Posted: 7/16/2005 4:52:37 PM EDT
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Anyone in the broad field of engineering, please chime in. I am feeling the need to go back to college and complete a B.A. or B.S. degree, in either Engineering or History. I like history because it is totally sweet (obviously), but engineering would allow me to really leave a mark on the world and accomplish something, instead of just studying or talking about the past. What I especially find interesting is military engineering, I.E. fortifications, bridges, etc. I may soon be transferring to a Sapper unit in the National Guard, but that is a seperate issue. So, what can I do with an engineering degree? What are the major fields of engineering? I'm not particularly interested in marine or aeronautical engineering, more on the practical building aspects of it, such as building dams, bridges, and so on. Thanks for any info or advice. I know this is very open-ended, but I'm really just starting to feel this one out now. |
you want civil engineering, htey say it's the easiest too. but engineering isn't a walk in the park. |
| My dad's a civil engineer, was in the Corps of Engineers in the Army nat'l guard. He's worked on building the canals at Red Bluff, CA and designed and built a tipple to fill a coal cars for a coal mine. But mostly he specializes in building arctic facilities for oil service companies in Prudhoe Bay. He also does surveying and CAD services from time to time. |
| I double majored in Biomedical and Electrical engineering in undergrad and have a Masters and a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering. My current job is with a medical imaging company doing hardware design. No complaints about my job - they basically pay me to play with electronic circuits all day and at the same time, my work has a positive benefit on society. |
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Before you go back to school consider that all engineering disciplines require a lot of math---calculus, physics, thermo, statics and dynamics...others but it's not my field. If you aren't comfortable with math, don't waste your time. I learned this the hard way. As has been said above, the stuff you're interested in building all fall into Civil. Good luck. |
Speaking from my perspective as an EE, nothing (outside of parenting) leaves a bigger mark on the world than teaching kids. If you love history, you'd probably make an excellent history teacher. The only good reason to go into engineering is if you actually enjoy designing things and watching them being built and used. Unless you live and breathe for All Things Technical, it'll just be another way to collect a paycheck. |