<p>So I got into UT's engineering program and by the time I graduate from high school I should have about 25 college credit hours. The total degree program is like 128 hours over four years, so I would only have 103 credits left to complete for the entire four years. So it would be like five years of completing the curriculum as opposed to the traditional four.
On here many people speak of the difficulty of engineering and i was wondering if it was due to the high number of courses that are required, so would my five years make it possible to have a vibrant life (girlfriend, frat, research) in a chemical engineering curricumlum?</p>
<p>Just make sure that all of those 25 credit hours will indeed be credit toward the degree. I would def check with Registrar's office/advisor before assuming that you will only have 103 credits left to fulfill.</p>
<p>If you're bringing in credits from HS, why would it take five years instead of four?</p>
<p>Engineering programs have strict requirements (humanities, core math/science, general engineering classes, major specific classes). Your AP credits will help, but not all of them will be able to count.<br>
Many students have difficulty graduating within four years (especially due to major changes), and the AP credits greatly reduce this problem. And is possible to graduate a semester or two early, depending on the school and the specific AP classes taken. Alternatively - as you seem to be proposing - you can take a lighter schedule and still finish in the standard four years. The classes will be just as hard, but the stress level might be a little lighter. When you start college, you will have to feel out your way - how efficient are you at studying, what level of courses can you handle, etc. So we can't tell you how much time you will have for 'social life'.</p>
<p>"If you're bringing in credits from HS, why would it take five years instead of four?"
He do not intend to complete it in five instead of four, he means that he just needs to study at the same pace as if he would take it in five years.</p>
<p>Edit: Also, to the OP, engineering is not hard for everyone, do not assume that it is ridiculously hard just because a lot of people you have talked to say it is.</p>
<p>The credits I cited where those credits that actually count toward the degree otherwise I would have about 31 credits, but Stats and some other things won't count toward my degree. So it is indeed 25 applicable credits.</p>
<p>@Klockhan-that is something that I have been thinking about. I mean I take one the most demanding curriculum at my school 11 APs in total and I have gotten all A's in every single AP class I have taken. And I have always been one of those generally smart students.</p>
<p>Really it is the pessimism that is causing me to doubt whether or not I should do it. I think ChemE would be interesting (and yes I know exactly what that entails-the builidng of chemical plants) but I also want to have a vibrant life in college. Is it possible in a ChemE curriculum. In terms of competition, I am in the top 10% of all the incoming engineering bc I got into the Honors program so I think the compeition will be easier for grading.
My only reason to be hesitant is that I fear that pursuing engineering (specifically chemical bc it is between chemical and mechanical) is that I will not be able to hang out with my non-engineering friends or my girlfriend.</p>
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I think ChemE would be interesting (and yes I know exactly what that entails-the builidng of chemical plants)
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<p>Err that's not really what a ChemE does. </p>
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My only reason to be hesitant is that I fear that pursuing engineering (specifically chemical bc it is between chemical and mechanical) is that I will not be able to hang out with my non-engineering friends or my girlfriend.
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<p>This is the concern from 95% of students coming to these forums asking if engineering is right for them. If you are as smart as you claim to be then you will be fine in engineering. It will be a lot more work than other majors but you will find it more rewarding as well. It is pretty easy to maintain a good social life in engineering.</p>
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My only reason to be hesitant is that I fear that pursuing engineering (specifically chemical bc it is between chemical and mechanical) is that I will not be able to hang out with my non-engineering friends or my girlfriend.
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I'm in my Sophomore year of college, and all of my friends are in engineering except one which is in IST.</p>
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This is the concern from 95% of students coming to these forums asking if engineering is right for them. If you are as smart as you claim to be then you will be fine in engineering. It will be a lot more work than other majors but you will find it more rewarding as well. It is pretty easy to maintain a good social life in engineering.
