[nhancakes]

biology is all reading, so you better learn to love reading. coming from a human biology major here. ;]

 

[ThePredator]

The most helpful thing you could do is learn to like reading. Despite the advances in technology (TED talks, interactive learning, etc are quite nice, but only address a relatively narrow amount of information) the most available way to learn *anything* is through reading. If you read a random single wikipedia page completely once a day, I can damn near guarantee that you would know exactly what interests you within a year. Further than that, on the internet alone there are so many literary sources of knowledge that you could be proficient in most of the undergrad topics for a good number of majors if you applied yourself.

My suggestion is to read as much as you can on as many topics as possible before deciding what you like and never to be afraid of a used bookstore (or getting books off Amazon).

 

[Uncle Erik]

As someone who picked up three degrees over the years (English, accounting and law), I'd almost recommend going for a highly skilled trade. Something along the lines of electrician, plumber or mechanic. I'm too far invested to change course, but it would have been more lucrative to have been an apprentice electrician straight out of high school.

The beauty of the trades is that they can't really be outsourced. While I value my education, it would be nice to be an independent contractor where I could have taken up a liberal arts degree (or two) for the fun of it without having to grind myself in a law office.

I'm sort of doing this as a backup, even. I don't know what the future holds, so I'm studying when I can for a FCC license in radio operation and marine radio/radar. I figure I could always find work in there, and I already have an amateur radio license.

I don't know if a highly skilled trade is for you, but put that option on the table. If you want to be a mechanic, you can always get paid while training in the military - you would escape burdensome student loans that way. You could also stick around in the reserves afterwards for a full military retirement and healthcare. I've been toying with the idea of JAG Reserves - 20 years and I'd get retirement at Major and free healthcare. That's better than what I'd get from the current job.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif As someone who picked up three degrees over the years (English, accounting and law), I'd almost recommend going for a highly skilled trade. Something along the lines of electrician, plumber or mechanic. I'm too far invested to change course, but it would have been more lucrative to have been an apprentice electrician straight out of high school. The beauty of the trades is that they can't really be outsourced. While I value my education, it would be nice to be an independent contractor where I could have taken up a liberal arts degree (or two) for the fun of it without having to grind myself in a law office. I'm sort of doing this as a backup, even. I don't know what the future holds, so I'm studying when I can for a FCC license in radio operation and marine radio/radar. I figure I could always find work in there, and I already have an amateur radio license. I don't know if a highly skilled trade is for you, but put that option on the table. If you want to be a mechanic, you can always get paid while training in the military - you would escape burdensome student loans that way. You could also stick around in the reserves afterwards for a full military retirement and healthcare. I've been toying with the idea of JAG Reserves - 20 years and I'd get retirement at Major and free healthcare. That's better than what I'd get from the current job.

I think the only downside of being in the trades is the feast or famine tendency - if you aren't working you aren't getting paid, and it can be tied to the economy - if people aren't remodeling, building, etc it can be tough to find a steady paycheck - you really do have to make money while the sun shines!

 

[dBs]

If you like math and science than look into an engineering job. Ive always liked math and science and so I went into engineering.

I will say that you shouldnt even bother going to college if you choose some majors, IF you plan on taking out student loans to go. If you have a free ride somehow then it doesnt matter as much what you take. If you are going to take out student loans though, do yourself a HUGE favor and get your degree in a field that has some kind of value to it. Ive heard too many horror stories about people who were art majors, fictional lit majors, communications majors, etc. and who racked up huge amounts of student loan debt. They come out of college and get a job that only pays marginally more than if they hadnt gone to college at all (or just got an AA) but now they have a huge loan to pay back. At their low salaries theyll be paying the rest of their lives and generally get no farther in life than if they hadnt gone at all.

Ive accrued around $30k in student loan debt but the average starting salary for a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering is twice that (lower now due to the economy, I was one of the ~25% who landed a job in my graduating class), so it wont be too bad to pay back. If your salary is going to be ~$20k though, its going to be a long time to pay that back. Thats actually a pretty low debt to have coming out of college, some have far more debt than that and are still on a small salary like that.

