Sunday, April 23, 2006
Mechanical Engineering
Dear Guidance Guy,
I am a sophomore in high school who is above average in math and science. I used to want to be an architect, but then I lost interest. Recently I realized how much I looked at things, tried to figure out how they worked, thought about how to make something (like a NEW something) or improve an old product. I talked to my parents about this and they said that this was basically thinking about engineering. So I said "Engineering? HOW COOL?"
My friend wants to be an aerospace engineer, and that seems really cool. I know there are lots of different engineering fields like civil, mechanical, aerospace etc. I was thinking about mechanical engineering as a career path. What is mechanical engineering though, I mean compared to the rest? It seems so vague in title. What type of career can a degree in mechanical engineering lead to? And what is a good college/university for this?
Thank you,
In-The-Making
*****
Dear In-The Making,
Mechanical engineering is a very general field. It could mean a lot of different things. For example, one thing a mechanical engineer might do is help design a system for a microscopic sized robot. But he or she may also work on something as large as a heating a cooling system for a sky scraper.
There are lots of good colleges for mechanical engineering. Where you wind up depends on where you are and where you want to study. It also depends on the kind of courses you take and grades you get, as well as your college entrance exam scores.Before you get too specific about the college, take some time to look at different engineering fields. If your school has an beginning engineering course, think about taking it. Any of the courses in techical education in which computers are used would also be good, since they will apply in all kinds of engineering.
And the best advice: see if you can spend some time watching different types of engineers at work. Your guidance counselor or school career center (if you have one) may be able to send you on a "job shadow" where you get to see different types of engineers in action.
It's a big big world! New kinds of engineering fields will pop up during the next few years. And the ones that are around now will go through a lot of changes. There are great opportunities for interested young people who are willing to learn.
Good Luck,
The Guidance Guy
I am a sophomore in high school who is above average in math and science. I used to want to be an architect, but then I lost interest. Recently I realized how much I looked at things, tried to figure out how they worked, thought about how to make something (like a NEW something) or improve an old product. I talked to my parents about this and they said that this was basically thinking about engineering. So I said "Engineering? HOW COOL?"
My friend wants to be an aerospace engineer, and that seems really cool. I know there are lots of different engineering fields like civil, mechanical, aerospace etc. I was thinking about mechanical engineering as a career path. What is mechanical engineering though, I mean compared to the rest? It seems so vague in title. What type of career can a degree in mechanical engineering lead to? And what is a good college/university for this?
Thank you,
In-The-Making
*****
Dear In-The Making,
Mechanical engineering is a very general field. It could mean a lot of different things. For example, one thing a mechanical engineer might do is help design a system for a microscopic sized robot. But he or she may also work on something as large as a heating a cooling system for a sky scraper.
There are lots of good colleges for mechanical engineering. Where you wind up depends on where you are and where you want to study. It also depends on the kind of courses you take and grades you get, as well as your college entrance exam scores.Before you get too specific about the college, take some time to look at different engineering fields. If your school has an beginning engineering course, think about taking it. Any of the courses in techical education in which computers are used would also be good, since they will apply in all kinds of engineering.
And the best advice: see if you can spend some time watching different types of engineers at work. Your guidance counselor or school career center (if you have one) may be able to send you on a "job shadow" where you get to see different types of engineers in action.
It's a big big world! New kinds of engineering fields will pop up during the next few years. And the ones that are around now will go through a lot of changes. There are great opportunities for interested young people who are willing to learn.
Good Luck,
The Guidance Guy
