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/sci/ - Science & Math

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2878809 No.2878809 [Reply] [Original]

high school senior here. i got into a good college of engineering, but I can't pick a discipline. can anyone give me a breakdown of mechanical, aerospace, electrical and computer engineering? those are the four that seem most interesting.

thanks in advance.

>> No.2878817

>>2878809
what college anon, that can help me tell u which one would be better for that school. anyways

mechanical - building shit with moving parts
electrical - working with circuits and shit...and magnets
aerospace - space and shit, by far the coolest of these
computer - fag status

>> No.2878814

do aerospace, chem, or electrical.


chem will guarantee that you will have a better chance of getting good employment.


if you are really fucking good, your best chance is with aerospace.

EE is extremely diverse. everything from digital electronics, radar, semiconductors, etc.

>> No.2878831

>>2878814

i think i'm a strong enough student to do any of them.
>>2878817

well i'm deciding between michigan and berkeley. both are pretty good.

>> No.2878845

I wouldn't really advise aerospace, it's too focused. You can do aerospace work with any of the other three disciplines you mentioned, or so my professors have been saying. Then again, my school doesn't offer aerospace for exactly that reason.

>> No.2878846

Or just descriptions of any kind of what you know best. I don't know the difficulty or real world application of any of them.

>> No.2878857

do chem-e

>> No.2878858
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2878858

>>2878817

>>computer- fag status

I'm 25 and make 115K a year + full benefits as a software engineer. I never even went to school, just read books and took certification tests. Yea fag status alright...... If you wanna be a poorfag pick mech, elec, or areo.. if you wanna be a baller pick computer engineering.

>> No.2878870

>>2878857

why?

>> No.2878884

>>2878858
Not the guy you are responding to, but at my school, software engineering isn't the same as computer engineering. Computer engineering is a shitty specialization of electrical engineering that focuses on building computer parts. You can do that with an EE degree specializing in electronics so it's just a bullshit major.

>> No.2878893

>>2878858
>implying people make anywhere near that much as software engineers

>> No.2878922
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2878922

>>2878893
u must not live in america then.

pic is a snippet from my last pay stub. we get paid twice a month. owned?

>> No.2878924

come on /sci/

bumpan

>> No.2878929

>>2878922
You make 100k per year at that rate, not 115k.

>> No.2878930

>>2878884
well OP should most definitely not take that... better off spending his loan in the stock market.

>> No.2878935

>>2878884
My brother graduated with a CE degree and now makes six figs at Microsoft. Problem?

>> No.2878938

>>2878884
No. If you know for a fact that you want to do computer engineering and are not interested in other EE shit, taking EE instead would be stupid. There is not reason to learn a bunch of EE shit you don't care about like power systems when you could replace that with more computer shit. Also EE don't know shit about software, operating systems, etc.

>> No.2878950
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2878950

>>2878929

>> doesn't understand the difference between net and gross pay.

that stub actually had a few extra hours than normal. at that rate I'd be grossing 130ish a year.

>> No.2878949

If you're good at programming - aka can pass an interview, and you just graduated now, maybe 80k-100k straight out of college. My company is currently hiring at those rates in Cali. I just failed a phone interviewee today for being fucking ignorant of programming.

>> No.2878948

Quit being a pussy OP.

Go for Math or Physics.

>> No.2878956

graduated in math. friend of mind was aerospace engineer...didn't see him senior year...he was completely immersed designing a stealth fighter...it was a year long course and that was his only project. He got hired by some aerospace firm from that project...

i became a shitty teacher...mfw

>> No.2878955

>>2878949

true that.. cali has some crazy pay for tech nerds w/ good current programming skills. just gotta know how to talk the talk.

>> No.2878960

>>2878948

but i don't want to! i want to make stuff.

>> No.2878968

>>2878949
>>2878929
I know a few programmers, one who topped her year for software engineering at university and has about 4 years of experience, yet only earns 80k

I guess Americans pay their programmers more than here in Aus

>> No.2878975

>>2878956

whoa that sounds awesome. where did you go to school?

>> No.2878986

>>2878975

UC Davis...go aggies...

>> No.2878997

physics

>> No.2878996

DO NOT DO AERO YOU'LL BE SORRY

>> No.2878994

>>2878986

shit that's awesome. i got into berkeley, do you think i would be able to do that kind of thing there? i here they mostly teach you theory.

>> No.2878998

>>2878994
I'd be willing to bet all aero programs have some sort of senior design project. Mine does, I can't wait to start in the fall

>> No.2879004
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2879004

do tissue engineering and find a cure for empty nose syndrome plz

>> No.2879008

Do Mathematical Physics OP

>> No.2879010

>>2878996

i always hear this. can you explain why?

>> No.2879015

>>2879010

THERE ARE NO JOBS AND THE EEs AND MEs WILL TAKE YOUR JOBS

>> No.2879019

>>2879004

Congenital anosmia?

