what does it take to be an engineer?

Question

what are some characteristics that are important if i want to become an engineer?

for some reason i keep thinking im not good enough. im a junior in high school and im not outstanding in math but not horrible eaither. i like when i understand it but im kinda slow at it most of the times. sometimes ill spend 20 minutes (or more) trying to figure out a problem... is that a good characteristic? im taking pre cal now (well more like trig). its such a beeyotch!
i do like the hands on science part. experiments are fun for me but im not too crazy about the equation stuff with it.

is this a good choice for me???

experiments are fun for me but im not too crazy about the equation stuff with it.

but i deal.

to be more specific, i want to be an evironmental/earth science (meteorology?) type of engineer

Answer 1

You sound amazingly similar to the way I was in high school. I disliked math for its own sake, because (like you) I wasn't stellar at it, but I loved the science and the hands-on stuff. Honestly, going into college I was deathly afraid of calculus, and it took much prayer, encouragement from my father (a PhD engineer) and a very good Calc I instructor to get me over it. Once I did that, my confidence began to grow, albeit slowly, and continued to do so with each passing (pun intended) semester. I eventually learned to "almost" enjoy math, when I was using it as a tool to solve real problems. The ultimate irony is that I ended up going to grad school and getting into research, and now I'm teaching the stuff. It still amazes me to think of the inner demons I had to overcome to get there, and I thank God for giving me the strength.

To make a long story short, it *helps* to be a natural at math (as someone else has suggested), but it is *not* a requirement. What's truly required is an inquisitive mind, a persistent drive to solve problems that at first seem unsolvable, toughness, perserverance and a refusal to quit. (Yes, I'm being redundant -- on purpose, to drive home the point.)

Calvin Coolidge said it best:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

Something else I've learned along the way is that I perform better when I forget about myself (my doubts, my fears, my uncertainties, my own success or failure) and stay focused on the thing that I'm learning or doing. Worrying about *me* is distracting and self-defeating. So instead of thinking about your grades and how you measure up against your peers, lose yourself in the task at hand, and the grades will take care of themselves.

One more thing, and this reinforces something someone else already said. Everyone who graduates from college with an engineering degree has the basic analytical skills to do the job for which they're hired. What will set you apart from your peers is your ability to communicate. Since many young engineers are weak in this area, focusing on it will give you an edge. Hey, it worked for me.

I hope you'll stay open to engineering as a possible career path. There's a severe and growing shortage in the U.S., and only about 10% of the engineering workforce is female.

(P.S. If you're not a math-lover, you might want to steer clear of electrical engineering. It's the mathy-est of them all.)

Answer 2

Engineering isn't particularly hands on, and it is very mathematical! To get through kind of in a middle b/w easy and hard you need to have good understanding of calculus and physics.... and on occasion you might be faced with a problem where you have to make an on the spot decision where you do not have that time to be slow...

Do you really want to be an environmental engineer? I'd look into that a bit more, and environmental engineer mainly works in landfill....?

I'm in my 2nd year of engineering and all we do is equations... if you have an interest in geology / earth science type stuff I'd consider maybe looking into the mining part of engineering (still alot of maths!!) or maybe even just straight geology - gets you to a similar place in the end...

Just look up a few random university's, (i know your only a junior) and check out the course descriptions for engineering and science courses.. this should give you a pretty good understanding of what is required with regards to study in this field, class that'll benefit your studies at high school and other things like the type of jobs you'll end up in and stuff..
you might find that you like something completely different!

Answer 3

There are a lot of different types of engineers, each with its own requirements. If you are asking about general engineering degrees, most require a fair amount of math, around 1.5-2 years of calculus. The math is important, but in my opinion the main requirement to be an engineer is a strong curiosity about how things work and an equally strong desire to solve problems and design things.

Depending on the school you go to and the specific type of engineering you pursue, the amount of hands-on work involved in an engineering degree can be more or less. It is important when choosing a school that you investigate the way the subject matter is taught. Hands-on type work is usually taught in laboratory classes.

If you really like the hands-on work, you might also like some of the experimental sciences like physics, chemistry, biology, etc... but these also require a fair amount of math.

You might wish to look around in the engineering area of wikipedia to see if any of the jobs fit your interests.
(see link below)

Answer 4

There are a number of characteristics that are important if you want to be an engineer. First, you must do the math. You don't have to be the best in the world, but you do have to be comfortable with it. Math is the first language of engineering. If you can't speak it, you can't be an engineer.

Second, you have to be able to visualize your design in multiple dimensions over time. That is, you have to see it as it is working. If you can't visualize it, you can't be a good design engineer, but maybe you could be some sort of analyst.

Third, you have to pay attention to the details. In engineering, it's the details that will kill you. Designs work or don't work depending on the interactions at low levels.

Fourth, you have to be able to work with other kinds of engineers and people from other, entirely different, disciplines, like purchasing, manufacturing, finance, and even (gak!) sales. Engineers with people skills are in high demand.

Fifth, really great engineers are aware of their environment. From finance to contracts to new materials to ecological concerns to corporate goals, great engineers optimize all the variables for everyone.

Sixth, be able to communicate complex ideas to people who are not familiar with your work, both verbally and in writing. Regardless of how smart you are or how perfect your design may be, if you can't explain it to the customer, to management, to your fellow engineers, and to the guys who build your widget, it won't matter.

Enjoying the hands on part is really great. Some schools, like California Polytechnic, emphasize the "learn by doing" aspects of engineering.

Answer 5

You will need to have lots of math and science in your education.

The important thing is to have a lot of persistence, don't take no for an answer - as an engineer you are dealing with issues that haven't been seen by others. It is up to you to come up with a solution when others can't. It is very rewarding when you find a solution - and very frustrating while trying to find the answer. :) As Edison said "Creativity is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration"

Answer 6

Important characteristics? well, you need to be persistent, hard working, and focus on your goal. I have a friend who's dyslexic and he's studying chemical engineering. It's taking him a bit more time than the average students, but he's persistent and won't give up until they kick him out.

your only in junior high, once you get into university, things will change and i'm sure you'll get better :)

Answer 7

I think the main thing it takes is curiosity and inquisitiveness, coupled with a good work ethic.

Yes - you do have to be a natural at math or science.

I find that people who like machinery and are curious about how it works (like people who like to work on their cars) are really good engineers.

I also believe that you have to be a very visual person - able to visualize and imagine.

Lastly - engineering is a "people" job and the better ones are very "people" oriented.