I might as well just start doing the charity stuff now. Ultimately, go and find something you enjoy, and go deep into that, there is no point becoming an engineer if you're going to blow your brains out at 40. A person can do a lot of good without an engineering degree. I've shadowed multiple engineers in various fields and company sizes and everything makes me feel sorry for them. Here are some options if you feel the same. I've been having some of the same feelings. I still enjoy troubleshooting and playing with new technology and hate meetings. What is the norm at other workplaces for new engineers? Also, I am super determined to beat this degree. I just don't know where to go from here. I've been working a few years now and I still consider myself very much a junior or even entry level engineer. I was in the same dilemma two years back. I’ve heard from a few engineering students that you have to take all three calculus’s as any engineer, but some engineering majors don’t actually use all three. College students may not have a sense for how to build their resume … I have had such a horrible time going to school for engineering and working as an engineer, that I do not recommend it to anyone. But I firmly believe the sooner you realize the working world is not like college, the better off you'll be. Reddit regularly has threads on favorite ways to insult the stupid, and fun-stuff-to-do.com dedicates a page to the topic amid its party-decor ideas and drink recipes. Read the sidebar BEFORE posting. Reddit communities reflect how varied, sprawling and ever-changing we are as a society, and as people. At first I liked my job, I felt like I was learning new things and had a variety of tasks. I followed a similar path. I'm sick of countless hours just hunched over a desk. Top 5 Reasons It Sucks to Be an Engineering Student For many students, earning a degree in engineering is less than enjoyable and far from what they expected. I thought maybe I would learn to like it, but I don't. Fast forward to today, I feel like I have learned everything there is to learn for my position, all the problems that can occur I know how to fix and the "variety of tasks" has turned into a monotony. It might just be that you're getting burnt out from the workload or from your job. That sounds like the first year at my current job, then I learned that I can do just about whatever I want so long as I provide ample evidence it will be advantageous. Here are the main reasons (and believe me, there are many more) you should NOT choose a major in engineering.

(1.) Those who deny hating their jobs are LIARS. What is your current job if you don’t mind me asking? So I'm just going to finish out the degree and move on to something else. Question: Why can’t you change your major and how do you know this? Make the most of it, you paid for it. Build myself a tiny house and not need a real job. 0 Interest in any engineering modules so far and I'm already about to start my 3rd year. It's my escape and I love everyone there tremendously. Engineering is the most male-dominated field in STEM. r/engineering is a forum for engineering professionals to share information, knowledge, experience related to the principles & practices of the numerous engineering disciplines. I have gotten what I wanted out of this post, thank you all for replying. Your job sounds pretty standard for one straight out of college, some technical knowledge and program management skills required that a degree would qualify you for moreso than a non-degreed person, thats about all your degree gets you for separating you from those below or in technician jobs. Any comments are welcome. It sounds like you are doing engineering for the wrong reasons. Being good at maths and science doesn't make you a good engineer, but being able to approach just about any problem methodically and break it down into manageable processes DOES! It's cliche, but I'd say follow your passion, it doesn't make any sense to spend that much time and money pursuing something you're not passionate about. I went and played in a band, travelled and worked random jobs for 7 years because school wasn't for me yet. Least favorite part of my job is responding to emails. If it wasn't for my current jobs I would probably be at a very low place in life. It's a chance to prove yourself away from other egos and second-guessing, and it also gives you an escape from the grind. I came to realize that I'm on the right career path and that engineering will be the right choice for that career, but I also came to realize I simply HATE studying. in one discipline and an M.S. ... help Reddit App Reddit coins Reddit premium Reddit gifts. So the schools cater to the engineering majors and make it rote learning. Most recently this: Now to get into more technical/engineering work you really have to prove yourself through your career now, no more relying on college to get you a job since your degree will largely be viewed as the same as thousands of others. Sometimes it takes longer than what you would like. Unlike you I've struggled with math. At the end of the day, all professions suck, and you will hate your job no matter what it is. Don't wait for them to make the move. Sometimes other, more experienced, engineers reach the same conclusion that I already expressed but I get no credit and am still not invited to future discussions. I’m not expecting to be at a senior position immediately or be in charge of projects. However, it sounds like this isn't for you right now, and that's perfectly ok. Why did I quit engineering? If you don't finish, at least reflect on the positives and utilize what you have learnt. I'm driving myself crazy. Is it just my employer? Unless you're doing hardcore research, chances are you won't be pumping out differential equations on a daily basis, solving Laplace transforms by hand, or whipping up a neat little experiment that does exactly what you want it to do on the first try like you did in college. If you want to help people take a break from uni, join up to an international organisation and help. Your job is still vitally important to the company, they need someone they can trust to manage these day to day operations. I am now working in industry as a design analyst and I absolutely hate it!! I'm only going engineering because I wanted to get involved in some kind of charity that helps people survive in different parts of the world but all I'm learning is aircraft related topics and large