>> No.2879022

Do EE. You can pretty much for any type of company.

>> No.2879041

Not OP, but I have a similar question.

So got accepted into Caltech and Cornell (college of engineering) and I also have no idea what discipline I want to major in or which one to go to. Also, my parents don't want me to be an engineer and to enter med school after undergrad. What do you think, /sci/? (I am so uncertain as to what I should do :/)

>> No.2879035

I hope you read this...I go to UM...do computer science...I know a shitload of engineers, and the software engineers are having jobs thrown at them. My aero, mech, and chem e friends haven't even gotten interships...if I could restart my college career, I do comp sci engineering, no question. Oh and one of my best friends just landed a job with microsoft...80k a year, starting, not including benefits and stock options....GO BLUE

>> No.2879040

OP here. I appreciate all the answers, but i'm looking for descriptions of what you do in these disciplines. suggestions on which one to follow are kind of missing the point, although appreciated.

>> No.2879042

>>2878994

I believe so. I remember him mentioning his friend at Berkeley who had something similar to go thru.

He said it was interesting because after you complete your project, you present it to the class and your classmates then 'discuss and 'rip-apart' your project.

I guess its that 'spirit of competition thing'.

He said he took great pleasure in successfully defending his design.

I remember him telling me the class was ultra competitive

>> No.2879048

>>2879035

that's cool. i think i might go there, berkeley is just too close. however, computers aren't really my interest. what kind of things do you study?

>> No.2879061

>>2879035
Heh, I graduated from U of M.

>> No.2879066
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2879066

>> No.2879069

>>2879035

I'm doing EE at UM (only a Freshman) and I'm wondering if the job situation is as secure for ECE as it is for CSE? I could switch to CS since I'm already in EECS but I just can't see myself doing only coding for all 4 years. All of the circuits classes for EEs seem so cool when compared to the CS classes, which are just nonstop codefests.

>> No.2879072

Computer science engineering. I'd say it a thousand times if I could. You'll go to school for 4 years, learn a shitload, and be hired into the hottest job market around. Screw being a doctor. If you become a doctor, you have to be a doctor. If you're a software engineer, you can work in pretty much any field you'd like.

>> No.2879077

You could do a dual major in mechanical and aerospace.

>> No.2879091

>>2879019

no, surgically resected inferior nasal concha bones.

Have you ever had one of those night where you party till 7am and then wake up at 8 in a hungover stupor, with a throbbing headache and a complete inability to function or stay awake during the day? That's basically what living with ENS is like, except it's for the rest of your life, and with no cure/treatment.

>> No.2879102

>>2878998

There's a yearlong design project for Penn State aero engineering too. Goodbye, video games & girlfriend..

>> No.2879113

OP here.

MechE or aero??

>> No.2879119

chem-e. go for it. shits crazy yo

>> No.2879122

>>2879040
I can't speak for what you do out in the real world, since that really depends on where you go.. but basically:

Mechanical: thermal sciences, strength of materials, a bunch of analyses

Electrical: circuit analysis, more circuit analysis

Aerospace: fluid science, plus much of what mechanical e's do

Computer: PROGRAMMING

>> No.2879129

what is bad about mechanical engineering??
Why does basicaly no-one list that highly in these >>2879066 tier lists?

Also what does /sci/ think of mechatronics engineering?

>> No.2879142

not op. deciding between pure chem, chem e and mech e. if anyone could give me some info on how school would be for each of these, and what id most likely be doing after college, that'd be awesome

>> No.2879156

>>2879040
My experience with aero:

Freshman/sophomore year:
Asston of physics, chemistry, and calculus. Very challenging for a high school graduate, designed to weed out those who won't make it early.

Junior year:
Fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, structural analysis, vibrations. Not as heavy on math as you might think, its mostly conceptual once you have the math background. Fluids/Aerodynamics involves some complex calculus (Navier-stokes equations) but these are almost always simplified or solved numerically. TONS of writing MATLAB code to perform various analyses. Lots of lab work: Heavy on data acquisition and processing, basic transducer circuitry. Wind tunnel testing with pressure probes and force balances.

Senior year: heavily project/collaberation-oriented. Long-term design projects as opposed to exams. Classes in all of the main aero focuses (structures, performance/control, aerodynamics, propulsion systems)

Hope this helps.

>> No.2879157
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2879157

bumpan with colbery

>> No.2879166

>>2879156
>>2879156

well compared to other disciplines, is it harder or easier?

>> No.2879172

>>2879142
check out http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_SUPERARTICLE&node_id=
1188&use_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=ea50875b-ee5f-44ca-b463-0494223fccc4
for chem carers. cant say much for chem-e. pussied out of it because it looked like more work than i wanted to put into it. dont regret it though

>> No.2879173

>>2879040
So here's what I've gathered (Caveat, I'm a bit biased. I'm a Mechanical B.S., Mechanical M.S. although my masters' thesis was on intra-stage interactions on unshrouded turbines, which is Aero-ish).

