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MEs can also go the PE route and go into the structural engineering of homes and buildings. Relatively dry and repetitive art but you can make a very good living at it.
And firms that make things need sales reps who can explain the product to potential customers. If you can complete the engineering program academically take some speech classes... audit them if you are worried about grades. My daughter started out as an engineering major with a lot of speech and debate experience in high school. One HR Manager in the silicon valley said she would kill for an engineer who could make a presentation.
She switched to Finance and is now a CFO.
A college major develops skills, don't look at as limiting your career options.
Engineering coursework is not easy...I assume you're good at math and the various physical sciences - physics, chemistry, etc.? I mean, those are good classes for other majors too, so they won't be a waste, but I'm sure you know that engineering is pretty rigorous.
OP, DO you know what a Mechanical Engineer does? My husband is a Mechanical Engineer for a very large global medical sterilization company. He's been with the same company for 17 years and LOVES it! He mostly sits at a desk in a corporate office setting and does 3D AutoCad all day designing the machines that do the sterilizing. (I'm assuming you know what AutoCAD is already). He does this maybe 75% of the time. The other 25% involves traveling to the companies other facilities world wide. He's been to Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico, Paris, U.K., China, Germany and various states in the U.S. Travel is typically a week. All travel is paid for. At the facilities he works on the machines he designs if there's a problem, updates them, etc. Ok, that's the extent of what I know about his job, but as far as building things all day long, no he does not do that.
There are many different jobs a person with this degree can do. My husband makes very good money, gets annual bonuses, great benefits and free travel. OP......finish your degree!! Engineering is the way to go!
OP, you are not alone. I worked as an Instrument & Control engineer in a nuc power plant for over 30 years and know many good engineers that are just like you. I always thought this was odd since I am a total DIYer. I have never had a car, truck, boat, RV in a shop my entire life and also do all my own work on the house (carpentry, electrical, mechanical & plumbing). However, a majority of the engineers I worked with (I'm retired now), never touched a tool or even exhibited the slightest interest in how things, outside of what they performed on the job, actually work.
Although this appears counter intuitive to me, I know many engineers that are not "tinkerers" and are still excellent at their job. Also, many engineering positions do not require field hands-on activities, but rather analytical skills in solving problems, reviewing data and/or performing calculations. As identified above, with some experience you can branch out in technical consulting, teaching or sales. Good luck in whatever path you pursue.
OP, DO you know what a Mechanical Engineer does? My husband is a Mechanical Engineer for a very large global medical sterilization company. He's been with the same company for 17 years and LOVES it! He mostly sits at a desk in a corporate office setting and does 3D AutoCad all day designing the machines that do the sterilizing. (I'm assuming you know what AutoCAD is already). He does this maybe 75% of the time. The other 25% involves traveling to the companies other facilities world wide. He's been to Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico, Paris, U.K., China, Germany and various states in the U.S. Travel is typically a week. All travel is paid for. At the facilities he works on the machines he designs if there's a problem, updates them, etc. Ok, that's the extent of what I know about his job, but as far as building things all day long, no he does not do that.
There are many different jobs a person with this degree can do. My husband makes very good money, gets annual bonuses, great benefits and free travel. OP......finish your degree!! Engineering is the way to go!
Love this.
1st thing you need to do is stop comparing yourself to other students in your program. What you are dealing with is called Imposter Syndrome. It is very common. Especially in STEM fields.
Everybody is different. Not your concern what others are doing. Stick to your own path. As a matter of fact....keep smart people like that close to you and make a it a point to learn from them. Stop making it about competition and focus on becoming the best that you can be.
The reason I chose to study engineering was the desire for a stable job in the future..... Has anyone here graduated with an engineering degree and worked in other fields? Thanks!
Nothing wrong with wanting a good salary and a stable job!!
I have a Civil Engineering degree and work in my field but by no means do I get excited about grading & drainage or BMPs. In truth, I'd rather be writing code which I do on the side a bit. But my job does allow me to provide for my family and indulge in some expensive hobbies. Besides, I'm not out roofing houses or anything horrible like that so I'm quite content at my job.
Finish your ME degree and pass the FE exam. I think you'll find that having a job that isn't complete torture and pays well will go a long way towards personal satisfaction.
OP, DO you know what a Mechanical Engineer does? My husband is a Mechanical Engineer for a very large global medical sterilization company. He's been with the same company for 17 years and LOVES it! He mostly sits at a desk in a corporate office setting and does 3D AutoCad all day designing the machines that do the sterilizing. (I'm assuming you know what AutoCAD is already). He does this maybe 75% of the time. The other 25% involves traveling to the companies other facilities world wide. He's been to Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico, Paris, U.K., China, Germany and various states in the U.S. Travel is typically a week. All travel is paid for. At the facilities he works on the machines he designs if there's a problem, updates them, etc. Ok, that's the extent of what I know about his job, but as far as building things all day long, no he does not do that.
There are many different jobs a person with this degree can do. My husband makes very good money, gets annual bonuses, great benefits and free travel. OP......finish your degree!! Engineering is the way to go!
Your husband is very lucky. Because doing designs in 3d Autocad is very inefficient and is a sign of a cheap company or terrible Eng Boss. 3d is best done in Proe or Solidworks.
You don't need to be a tinkerer or shade tree mechanic to do well in engineering.
It would seem like, of all the engineering disciplines, ME + tinkering go hand and hand. There are a lot of types of engineering degrees, but ME is dealing with physical stuff, so you need to see and visualize how it all comes together.
If the OP is still interested in being an engineer - software and systems design would likely be a better fit if they do like problem solving and analysis.
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