SRK Engineering Thread

General Discussion
1

In this thread we talk about engineering stuff. Any flavor (e.g., mechanical, electrical, computer, etc.) will do.

I’ve decided to pursue a career in engineering. It’s going to be either electrical or computer. I’m not sure if I should get another B.S. or transfer into a master’s program. I’ve had a year of circuit theory (A both semesters) and I really enjoyed it. This semester I’m taking electromagnetic field theory, electronics, and digital logic, and my math degree has really helped me out because most people in my class are struggling with some of these topics.

Any advice on getting an internship?

2

Get a high GPA, go to your school’s job board, apply.

PS: Figure out what you want to do and where you want to work.

3

So I was listing my classes, and need some advice (gonna speak to the department counselor this Monday)

So I want to focus and pursue a career in a more materials (although working for refinery and chemical companies is also something I wouldn’t say no, benefits of living in Long Beach). I listed my core classes, and have to take a bunch of classes. If I get a masters it’s going to be in materials, but I kinda want to do it through a company, although I know this will probably happen only through a big company like BP, or Northrop.

Now, I would assume that the “fluff” classes you take (I have to take a minimum of 12 units) are to help you in your choice of job after school. Also, there is the growing trend of utilizing and engineering organic compounds. I was looking at

Math 370B :Arithmetic of complex numbers, functions of a complex variable, contour integration, residues, conformal mapping; Fourier series; separation of variables for partial differential equations.

Inorganic Chemistry 300 level
Physical Chemistry :Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy
Maybe Advanced Physical Chemistry

Now, I don’t have to take these classes, and I only want to take them if it’s beneficial (huge GPA liability risk, and I can’t simply take core classes due to pre requisites), but I’m not quite sure, and would like some insight before talking to the advisor from some of you already established peeps so I’m at least somewhat informed.

4

aaahhhmmm, what are you trying to do? Are you studying in the field of mechanical engr. or chemical engr?

It’s a real pain to pursue a MSME while working albeit there’s lots of people that do it. There might be a “Fastrack” program in your college that will enable you to just go an extra year and get both BSME and an MSME.

If you’re in your third year, you should have adopted the kind of mental process to tackle just about any class by now. The only time I avoided anything were egregious professors. What really helped me a lot is learning the material from three different books.

What are “fluff” classes? What are you referring to specifically by engineering organic compounds?

5

Good luck.

Personally, I think you’ll be better of in Electrical Engineering, but I’m biased towards how things were when I was in school for EE (00-05) - Computer Engineering back then wasn’t fleshed out to nearly the extent EE or CS was. I can’t say that’s the case now as I haven’t looked.

What you need to look into from a real world perspective - and understanding that things not only can change but WILL change.

Where do you want to live? Certain areas are strong for certain types of engineering (for instance Raleigh-Durham is bio-tech and computer science, other engineers - good luck). It’s not impossible to be a certain engineer ‘anywhere’, but the volume of opportunities will shift. Elec Engineering is a SUPER diverse field that gets as deep as you let it. So think about what you think ‘right now’ you want to do after school, and think of location.

As mentioned think about what you want to do. One of my old friends James (RIP) wanted to get into the materials aspect - growing chips and processors. Me? I wanted to be the black guy from Terminator 2 - robots and artificial intelligence - so I originally broke out of CE and went for a double in CS and EE. Life didn’t take me down that road, but my story is unimportant.

Don’t fall too in love with the course work either. Opportunities tied to what you do there is super minimal…especially undergrad. Everything taught on an undergrad level, they have software that can calculate and perform those things without any human interaction.

As for internships, its the lifeblood. Go to several career fairs and make connections, talk with professors in subjects that you really like - they will LOVE your interest and push you to the people that can help you. My love of music and subsequent use of filters along with gaming (I had built my first joystick back in 00’) lead me to an internship that had me building 3D interactive controls with haptic feed back, complete with 3d visualization that if I stayed for a masters - would have lead to audio feedback as well (this was all tied to an atomic force microscope - we were feeling shit haha). Those internships will get you in the door somewhere (and are always paid for in engineering - I had cake relatively speaking for the hours I put in), and once you have your foot in the door, its simply on you for performance.

Don’t get too excited about the math aspect being strong. Sure you won’t be a clusterf#ck when it comes to say schrodinger’s equation shudder - it essentially F=MA on a particle scale, but in reality most math they show you, you NEVER EVER see again and usually the day after the exam on that piece of math - they show you some trick or method that completely circumnavigates everything you just did. The principles are more important than the math - a strong math understanding will help greatly in say E-Mag2, but it won’t ‘win it’ for you.

  • Unreall
6

I’m doing Chemical Engineering program, and my school doesn’t have a material science engineering program let alone a fast track program. I know USC and one other local UC had it though.

But I’m not avoiding classes primarily because they may be hard, I’m balancing based on how many classes I’m taking already during the semester.

Fluff classes refers to the filler classes I have to take due to my 12 unit minimum for financial aid.

what I meant by

I’ve been losely following materials research, and there’s a growing use for organic compounds as components for electrical components, or computing use. I completely phrased this

wrong

I should have elaborated that I could take the organic sequence in chemistry if I wanted to pursue a career that focuses on materials for the bio-field. And then made an obvious break in the paragraph…

7

Aaah, ok. I think you want to steer your career in developing or manufacturing certain materials geared towards electrical components?

