Our son has been in a program for 2 years for Mechanical Engineering...They have co-ops through out the program...he has just reached the level where he would begin co-oping this summer...and was in the process of being hired...He has had a light bulb moment so to speak...and by taking an electrical course has discovered how much he likes it...so now...he has decided to change direction...Wants to switch to a Electrical Engineer as his emphasis, with a second emphasis on Computer Engineering (has always been extremely intelligant in this area)...My question is....does this sound like a good choice?...What are the pros and cons compared to a mechanical engineer degree...Thank you.
2007-02-16 01:59:07 · 6 answers · asked by ticklemeblue 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Engineering
Hey...don't assume I am not supporting him...I very much support him...and told him I have this odd sense of relief...it feels like it lines up more with him...I told him the reason he is going to college is so he can do something in life that he likes...and if he feels like he should go this direction, then he should do it, even if he has to go a little longer...better now, than later...I was just trying to get him food for thought...I don't believe there was anything in my question referring to not wanting him to do it...you shouldn't be so quick to judge what my intentions are...I am all about him being happy.
2007-02-16 02:20:03 · update #1
Ill give you the reality of what your son will face when he gets out of college. Sure those degrees sound fancy, but everyone in the industry know its all BS. Mechanical Engineers mainly fabricate parts for manufactures, its a lot of AutoCad, long hours, and lots of deadlines. Actually this market is flooded with mechanical engineers, all fresh out of college, so its highly competitive. Electrical engineers however have a more broad spectrum of field choices. Such as Industrial, Residential, commercial, or the army corp. Residential Electrical Engineers if with the right company can make a lot of money early on in their career if they land themselves with a major builder such as KB homes, toll brothers, or any other major builder. Mechanical you dont have as much diversity as an electrical engineer.... hope this helps
2007-02-16 02:07:45 · answer #1 · answered by TheDiciple 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He needs to like what he ends up doing for a living. Because he has only gone through two years of his major most of his classes should apply to any of those majors (math, physics, chemistry, English, and so on) so he isn't going to be backtracking much if he makes the change now. Also, he should talk with an advisor at the school. They may be able to help him determine what courses will let him explore his new interests in more depth before jumping ship on his old plans. An introduction to electrical engineering may be fun now but he may be less excited about all this when he has to take E-M fields and waves. As for is this a good choice in comparison, both degrees are in demand by employer but he has to think about where he wants to live. Mechanical engineers can find work within about 50 miles of anywhere. Electrical engineering is more concentrate in large population centers unless you are working for a power plant. As an electrical engineer I sometimes think how much easier it is to outsource electrical engineering of a computer or something like that to India or China than it would be to outsource the mechanical engineering of a sky-scraper or a bridge. Of course there are mechanical engineering jobs that could end up getting out sourced too.
2016-05-24 06:39:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would tell your son to go for it. ME, EE, & CSE are all very similar in the first 2 years of school so the change over most likely wouldn't set him back much. If he is at all unsure, I would tell him to keep the ME major while taking more EE classes to get a feel for it, but it sounds like he really likes EE so that might be a waste of time. As far as after graduation, an ME may have a slightly easier time finding a job, but if he co-oping and working its a good chance that'll be the foot in the door to land him job after graduation. Hope this helps.
2007-02-16 04:56:48 · answer #3 · answered by scruffy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It shouldn't be a bad transition. Most of the freshman and soph. classes for ME, EE, and CsE are the same, anyway.
EEs and CsEs get paid more than MEs.
As for the internship / co-op this summer -- it doesn't matter if it is in an ME job. It will still count as good experience on his first EE/CsE resume.
I am an EE, and I think I made the right choice (but that's just my opinion).
2007-02-16 03:30:26 · answer #4 · answered by tlbs101 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just because he has a degree in one type of engineering doesn't mean he'll actually be doing that particular type. I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering and my jobs have ranged from Environmental to Electrical to Material.
2007-02-16 02:18:43 · answer #5 · answered by Saucy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
Leave your son alone to give desicions for his job(s).
For example Security in computing is very popular.
Knowing only one subject is not preferable in these days.
And the subjects you mentioned are very important.
Let him search google for his future what he wants to be.
2007-02-16 02:09:49 · answer #6 · answered by iyiogrenci 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