<p>I am an engineer at a power plant and my company seems to not want to pay engineers much either when you take into consideration the demands of the job. The supervisors have it bad too because they may only start out at 85k per year but they are expected to work from 630am to past 4pm during the weekdays and show up on weekends even for minor work. After all of the hard work, sometimes the money doesn't seem to be much of a reward. But I'm still fortunate to be making in the mid 50k as a 24 year old guy in a low cost-of-living area. Many other folks around here are not as fortunate.</p>

<p>But I am trying not to let money be my focus in life because I realize that I don't have any interest in the jobs that pay the very high salaries, so I am content with learning a lower salary for work that I don't mind doing everyday.</p>

7

<p>you could always start your own company. notice many of the top CEO's today did their undergrad work in engineering. the average BBA students i know aren't exactly bathing in money either.</p>

8

<p>For every one startup, 1000 others fail.</p>

9

<p>It says in the article that business and marketing majors are making a starting salary of a bit over 40k. It also says that engineers are making 50k-60k starting. That's a pretty good gap for someone straight out of college</p>

10

<p>the point is that engineering shouldn't be limiting ur opportunities. if ur envious of business majors, then get the MBA. the long hrs of work in school isn't all going to waste. the business major who wants to make 100k per year on wall street is going to have to work 70-80 hrs per week, while ur engineering experience has already prepared u for this.</p>

<p>of course, if ur comparing just average engin/business majors, then the BBA might be more efficient (greater $/work ratio), but IMO, at higher salaried jobs (consulting, ibanking), there is a crossover and the engin degree provides better preparation.</p>

11

<p>this statistic is false, that kind of probablity would never have allowed the silicon valley boom in the late 90's early 00's. A start up company in software has little scope, but a start up company with software specializing in upcoming fields such as BME and Chem E, --i.e instruments, and biomolecular mapping-- a start up can still have good success</p>

12

<p>I would imagine it's a lot easier to start your own company in some fields over others. CS doesn't need a lot of capital to get started and you probably don't need to be established before going out on your own. In some other fields, you have to make a name for yourself and have a good client base or else you won't succeed. All depends on what you plan on doing.</p>

13

<p>I've learned that if all you see in majoring in engineering is dollar signs, then don't major in engineering. You won't do well in the major if you don't have a passion for it. So it's better to major in something that you love rather than to cause irreparable damage to your cumulative G.P.A..</p>

14

<p>Exactly if you love money go into business.
If you love engineering go into engineering.
If all you are interested in is Economics go into that. Business school teaches you how to make money. Engineering school teaches you technical skills and applying scientific and mathematical theories to everyday problems.</p>

15

<p>engineering is way more badass. just watch prisonbreak</p>

16

<p>you'd feel more intellectual in engineering than business
but the business kids start out low salaray, their annual increase is like 5-10% / year. in engineering, it's only like 4% ... very unfair.</p>

17

<p>hehe we all love to whine :) sakky is right. stupid engineering firms :(</p>

18

<p>Engineering isn't as boring. I find banking extremely boring.</p>

19

<p>making $115K a year makes up for it being boring.</p>

<p>Ive never planned on being a engineer per say, Im all about the money. Id do almost anything for money. Id kill a person for $50.</p>

20

<p>To the poster above: Usually, the more money you make, the more hours you have to work (especially in the business/banking world). Whats the use of making a truckload of money if you never get the chance to enjoy it? Are you going to play golf with your new $400 golf club at 3:00 AM when you finally get off your shift? ;)</p>