scale manufacturing, so I feel it's worthless. Does manufacturing get any better? I am also considering getting a PhD, I feel like that would allow me to do data analytics and have my opinion matter. I came to realize that I'm on the right career path and that engineering will be the right choice for that career, but I also came to realize I simply HATE studying. I'm only going engineering because I wanted to get involved in some kind of charity that helps people survive in different parts of the world but all I'm learning is aircraft related topics and large scale manufacturing, so I feel it's worthless. So after another 4-5 years I'll be done, 6-9 credits a semester and working full time to pay as I go. Having a cursory understanding does not mean you have learned everything. It's called learning. Heh, I remarked on this the other day, I'm in the opposite situation. Every engineer in my office can tackle PDEs and linear algebra off the top of their head, even the ones 30 years out of school, because that's our day job. I started working in the Marine Engineering industry and the company actually had exactly what I wanted; extensive on-the-job hands on technical training. One student told me that he used calculus 1 in his civil engineering, but calculus 2 and 3 were a waste of time and he didn’t use them or see them in any of his engineering classes. All of my close friends already transferred to another school so I'm all alone here. On the other hand, not being challenged in a job is tough to push through and wait out. Make a project yourself, especially if you have down time. It sounds like you are doing engineering for the wrong reasons. I dropped out of college half a semester in. What motivated me to do such a crazy thing? A little over a year in the job now, I've designed a few reasonable projects by myself, and continue to get to work on bigger projects.. however I'm well aware that this is not typical. It's definitely a non-trivial chunk of my job. There are many reasons for that most of the blame should be on me. I feel similar but not as far into death. I have a really hard time believing this. I would much rather be at a company that doesn’t treat people this way. Now I'm 1 year out from my computer engineering degree, couldn't be happier, and am (fingers crossed) about to land my first internship with a major aerospace company. Just be patient and realize that you might not know as much as you think and have much to learn. That is what this video is about. Only because you cued me in, I'll speak - I got a job at a small company right after college, and after slowly letting me get acclimated, within a few months I was working on decent sized projects by myself. Engineers apply the knowledge of math & science to design and manufacture maintainable systems used to solve specific problems. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Wichita State University - Electrical Engineering. Press J to jump to the feed. You're still at the point where you don't even know what you don't know about how your company or industry works. I'm only half way through my mechanical degree, but I'm honestly on the verge of calling it quits. This is when I picked up a second degree in Business Administration specializing in technology management. You're still at the point where you don't even know what you don't know about how your company or industry works. Worked random jobs for a few years. Your senior coworkers and your boss need to know and get comfortable with your skill set before they give you more responsibility. More like he's doing the wrong type of engineering. All of my life mathematics and science has came easy to me. I am doing badly in my classes, no matter how hard I … ( Actually know a lot of people who earned a B.S. I started to work for Amazon on January 28, 2018 — that was about three weeks after I, my lovely wife and our cat landed at Vancouver International Airport. I can understand what you are going through. That just isn't how the real world works. I'm not judging you for it. 2. Why did I not work longer and make more money? Why not ask if you can sit in on strategic meetings? I've been working for 3.5 years now and have felt very similarly about my job as an ME in design. Just saying. At the moment I just want to get by and pass my exams, I actually understand what you are saying. Perhaps, if people are looking for lack of girls as a reason for hating being a mechanical engineer. for the same amount of intelligence, you could be making more money as a lawyer or dentist. I think it's a credit to yourself if you can pull through it, it shows character and determination to FINISH something. Spend some time in the world, do what you want while you're young. Learn from experts and access insider knowledge. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has been twice named as one of Silicon Alley's Top 100 by Business Insider. To help celebrate National Engineers Week, we partnered with Project Lead the Way on this fun quiz to help you learn a little more about what engineering has to offer. Wow, finally, I was hoping to answer this question from a long time. I got a branch in which I was interested but when I went to clg I found out that the clg was the pathetic clg of India. This is exactly how I feel now, I entered engineering because of Mythbusters, now I just feel like a joke. You don't need to be prompted to collect and analyze your own data in your downtime if your job is so easy. At the risk of sounding like a dick, you probably wouldn't have much to contribute to such meetings honestly. