If you are completely confused about what you want to do with your career or major, know that you are not alone! If you are a high school student with even an inkling towards engineering (if math and science speak to you like they did for me!), I would recommend applying. It is extremely difficult to enter an engineering school once you are already in college/university. Freshmen and sophomore course loads are constrictive, so you will be looking at heavy course loads and summer school if you decide too late.
Once you have decided on engineering, which major do you pick? If you are still in high school:
1. Think about what classes you like. Do you love physics and biology? Perhaps biomedical engineering is for you. Does AP Chemistry fascinate you? Maybe you are meant to be a chemical engineer!
2. Think about what interests you outside of school. Are you curious about how your iPhone works? Have you tried to build a robot in your garage (yes, I definitely attempted this as a kid)? Maybe electrical and/or computer engineering are for you.
3. When you have a project assigned, what direction do you find yourself leaning in? I look back to my old school projects – a research assignment in 5th grade in which I chose ‘How a Telephone Works’ as my subject (this was before cellphones), and the 9th grade science fair – in which I created a lie detector by developing a system with sensors to attach to humans. I didn’t even know it at the time, but I was meant to be an electrical engineer!
Once you are in college and have picked your major, you may still be undecided. First, let me tell you – it is totally okay to switch majors! I did it and couldn’t be happier with my decision. An interviewer will likely only see the major(s) you choose to include on your resume, so if you are able to tell your story there should be no fear of appearing indecisive. If anything, you have added value because you may be more well-rounded with your courses. I love to see an electrical engineer who also has computer science experience.
Tools to determine a major in college are actually quite aligned with my recommendations for high school students, but at a deeper level:
1. Look at your course load – is there a class that you love? Why do you love it? A great professor? The problem sets just seem to flow easily?
2. Get involved in extracurriculars - does your school have various engineering societies? Are there robotics or Formula SAE teams? Once you try a few out, think about what sticks. Are you passionate about the projects, or just completing them to fill a resume?
3. INTERNSHIPS – the best way to know what you want to do, or better yet – what NOT to do. Maybe you thought you liked mechanical engineering but running tests over a summer in a mechanical lab bored you to tears. You won’t know until you try (and plot twist, this doesn’t stop with summer internships – you will always be carving your career based off experience).
4. Reach out to alumni – Connect to alumni from your school that graduated with your major and find out how it worked out for them in industry. Do their jobs interest you? Find out how they got there.
If you have reflected on your interests and are still undecided, feel free to reach out to me at the bottom of my Home page.
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