Worried about studying engineering (gpa / field)?

Question

Hello I have a question about studying engineering. Im about to go into my senior year in high school. Right now the engineering field entrigues me, as i enjoy problem solving and design and structure, etc. and it leaves so many open possibilities. I am particularly interesting in going to law school after undergrad to become a patent attorney. This is where my GPA worries come in.

I have heard that engineering is very difficult and i am willing to accept that. I have also seen that law schools dont care at all if you majored in sociology or engineering. If LSATs are same, a 3.3 in eng will be rejected while a 3.5 in socio will be accepted. That general idea is what i have been hearing. How do you do well in engineering to avoid this probnlem? Im very worried about it, as ive heard constantly how hard engineering is.

Also, how do you pick? Mech seems very cool, but Electrical seems to be what everyone wants. Ive also heard environ. engineering consultants can do very well. How to pik

Thank you all!!! Every answer was very helpful! I think Im just worried about the unknown. I hear all the stories and they worry me. I wish I knew what it was like so i could grasp the difficulty better.

By the way, Im not obsessed with grades or anything. In fact, I prefer learning and not worrying so much about the letter attached to the education. Im just trying to wonder how hard it will be to get into a graduate school when im fighing against people with much easier majors. Im gonna do engineering because whther i end up a lawyer, engineer, business man, whatever, I want it to have somehting to do with engineering.

Answer 1

I am doing a double major B.S./M.A. for the space program, with Aerospace Engineering and Space Physics along with flight school up to type rating. I'm currently a sophmore on my way to Junior year this fall, and studying hardcore 24/7.

When I was in highschool, I didn't learn anything. My highschool was in the ghetto, and everyday it was a complete circus. With that being said, I dropped out, and later enrolled into a military school-- but only graduated with a GED.

After the Marines, I was discharged, and I started this. I passed an Astronaut entrance exam in 04, passed another in 05. After reasoning with them my interests, etc..I got ahead of them, and enrolled myself in school. While in the military, I studied up on the basic math. That was always what troubled me the most. Now, that I'm well aquainted with it, I kept up my self-teaching lifestyle and finally hit Calculus.

This year, is going to be exceptionally hard for me. But, I'm willing to stick to it all the way through. Unlike my buddies, I can't go off and party or bs around.

Everyday, I'm either here in my study, the Library, in the Labs, Barnes & Noble, the Pilot Shop, Starbucks or some study group.

My last party was months ago.. And my last sip of alcohol was months before that. I'd say on the average, I attend my classes and study at least 4 to 6 hours a day-- and on the weekends anywhere from 12 to 15 hours.

Specifically because I still believe I lack the knowledge I didn't receive in H/S. I'm not so great at understanding Calculus and Analytic Geometry, or Physics II, Classical Mechanics, and Thermodynamics-- but, the more I read and study, the more I'll get it down.

Whether or not this is true, my belief prolongs my motivation to keep going.

This semester I'm doing 4 subjects that intervein eachother. Statics, Solid Mechanics, Dynamics and Fluid Mechanics. On top of that, Calculus and Analytic Geometry II, Classical Mechanics, a Humanities subject which is nothing, Physics III w/ a Lab, and Intro to Computing for Engineers.

Since, summer semester is cheaper than others, I've loaded myself down-- for a cheaper price and this semester is almost up.. I hope I never work this much in the future semesters.

But, back to your question. If you stick with it, and stay active in your academics.. Don't mess around, and stay commited to your personal goals, you should do just fine. Sure, these courses are hard, but its all fun if you make it that way.

I don't really know why you would want to be a lawyer... I can see your reason for thinking with respects to your degree program.

But, for real, Engineering is no basket weaving or hotel hospitality curriculum. Especially if its a double major, like me-- The good 'ol "college life" doesn't exist.

--Rob :)~

Sorry for mispelled words. "Spell Check" is down at this time.

Answer 2

If you are worried about your grades, study harder. If you study your best and still struggle in school, maybe you should find something else to study. As you will learn, cutting corners will almost always come back to haunt you later. In this scenario, how well off will you be by specifically planning around this GPA hang-up then actually becoming a patent attorney and turning out to be a bad patent attorney and getting fired, or damage a client so that their business fails and 100's of people lose their job?

My advice to you is to study subjects that you find interesting, therefore, studying hard will not be a tedious task but a rewarding one that you will enjoy. Thus ahcieving a 'good' GPA will be fun and rewarding. Secondly, don't make such an impactful choice (I'm going to be a patent attorney and deliberately pick an unreleated major to make it easier to get into law school) when you don't even know if you will want to be a patent attorney in 1, 2, 3...etc years? For all you know you may end up wanting to be an accountant or electrical engineer or something else, but now none of your 'easy path' classes pertain to that field and now you are stuck having to take additional classes to catch up instead of taking classes that interested you in the first place.

So read through the class descriptions of the 3rd and 4th year classes (of all the fields) and decide what sounds the most intriguing, this will result in you having the best chance of success. Also, never pick a major soley based on how much you think you will be making when you get out. If you don't love your work, even if it pays well, you won't last very long in that field.