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, Chemical - Li-ion Batteries/Biotechnology, Civil Engineering/Public Utility Designer. It could also be that engineering really is not the path for you and that another major could fit better. I have asked to be involved in meetings but they won’t let me. From my classmate I will say less than 10% actually got an engineering job, the rest that couldnt get it and end up in finance, IT, sales and whatever. It's easy to be hard on yourself when you're surrounded by smart people at work, but here's why and how you should stop. Dude, they give such nightmares to you if you don’t follow their class. A few year later and I realize those courses can't get me to wake up happy and energized in the mornings either. It's time to face the fact that engineering is not all hands on, it is multidisciplinary and it requires you to put 100% into things you might HATE. Reddit users have taken to the site to share whether top-class grades equal a high-flying job, confessing to mixed results from being jobless to working as aerospace engineers. for the same amount of intelligence, you could be making more money as a lawyer or dentist. in Psychology and an M.S. I honestly would not be surprised if there wasn't a single person in my office who could solve a differential equation off the top of their head but that doesn't matter at all because that skill set is almost completely irrelevant to most jobs. Mostly just like you thinking about how engineering can help people who were born in less lucky circumstances. Or do you recognize that the best-case scenario there is the kid is a major distraction? Henry Lin Senior Engineering Manager. Software Engineering Not all Data Scientist roles will grill you on the time complexity of an algorithm, but all of these roles will expect you to write code. I have hard time with the math courses. Frustration. People are used to others being complacent, show them you want to do more. I have expressed my interest in taking on more responsibilities and my general dissatisfaction with my job to my boss multiple times but nothing changes, he feel that being a computer jockey is what an engineer "should do" for the first 2-3 years before they are "allowed" to do engineering. I graduated from university last year at the top of my year, I used to enjoy engineering at university as i found it challenging and I enjoy doing maths. After those 7 years, I realized that I wanted more than what I could get without an education, and went back. He/she could get involved with engineers without borders. Your English is fine, you don't have to apologize for it. Press J to jump to the feed. You’re right that things were alot more fun as a junior to mid engineer! The thing is, I don't care about being and engineer, I care about what engineering can do. I barely need to study to do well on exams. Wow, finally, I was hoping to answer this question from a long time. I feel your pain man I have like 6 weeks left in my degree and I really don't want to be an engineer anymore. in Psychology and an M.S. Is finishing fast really that important? Currently interviewing and learning that employers expect older engineers to be good at leading, mentoring, planning, etc. Hopeless and unmotivated. rant. You might want to consider taking a break after this year and evaluating the decision to study engineering and look at alternatives. I just want a little respect and validation, I feel like management just gives me a bunch of bitch work. These kinds of decisions are better made with a healthy amount rest and the ability to think clearly without anger. At the end of the day, all professions suck, and you will hate your job no matter what it is. Engineering is a huge waste of intelligence; i.e. The texts I saw mentioned above is all about rote learning. Yup. For what it's worth, I was told I was exceeding standards in all categories on my performance review expect communication, which was only meeting standards. I work nearly full time and still get B's and low A's in most of my classes. in Mechanical Engineering. I don't want to be the one who models a chemical reactor, but I do want to be the one who recognizes opportunities for growth and innovation in parts of the chemical industry and lead the company I work for to do better in those areas. I will be applying for new jobs and grad school and see what pans out for myself and my family. The truth is, there are no jobs at all. Granted, I'm being supported by my parents financially, so I don't need to work, nor worry about paying loans and stuff. It seems almost childish imo, but they’re very secretive about what goes on in this company. Life is not a race, you shouldn't be in a hurry. My dad dropped out and he's better off than most of his siblings, and my uncle didn't even go and he's fairly wealthy from owning a electrician business. Sometimes people need different perspectives in life to figure out what they're meant to do. EDIT: I guess I should say that I've been contemplating dropping down to part time so I can just take it slow and focus on other things. Maybe try weed. Yeah, Engineering students do hate their professors. I recognize myself in you as well, as studying comes very easy to me too. Nobody asked. I would like to tell my story. Colm Quinn. Those who deny hating their jobs are LIARS. I'm not trying invalidate your feelings of dissatisfaction with your job or anything, trust me. It sounded like absolute hell. The focus of Industrial Engineering is how to improve processes or design things that are more efficient and waste less money, time, raw resources, man-power and energy while following safety standards and regulations. From a recent graduate who had been working as an electrical engineer for a consulting firm for a little over a month: “I just realized the other day that I hate my job. Use them wisely. I can’t tell if I’m just burnt out or if its finally time to come to terms with the fact that I just hate engineering. It may perhaps be the most male-dominated profession in the U.S., with women making up only 13% of the engineering … Dude, it sounds like you need to re-evaluate what you are doing. Booze doesn't help with the stress, it just makes it worse in the long term. Is Engineers Without Borders going to teach that? Engineers do more than just math and science – they build the future through invention, discovery and exploration! 2. And it's also not even a little uncommon for entry-level engineers to feel this way- like they are being snubbed, and have all or most of the answers. Engineers are conservative by nature. I went through it and can now say I thoroughly understand the systems and machinery. But you do get through this introductory period eventually. Some of us just love the thought of testing our limits when creating something while others thought they were good in chemistry, physics and math so a career in engineering is the best choice. He has a B.S. This is a place for engineering students of any discipline to discuss study methods, get homework help, get job search advice, and find a compassionate ear when you get a 40% on your midterm after studying all night. This takes time. It is entirely your prerogative to seek out more challenging employment if that's what you desire (that's what I'm doing) but realize you might not necessarily be happier elsewhere.