Choose a major wisely. Interest is important, but sometimes how practical it is is more important. I chose EE specifically because its the most diverse of the engineering so if I was going to find something to interest me, it would be there. I found quite a few things that peaked my interest.

Side note about importance of which college you go to. It depends on the major and sector you want to work in within that major. It seems like the most important aspect of getting a job is connections. I was honestly amazed when I was one of the few people in my class to get a job out of college. I had no internship, I had been working entry level jobs for 10 years, but no true engineering work. My GPA was decent but not amazing (though I did end on a very high note senior year). I cant, and might not ever be sure but I think I got in simply because I had made friends with a lab partner of mine who was friends with the guy who interviewed me. Ive always been a good interviewer but I cant think of anything exceptional in my resume compared to other people in my class. BTW Im going to be working for a defense contractor. This has led me to believe (by my very limited experience), that connections are the biggest factor in getting a job. Where you went to college and your GPA has a bigger roll in your first job or two, after that its all about the experience you had and who will represent you. Doing good in school though is still important, I believe, in that you hopefully have understood well the material. In engineering thats one of the biggest complaint from fresh graduates who went to work, that they had better paid attention or better learned the material.

University of Nevada at Reno, BTW =)

 

[nickosha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by billybob_jcv /img/forum/go_quote.gif I cut the OP some slack for being - what - 14? Show me a 14 year old that isn't a social dumb@ss - *that* would be newsworthy... If I had a dollar for every engineering college recruit I interviewed that said they wanted to do "design", I wouldn't need to work for a living... In most engineering or technology businesses, being an actual "designer", as opposed to a builder, implementer, supporter, administrator, documenter, trainer, etc is a pretty senior position, and there may only be a handful of senior employees at the company that have the role of "designer". Think abut it - how many people does it take to develop the circuit design for a new amplifier, as opposed to the number of people who worry about creating & maintaining the detailed bill of materials, sourcing all the parts, creating the manufacturing plan, managing the technicians or machines doing the assembly, QC testing, customer support, etc, etc. That doesn't mean being a designer isn't possible, but it usually takes a few career steps to get there. What about your math skills? Does it come easy or do you hate it?

If the second half of that was to me, then yeah I've already taken Calculus as a Junior and I found it to be not too bad if you keep up with studying. I don't really mind it too much. On my ACT, I got 28 composite and 32 for the math portion. I'm also taking CAD and robotics classes (both taught by a former engineer of 20+ years), so I think I might know just a little bit about it. Also, I'm not expecting to just be a designer, I just think it would be really interesting to be part of the process of creating and engineering things, especially electronics. Thanks for your insight though, I appreciate it.

Uncle Erik mentioned the specialized trade jobs and I just want to mention that some of them will leave you tired and sore after every day. My dad is an electrician and he's pretty beat after work most of the time. Luckily he has been able to keep working in these times, but he has been having to travel further and further. I actually started working a month ago as an electric apprentice at the company, but I mostly build and wire the PLC panels that control various systems. Even just doing what I do, it kind of tires you out after 8+ hours.

Since we are already kind of on the subject, do you guys have any knowledge of or experience with the schools in Michigan or nearby states? I'm mostly looking at the usual suspects (MSU, UofM, etc) plus some others like RIT or Kettering, but I'm very unsure right now and any insight or recommendations of places to visit are always helpful. As mentioned, I'm interested in engineering, but I'm also kind of interested in chemistry, physics, and some technical fields. Thanks

 

[aaron313]

For an early high school student, I would suggest trying to find the best in every class you take. For example, I developed a strong interest in US Government, English (literature/grammar), Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math (all levels). It's striking how my HS classes influenced what I now pursue in my free time. This is all outside of finding the "right" profession for me, which is more of a crap shoot.

 

[Scott_Tarlow]

Go into science, because no one else is.

 

[billybob_jcv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dBs /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...I chose EE specifically because its the most diverse of the engineering so if I was going to find something to interest me, it would be there.

I know some mechanical engineers who would probably take issue with your claim that EE is the most diverse field of engineering...