Answer 3

I would think that being a patent attorney would be a very limited field and there would be very little of the things you say you like best.

When I was a junior in high school I still wanted to be an engine mechanic, but by the time I finished high school, I realized engineering was a much better field. My father wanted me to be a electrical engineer but I really enjoyed mechanical things and opted to take mechanical engineering.

By the time I had worked 6 or 8 years as an engineer, I became proficient in most aspects of construction, civil, chemical, electrical, control and safety engineering. I believe your initial education is just a starting point and you end up doing the kind of engineering you enjoy.

A couple of examples:

The company I worked for had an electrical engineer who was one of their experts in rotating equipment (pumps, compressors, engines, turbines, generators etc.). Seldom did he use his electrical engineering training.

Another engineer with a degree in chemical engineering became an expert in heat exchangers, pressure vessels, process control, unit operations, rotating equipment and project management.

It is almost impossible to start out as a consultant, you need many years of experience to be credible. Also, to do well financially, you will find yourself working 10 12 hours a day 7 days a week. It is difficult to turn down work as a consultant because you never know where the next job is coming from. If you have an established set of clients, you can't afford to put them off or they probably won't call the next time they need help.

Choose the thing you enjoy the most and are good at. Get that degree first and then worry about the question of law school, other education or where you want to work.

Answer 4

I graduated Summa *** Laude with B.S. in Industrial Engineering, and am currently pursuing my PhD. in the same area. I would say pick I.E. if your people person, like to contact and talk to people. And also, if you view the world in according to interactions and as one big system. Also, a healthy love of statisitcs would really help also. I would say that the reason it is common for most engineers to have low GPA is due to several factors 1) not alot of time spent studying 2) Professors grade on curves 3) people are just do not want it that badly. However, The engineers that I do know who went to Law School had a greater advantage, because they knew how to break down problems (cases) and deal with each part. Also, patent law would require to you probably major in mechanical or electrical engineering since most companies who have patents deal with those types of things. And by the way currently the real money is in Chemical Engineering. But, Civil engineers by far have the best job security.

Answer 5

If you enjoy Mathematics, Sciences, and problem solving engineering should not be bad at all. I am studying Electrical Engineering and so far I love it. I agree with you some engineering classes might be difficult but law is not going to be any easier. Also, as far as I know, in almost all colleges classes are graded based on a curve. So, if you are one of the top ones in the class you will receive an A. Since engineering classes are hard, everybody will will strugle and all of have to do it make sure you are doing well compared to other students in the class in order to receive a good grade. As far as different discipline within engineering goes, I would suggest Electrical Engineering. You might think I am biased since I am majoring in Electrical Engineering. I probably am since I have enjoyed my college experience to it's fullest.

Answer 6

I am a Chemical Engineer with my own company.
I had plans to follow your same path years ago.

Let me say the Chem. E, Elec. E. and Petroleum E are three of the hardest and I would not advise choosing them with your plans. Bio Engineering is relatively new and Rice has a good program but it is hard as well. Mech. Eng and Civil are the two easiest.

Environmental people are in hot demand now in Houston, where I am and my attorney in this field charged me more than anyone else because their were so few. I think that field would be a great one to pursue. Environmental Science, perhaps, (an easier degree than engineering) and a Law degree for a graduate degree.

Good luck.

Answer 7

If you think you want to work as an engineer, study engineering. (But it is true that it is hard, and competitive. I had a friend who graduated with a low GPA in engineering and never found a job in the field.) But if you don't want to be an engineer, don't study it. The skills you get in engineering are not those you need in law school, regardless what the law school admission policy might be. You need good reasoning, reading, and writing skills. Better to major in some humanities subject emphasizing those if you want law.

Having said that, this country has far too many lawyers, and the majority of them are money grubbing swine. I've never understood why anyone would want to be one.

Answer 8

The advice listed above is excellent .From my Personal Experience Advanced Mathematics and Physics were my Hardest Subjects but Since I am Aiming at a Possibe Medical or Surgical Career the named Subjects will be Crucial for advancement.

I recommend you Think of Applying to Ghanaian Universities like Ghana Telecom University and Central University College.

Just go to Google.com and Type Ghanaian Universties for Your Bestseletions and invitations.

Answer 9

I graduated with a BS in Electrical Engineering. That is true that your GPA will haunt you if you want to go into Law School and you dstruggled in engineering. But, to keep a good GPA in engineering, GO TO OFFICE HOURS CONSTANTLY. Once I started doing this in school, I found it was so much easier to keep my GPA up. The teachers will remember you and see that you are trying. Plus, it will help with your homework skills and grades.

Answer 10

Im finishing my 4th year as an ME for your first 3 years you will be miserable. It doesnt get fun until the 4th year and even then you will be very busy. You're learning the fundamentals at the moment and its a b***h, but without a strong base you wont be able to accomplish anything since you wont have anything to apply. And the classes get harder but the work load stays about the same, unless you overload yourself.