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<p>One thing to keep in mind, with regards to quality of social life, is the priority one places on it vs. one's academic goals. For example, if one finds oneself in one of those killer weedout classes, and still wants to get high scores (not just above the mean, but as an absolute %age), one might have to sacrifice some social life to do the extra work necessary.</p>
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One thing to keep in mind, with regards to quality of social life, is the priority one places on it vs. one's academic goals. For example, if one finds oneself in one of those killer weedout classes, and still wants to get high scores (not just above the mean, but as an absolute %age), one might have to sacrifice some social life to do the extra work necessary.
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<p>Yup but then again there are those in other majors who put their social life above academics and they fail also. To be honest everyone in college has to know when to put academics first and put aside socializing. It's just engineerin majors tend to do this a lot more than others.</p>
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"Err that's not really what a ChemE does."
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<p>Aren't many chemical engineers employed as process engineers? I thought (especially in Texas) that chemical engineers are involved in designing and optimizing the process of producing a certain output of chemicals under economic constraints. Isn't that right in terms of what the actual job entails.</p>
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"and still wants to get high scores (not just above the mean, but as an absolute %age), one might have to sacrifice some social life to do the extra work necessary.
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<p>I understand that this is a neccesity, but I am wondering how often it is necessary. For example I have heard alot about the problem sets that are required in engineering, and I looked up a few from the UT website, there are about 2-3 problems and they are due one every week. I don't know how long it takes to do a problem set, but if someone is taking five classes and each class gives a problem set a week, then that is only five problems sets for about 10-15 problems. That does not seem like alot, although i do not know how long and how difficult a problem set would be.</p>
<p>I want to ask, HOW MUCH work is it? I hear that engineering is really difficult, but is it because the course material is difficult or is it because there is a large amount of work neccessary?</p>
<p>Spreading your class out over 5 years will definately ease the your course load and allow you to have a social life. Many people take this option. If you keep it around 15 or 16 hours a semester a girlfriend would be doable. That is a handful though, lol. With a frat I think your pushing it. You have mandatory parties you have to make and if something if due the next day, your going to have to make some choices. One of the reasons you see people wash out is because they take on too much at once. Just feel it out your first semester and that will be your sign.</p>
<p>Most chemical engineers sit on their but in a plant and prepare for the next turnarounds. In my experience, I don't find the information hard, but only so many people can say that. I would also help out other peers with there homework and studying. I didn't find it hard, I just found I was too constrained by due dates of problem sets and having 3 exams in one day. Stuff like that. Having to take time out of my weekend to crank out problem sets or spend late nights studying, for multiple exams, like right now in fact. Other people just find the course content and the course load altogether to be hell. These are the people that get weeded out real early. Generally, you better have a love for math and physics. No one will be forcing you to stay up and work those problems and study for your sciences classes till 2 in the mourning. You better have a love for solving problems because that is all you will be doing in school. There are many people who squeak by just winging it. Now in the industry, like many have said, 10 percent of your job is actual engineering, the other 90 is everything else.</p>
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I understand that this is a neccesity, but I am wondering how often it is necessary. For example I have heard alot about the problem sets that are required in engineering, and I looked up a few from the UT website, there are about 2-3 problems and they are due one every week. I don't know how long it takes to do a problem set, but if someone is taking five classes and each class gives a problem set a week, then that is only five problems sets for about 10-15 problems. That does not seem like alot, although i do not know how long and how difficult a problem set would be.
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<p>It depends on the school, the professor, the sophistication of the other students, etc.</p>
<p>Perhaps you and your gf could study together. Presumably, she'll have to study, at least some of the time. So at least you'll be in the same place even though you're not doing the same thing.</p>
<p>yagottabelieve it brought up a great point about the professors. Some professor will be reasonable and realize that everyone is new to the information and will have reasonable learning goals. Some others will expect you to somehow know the information already. Then again others might be great teachers, and some will down right suck. It all depends, make sure when you take classes, do all you can to find out who the good instructors are. I remember taking a few classes where the information I was learning was way more difficult than the work one of my friends was doing with a different professor. Put it to you this way, if you have have a teacher with 6 different degrees. You might want to run, lol. Those guys are going to expect you to master the material because they are lifelong scholars who think you should do the same. It just brings back bad memories.</p>