> Electrical:
It's actually been pretty well covered. They do a lot of interesting things. EE's range from circuit/VLSI folks to radar to controls. There's a lot of overlap at the graduate level between EE controls and VLSI and CompSci/Eng controls and VLSI.

> Computer Engineering:
Computer engineering, from my point of view, is a more focused EE with a smattering of Comp. Sci. You won't see as much radar or control theory, but that time will be spent on software design.

>> No.2879179

>>2879173

> Mechanical Engineering:
You will learn to love 2nd order ODEs. The main ME topics will include (by ABET requirement), Statics/Dynamics, Vibrations, System Dynamics, Fluids, Thermodynamics, and Heat Transfer. System dynamics (transfer functions, state space models...) is the ME equivalent to controls.

> Aerospace:
This is a more focused Mechanical Engineering degree with a lot more emphasis on fluid dynamics. You won't deal, as much, with heat transfer unless you take a bunch of turbine classes (ME's also do these), but you'll understand why boundary layer separation on airfoils is an obsession of airplane designers. Some programs incorporate a space systems segment to this degree.

Honestly, there is a lot of overlap between all of them, especially if you continue at a graduate level. Many programs have you officially declare at the end of freshman or sophomore year. You won't really have taken any in-major classes by then, but go to your poster fair for senior design projects and see which ones you think are the coolest.
Owing to the overlap, I think it's more important that you do what's interesting to you rather than what you see as "the [career] path". Lockheed Martin recruits more ME's than Aerospace in any given year, and they build fighter jets. I saw a position open earlier this year for an Aero to do armor design (at high energies, many armors act similar to fluids).
Good luck with whatever major you choose.

>> No.2879189

>>2879166
It's super similar to Mechanical. The only difference is ME's focus a lot more on thermo and heat transfer while we focus on advanced fluid mechanics.

>> No.2879201

Is civil engineering shit?

>> No.2879211

>>2879179

thanks man, it's really a choice between mech and aero. i appreciate your help.

>> No.2879240

>>2879129
Mechatronics is a shitty and gay engineering, it's not that shitty if you're a mechanical and then a speciality in mechatronics though , overall it's shitty, you'll only learn the basic mechanical, computer, electrical and robotic stuff.

>> No.2879266
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2879266

>>2879211
Well, if I may give my recommendation, I've seen many mechanical engineers go on to specialize in aerospace, but I haven't seen as many aerospace engineers generalize to other fields.

My opinion is that your Bachelors' is supposed to be broad. You can always take an (a) internship/co-op, (b) job, (c) graduate school, or (d) certificate program (normally 6-10 classes and a project) to show your interest in Aerospace. It will be more difficult to specialize and then show that you love everything else as well.

I'd suggest enrolling as a Mechanical Engineering student and working from there. The attached picture will become your best friend through your vibrations courses.

>> No.2879293

i'm like you right now, except there's no Aerospace engineering in my town. i'll pick Mechanical Engineering because it has a wide eclecticism in job/specializing wise.

>> No.2879304

>>2879266
This is true; if you're set on working in aerospace, absolutely go aero. But if you're not sure, it may be a good idea to start from ME and go from there. It's very easy to switch majors up until junior year.

>> No.2879310

Mech major here, recently started having second thoughts.
I'm pretty well-versed in aerodynamics as it is for someone who's never taken a class, and I've been flying airplanes since I was 13.

But in the end, I figure it's easier to get a job with a mech degree than a glittery aerospace degree.

>> No.2879318

What's so shitty about environmental engineering?

>> No.2879341

>>2879318
So much theory little maths, science perhaps?

>> No.2879352

>>2879318
I don't consider any major "shitty", although I do see some majors as over-specialized. I feel that many universities in their effort to offer the next big thing, instead end up offering very specific degrees to undergraduates.

You just got through High School, and contrary to what the world seems to think, I don't think you should know what you want to do.

Degrees like environmental engineering, to me, seem to have a core in civil engineering with a specialization in soil science, hydrology, and the like.
Getting a civil degree while focusing on those topics gives you the option of either, while getting the environmental degree commits you to a very specific path.

Many programs promote B.S. -> Ph.D. without a masters', and I think this is the other end of the mistake. You shouldn't feel pressured to over-specialize as an undergraduate (and 'be ready' for the Ph.D). If you want to pursue a specialization, that's what the Masters' was for. Its' the two years to do independent work while you find that sub-topic you want to get a Ph.D. in.

Those years and specializations got compressed into undergraduate degrees and we have the resulting melange of overly specific undergrad programs.

>> No.2879965

>>2879179
>>2879189
A big part is that fluids and thermal are a lot more interlocked in Aero. I did MechE and had one Aero course as an elective; the MechE approach is to teach the two separately for the most part (When you get into convection they'll link the two together), but based on my elective experience, the two are pretty much inseparable in Aero.

>> No.2880033

what do u guys think about mechatronics-E? i dont here much about it on here.