 

[aaron313]

Quote:

Originally Posted by billybob_jcv /img/forum/go_quote.gif I know some mechanical engineers who would probably take issue with your claim that EE is the most diverse field of engineering...

And I could find...

 

[dBs]

Ok, I change it now then to "arguably the most...blah blah"...from my research though it is =D

 

[billybob_jcv]

That's OK - we know the truth...

 

[crossmd]

I'm going to cue Bob's *old man voice* from my lofty pedestal of a whopping 5 years over you..and say this: more often than not, the idealism of youth will come back to bite you in the ass.

Pessimistic? Maybe, here's what I mean though..

At your age, I thought I knew of a general path that I wanted follow. I knew my strengths, and I knew where I thought my focus needed to be, and then I hit college. While it didn't dramatically rearrange my life plan, it turned it upside down for a little while, and made me realize exactly what was realistic, what I was good at, and what I really did love more than what I thought that I had.

Jen talked earlier about doing what you love, and I realized not too long ago that that was where I needed to be. Being a keyboard monkey right now makes me realize that if I don't do what I love..I'll either have to change what I do, or kill myself at thirty five. So, I've decided that in this fiscal environment, that now would be a great time to get two degrees in Art History and Philosophy. Yeah, I know.. right?? When you see me living out of a cardboard box in the Walmart parking lot..throw me a bone, yeah?

So, as a disclaimer..I'm not telling you to think about it now. Foresight is always a good thing. Just don't let yourself get into this idea that you have to choose where you're going to be, without letting yourself stray. I see kids who decide that they're gonna be doctors, or stock brokers, or whatever..and grind away at that forever until they realize that it wasn't as idealistic as they made it, and changed to what they were much more inclined to do.

All in all..just food for thought.

 

[roadtonowhere08]

Quote:

Originally Posted by crossmd /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm going to cue Bob's *old man voice* from my lofty pedestal of a whopping 5 years over you..and say this: more often than not, the idealism of youth will come back to bite you in the ass. Pessimistic? Maybe, here's what I mean though.. At your age, I thought I knew of a general path that I wanted follow. I knew my strengths, and I knew where I thought my focus needed to be, and then I hit college. While it didn't dramatically rearrange my life plan, it turned it upside down for a little while, and made me realize exactly what was realistic, what I was good at, and what I really did love more than what I thought that I had. Jen talked earlier about doing what you love, and I realized not too long ago that that was where I needed to be. Being a keyboard monkey right now makes me realize that if I don't do what I love..I'll either have to change what I do, or kill myself at thirty five. So, I've decided that in this fiscal environment, that now would be a great time to get two degrees in Art History and Philosophy. Yeah, I know.. right?? When you see me living out of a cardboard box in the Walmart parking lot..throw me a bone, yeah? So, as a disclaimer..I'm not telling you to think about it now. Foresight is always a good thing. Just don't let yourself get into this idea that you have to choose where you're going to be, without letting yourself stray. I see kids who decide that they're gonna be doctors, or stock brokers, or whatever..and grind away at that forever until they realize that it wasn't as idealistic as they made it, and changed to what they were much more inclined to do. All in all..just food for thought.

Well said.

That is why I think college is so important for many people. It really puts their goals to the test. Hopefully the GE and majoring process will realign those who had unrealistic expectations or had convinced themselves that they wanted to be such and such. On the flip side, hopefully it will reaffirm the love and passion for other peoples' aspirations.

College is like dating: get a good feel for what you want before "majoring" (engagement) and embarking on a long and hopefully rewarding "career" (marriage)

 

[aaron313]

Rant:

I really hate the term "General Ed." What the hell does it even mean? Every field of study is specialized to some (usually high) degree. To science/engineering majors, these are often seen as throwaway classes that distract from the primary goal. To the people majoring in a "Gen Ed" subject, it is what their goal is. So when people say "I'm getting my General Ed out of the way," I cringe, because most of my time now is spent studying those subjects for fun. At my school, we call them Breadth Requirements, which is more intellectually honest.