Question:
What are the best fields in engineering?
.
2009-04-25 16:30:41 UTC
I'm thinking of pursuing a career in engineering but I have no idea where to start. I'm taking all of the advanced placement mathematics and science courses at my school (physics, calculus, chemistry). But I have no idea which field would suit me best.

And another thing is that I don't know what to expect, as far as difficulty of the material. I'm willing to take the challenge, because this is something I really love and want to achieve.

So, if anyone could offer me their wise advice, that would be fantastic.

Thanks in advance.
Four answers:
Ray M
2009-04-25 23:56:45 UTC
European Guy forgot my favorite: Civil Engineering! (Because that's what my wife is.)



Now Ray's wife typing:

I went off to college not knowing the first thing about what engineers did so I applaud your pursuit. I picked a school that had enough options so that if I decided engineering wasn't for me I could switch. I didn't need to worry. I spent the first year in an undecided program, looking at each kind, and civil engineering fit me like a glove. Civil engineers most generally are responsible for the infrastructure society takes for granted. You drive on our roads and bridges and you turn on the faucet and get clean water from our pipes and water treatment plants, for example.



So, with your definition of "best", civil is def the most interesting to me, but what is interesting to me might make your brain shut down. My favorite part is using geometry to lay out the ramps of a complicated multi-level interchange. I think in 3D, but not all can.



Civil engineers don't make the most money of all engineers, but it's a very "in demand" field and it's practically recession proof. When the economy is good, there are lots of jobs. When the economy is not good, the government decides to build roads...and the civil engineer is the one to design it. So, while the mechanical and electrical engineers are being laid off, I'm working 60 hr/wk. With 12 years experience I make about $42/hr. Starting salary would be lower.



It sounds like you're preparing yourself right. You just need to do some soul searching and think about the things you like to do best. Then see which ones from EuropeanGuy's list (+ Civil) seem to match. Then see if you can talk to that dept at your nearest engineering school, or talk to someone who does that for a living. When I finally switched from General Engineering to Civil Engineering I talked to someone at the state DOT and arranged for a couple hours talking to a young engineer. It was helpful and confirmed I made the right choice.



It doesn't matter if a branch of engineering makes more money than the one you are drawn to. You need to love what you do or you'll be miserable. Just a little advice...



As for what to expect at engineering school? It will be hard. Nothing worth having is easy. But you don't sound afraid of hard work. There are classes that I drug myself through b/c I just didn't get them (like thermodynamics.) But haven't used thermo since then. So when you get a single class that you just can't get your brain around...drag yourself through it. And if you get too many of those, then perhaps rethink your choice. If it's the right one it should just 'click' into place.



Good luck!
szuszkiewicz
2016-09-12 08:19:04 UTC
You must first study each and every discipline and opt for a couple of that curiosity you. Once you've got an proposal of what each and every of the ones fields do, uncover a school that presents a few of them. Usually a school's college of engineering has day wherein they invite high school pupils to the campus and exhibit them what each and every discipline does. Different colleges have special names for this, by and large it's referred to as "engineering open apartment" or "E-day." I went to a couple of of those periods and discovered which discipline I desired to enter lovely speedily, or even the college.
guyster
2009-04-25 16:36:57 UTC
I don't know what you mean by "best", because everyone is different.

"Cool Careers for Dummies" said that hardware (electronics) engineers have some of the highest job satisfaction ratings. But they can all be fun. And some people mix it up, pursuing a mix of optics and mechanics, hardware/software, so it doesn't have to be a pure discipline.
anonymous
2009-04-25 16:44:04 UTC
The best fields should be listed according to your interest.

According to myself the best are: Aerospace, Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineers (But that's really a matter of interest, and cause I'm all three :D)





If you think widely choose these roles:



Aerospace engineers



Develop aeroplanes, spacecraft, missiles, and other vehicles and machines that fly here in Earth's atmosphere or in outer space. Aerospace engineers who specialise in aircraft are called aeronautical engineers, while those who focus on spacecraft are called astronautical engineers.



Agricultural and biological engineers



Combine their expertise in engineering technologies and biological sciences to develop, for example, agricultural machinery and structures. They also work to solve related environmental problems, such as soil erosion, and create new ways to use agricultural byproducts and natural resources.



Biomedical engineers



Use their knowledge of engineering, medicine and biology to find creative solutions to medical and health-related problems. Some biomedical engineers, for instance, design devices for medical procedures, while others develop artificial organs or artificial joint replacements.



Chemical engineers



Combine engineering and chemistry principles to study the production and uses of chemicals in a wide range of practical applications. For example, it is often a chemical engineer who works on improving food-processing techniques or developing better fertilizers.



Electrical and electronics engineers



Work with a wide range of technology that many of us take for granted and on which all of us depend. Designing, operating and refining devices and systems as diverse as the networks that underpin mobile communications, energy and national defence systems to the smallest devices imaginable in new areas such as nanotechnology.

Electrical and Electronics Engineering is all around us and provides a rewarding career for those interested in a technical, management or project management role.



Environmental engineers



Use their backgrounds in engineering, biology and chemistry to solve problems that have an environmental element. They can be involved in everything from controlling water and air pollution to creating effective recycling programs to conducting studies on hazardous-waste management.



Industrial engineers



Typically work in manufacturing facilities, making sure that organisations produce their products as efficiently, cost effectively and safely as possible. Some industrial engineers are involved in designing production processes and factory-floor layout schemes. Others address work site or product safety and health issues so that both workers and the consuming public are protected.

Marine and ocean engineers



Design, build and maintain ships, aircraft carriers, submarines, tankers, tugboats and other large waterborne vehicles. A marine engineer, for example, might select and maintain the machinery on a large ship, while an ocean engineer may be involved in designing and operating an oil rig that's been built out at sea.

Materials engineers



Develop the materials used to create various products. They work with metals, ceramics, plastics, semiconductors and composites to develop everything from clothes and vinyl siding to dinnerware and artificial limbs.



Mechanical engineers



Design tools, engines, electrical generators, internal combustion engines, elevators -- in short, any device that is mechanical in nature.

Mining engineers



Focus on locating, extracting and processing coal, metals and minerals so that those materials can be used by manufacturers and utility companies. For example, a mining engineer may develop a site-specific approach to extracting a mineral deposit efficiently and safely.



Nuclear engineers



Determine the processes, instruments and systems necessary to tap into nuclear energy and radiation. Some nuclear engineers might design nuclear plants, for instance, while others may develop nuclear power sources for spacecraft or innovative diagnostic procedures for physicians.



Petroleum engineers



Oversee searches around the world for new sources of oil and natural gas. They also figure out how those natural resources will be extracted and design the equipment and tools necessary to do so.



Hope this was helpful. Read about these and decide! Good luck....


This content was originally posted on Y! Answers, a Q&A website that shut down in 2021.
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