8

I don’t know if anything you do in your undergraduate studies matter too much aside from getting a high GPA and making connections in the desired industry. Mayhap, doing a undergraduate research project study involved in those exotic materials? Try to get on board with those materials company? S’all time and chance.

9

why is physics the worst class ever man. I hate that shit. I know its important to take to be an engineer but I hate it with a passion

10

It’s not hard man. It’s just plug-and-chug.

11

@pedoviejo‌ fellow LBC in the house. Though I’m in Lakewood now. Computer science though. But yeah gl.

I enjoyed my few engineering classes in college, circuits and logic gates and all that are interesting

12

just materials in general. From what I know, substitutes for rare earth metals could become a big thing, and some of the more successful superconductors use complex lattice structures composed of abundant elements. Or how next generation solar cells use complex ions consisting of a metal ion and a large organic structure. But that seems like something a researcher would do, and not applicable until it’s green lit for mass production.

I feel a bit lost, since the material industry is so large, but if I’d had to choose, it’d be more on the composite/metallic side of things. But I would assume that leaves the specifics very open ended. I don’t think I’m in a position to choose specifically what I want to do in materials, just know that I want to do materials since it’s avenue for applications is among the largest and most interesting. To be honest, I wouldn’t complain as long as it’s materials.

I’ve started looking for manufactures, firms, and chemical factories in the Los Angeles area, and I’m going to visit them later on before the year ends and see if I can at least get a tour of the facilities, or talk to somebody at the minimum.

ah, that’s pretty close. I’d figure you lived near since you did mention “midget village” in Bixby Knolls. LOL gl with your major to @Pimp Willy.

13

So glad this is a thread now.

http://i.imgur.com/CQWgQGe.gif

[STEM fields INTENSIFY]

14

Oh I graduated back in 2008 I do programming for a living now!

15

Hello. If I were younger, like you, I’d look at working for Tesla and go into battery engineering. That tech (and company) is blowing up and will balloon for the next 10 years at least.

Also, I am hiring a environmental engineer with 3-5 years experience if anyone is interested PM me.

16

Engineering might not be for you OR your teacher sucks. I’ve hated physics with one teacher(because he didn’t like explaining the mathematic concepts behind anything), but everything just fell into place with another one.

I’m currently in part 1 of your physics class so if you are in the same part, you can ask about stuff you may be struggling with.

17

Maaaan, don’t EVER really on your teacher other than picking up clues on what’s the tests. Read multiple books, articles, and etc…; i.e. do your own research. A lot of this stuff is like playing Megaman X-whatever. The first time you run into a boss, it might prove tricky ad lib, but once you pick the pattern, you realize you’re just fighting a cripted AI.

All metallurgist that I’ve seen in the petrochem industry have a Master’s degree, btw.

18

Surprised this isn’t in Tech Talk.

19

Checking in! Aircraft Engineer here, Mechanical (Aeronautical) for the past 10 years, but now working on my Avionic and American licenses. Won’t say who I work, in-case I say too much, for but it’s “a big one” to paraphrase Edward Norton in Fight Club. Worked all over the UK, mainly in Glasgow and London and very brief stints in Paris, France and Shannon, Ireland. Worked on a bunch of engines and aircraft for various passenger and cargo airlines and even for military medevac.

Mostly a Boeing guy, with a bit of Airbus shorthaul in there too. (Widebody for show, narrowbody for dough)

Firstly, in nuts and bolts engineering, where hand skills and experience are paramount, apprenticeships/internships are king.
They weren’t around when I got my licence; the world was very university education-heavy in the 2000’s, but I’m very jealous of the current generation that have the opportunity again. Over in America, the lean still seems to be towards education, but, here in the UK, I wouldn’t have gone to college had there been a full-time apprenticeship going and I’d have gotten to where I am today about 2 years faster and with more experience.

The route I took:
Good grades in Maths, Physics and the Techs in High School
Diploma in Aircraft Engineering + a bunch of C&G and all that stuff (Newcastle College)
Foundation Degree in Aerospace Engineering (didn’t bother finishing it to Hons/Ma, never had to - Kingston University and City of Bristol College)
EASA Pt 66 Engineering Licence. (Newcastle Aviation Academy)
Bunch of Licence Supplements including Boeing 747 & 767 endorsements, ETOPS etc.

To this day, the licence and its endorsements are the only parts an employer has ever asked to see.

I loved physics and maths from a young age and it still perplexes me why other people don’t. Unlike your art and literature and all that stuff it’s simple - as long as you learn it, there’s only one right answer. I only gelled with stuff like that in school because of how clean and precise it was and fell behind in language and literature and other things where subjectivity was required.

Glad to see this is a thread :slight_smile:

20

my parents are into education though they’ll retire soon (dad is a physics teacher, mom is a literature teacher and she knows ancient greek and latin)
so I got a love for both subjects.

in the last school year I wanted to enter Computer Science (my dream was to make video games) but I wasnt that good at maths, physics or chemistry. For 5 months (August-September) I spent hours reading, going to cram school, exercises etc, only to get average grades. Not enough for university entrance. This caused a mental strain and I couldnt cope anymore. Adolescence was also in full swing. If you leave those subjects it is very hard to return back. So I opted for the middle ground instead: sociology…