Deciding Major? v. EE/MIS

[ArrestMeRedZ28]

I'm very seriously considering changing my major. I am torn between Business and Engineering.

- I was good at math in early high school, a year ahead of my peers but stopped caring about high school and started working more to buy myself a car.
- I enjoy technical things. Working on cars, working on computers. I do NOT want to be a mechanic, it is more of a hobby of mine.
- I was unsure what major I wanted but I knew I was either going to work towards my general Business degree ("BAPP") then probably go into MIS or I was going into Mechanical Engineering. I chose to go for business, however try to take courses that would allow me to switch.
- If I switch to Mechanical Engineering now, I'll be a few credit hours behind. If I switch to Electrical Engineering, I shouldn't lose any. After this post I'm going to go to look for a EE flowchart.

Here's the links to the PDF info sheets:
Electrical Engineering
Managment Info Systems

My courses I have taken/grades (while working 30hrs/wk at a restraunt, I am now unemployed to focus on to school - decision made by myself based on my calculus grade, never did the homework)
Calculus - D
Public Speaking - B
Expository Writing - B
Macroeconomics - B

Classes I am currently taking (should have a B in all of them, A's in some)
HIST 251 (Social Elective)
Expository Writing 2
Psych 110 (Humanities Elective)
CIS 101-103 (1 credit hour each)
Busniess Orentiation (0 credit hour pass/fail course)
Microeconomics

[6SpeedTA95]

I went business because I love it...I was engineering for awhile...but I made A's/B's in calc

[ArrestMeRedZ28]

lol, I must be drunk. Move this to Speakeasy.

[ArrestMeRedZ28]

Feel free to give me input on anything: deciding majors, perhaps a story, benefits of either of those majors, etc.

Engineering is appealing to me right now because I feel like MIS will net me a cubical job wheras with Engineering I'll be problem solving and experience new things.

[6SpeedTA95]

I just like the business side far more than being a techie my whole life. So I chose MIS. I start in a tech position, cubicle job, but our engineers/designers also have cubicle jobs

[DosEquis]

You run the risk of being stuck in a cubical with either. Both careers are going to have you solving problems, you just have to think about what kind of problems you want to solve. It will also depend on the specific position. I work in IT at an engineering company. Some engineers travel more than others. Some IT persons travel more than others. 95% of my job is in a cube or data center. The other 5% is helping my very attractive co-worker support business group conferences.

[6SpeedTA95]

Originally Posted by DosEquis

You run the risk of being stuck in a cubical with either. Both careers are going to have you solving problems, you just have to think about what kind of problems you want to solve. It will also depend on the specific position. I work in IT at an engineering company. Some engineers travel more than others. Some IT persons travel more than others. 95% of my job is in a cube or data center. The other 5% is helping my very attractive co-worker support business group conferences.

And she is very attractive, and super cool to boot

[ArrestMeRedZ28]

I spoke with a EE advisor for a few minutes and I confirmed I need a "C" grade for any transfered hours, also my History class I'm taking right now won't count. I am still considering it, and would be retaking Calc at JCCC this summer probably. I've got some more class analysis / research to do tonight and I'll talk to my dad about it tomorrow when I feel I've made a decision.

[motivez]

Unless you LOVE Math and Physics, stay away from Engineering IMO, or you'll hate every minute of college and spend way more time actively hating it than anyone else.. Engineering is one of the most intensive majors for undergrad folks, so you'll spend a lot of time on it either way.. but if you don't like it, it's going to ruin your time at school.

I'm finishing up the Calc series and Differential Equations this semester, and I'd say unless Calc I comes pretty easy to you if and when you retake it, engineering might not be in the cards.. because it certainly doesn't get any easier

That's not to say don't try if that's what you want to do, but I don't think most people starting out understand just how much math and physics is involved in Engineering / Computer Science degrees, and it usually kills their desire to pursue the degree beyond a certain point

I still really enjoy math, but figured out Computer Science wasn't the route I wanted to take as far as a career.

The best advice I can give is to take a broad range of courses early on and find something that you really enjoy.. you wont know until you take the classes and see where the path is taking you.

[Ardentfrost]

There are literally thousands of MIS people out there. Every college that offers the major pumps them out. EE's, on the other hand, allows a VERY versatile post-college career. As a matter of fact, I know quite a few people who went on to become lawyers and doctors after their EE degrees. The EE gives you something solid to fall back to if what you decide to do post-grad doesn't work out. Additionally there are a lot of EE jobs out there.

[Ardentfrost]

and yes, like motivez said, if you're not good at math, stay away from Engineering altogether.

[ArrestMeRedZ28]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

There are literally thousands of MIS people out there. Every college that offers the major pumps them out. EE's, on the other hand, allows a VERY versatile post-college career. As a matter of fact, I know quite a few people who went on to become lawyers and doctors after their EE degrees. The EE gives you something solid to fall back to if what you decide to do post-grad doesn't work out. Additionally there are a lot of EE jobs out there.

I guess when it comes down to it, it just depends how hard I want to push myself. I realize EE is going to be a more "in demand" field with more job opportunities. (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

I felt that MIS (Business) was a "fall back" because I could get a engineering (I believe Trey is a Technical Analyst which is a EE job?) I could always fall back and get a easy 40k+ business job. Whereas if the engineering market collapsed I could be fucked. (Granted everything we touch nowadays is electronic, so I feel it would be an EXCELLENT field) I'd be looking into the communications and signal processing field most likely with hopes of a possible internship at Sprint. The World Headquarters (prior to merging with Nextel) is located 10 miles from my home.

[Ardentfrost]

Well, I know just a couple years ago, Electrical Engineering was either #1 or #2 in job growth in the country. The other was Civil Engineering.

If all you want to do is something like I do (Network Engineering) then an MIS degree is all you need. If you want to go out and get the cool jobs, EE is the way to go.

College will open doors, but the REALLY cool jobs (like Google and what not) will pay attention to your major and experience. Everything always depends on what you want to do, but personally I like the idea of keeping lots of doors open. Engineers get hired as managers all the time. But how many business majors get hired as engineers (real engineers)? Especially compared to how many there are.

[ArrestMeRedZ28]

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Well, I know just a couple years ago, Electrical Engineering was either #1 or #2 in job growth in the country. The other was Civil Engineering.

If all you want to do is something like I do (Network Engineering) then an MIS degree is all you need. If you want to go out and get the cool jobs, EE is the way to go.

College will open doors, but the REALLY cool jobs (like Google and what not) will pay attention to your major and experience. Everything always depends on what you want to do, but personally I like the idea of keeping lots of doors open. Engineers get hired as managers all the time. But how many business majors get hired as engineers (real engineers)? Especially compared to how many there are.

I hear ya bro. I'm gonna think it over some more, right now i'm looking at the flowchart and trying to see what classes I'll be taking when, my projected graduation, etc. I think I'm going to go for it though, I'll be talking with my dad (he pays my rent while in school, he's also a ME major from the same school) tomorrow about it.

[ArrestMeRedZ28]

I'm looking at 17-20 hrs that will apply to my major (EE) if I do it. But I'll be taking 4 over summer school this summer and 4 more next summer which will make it very easy for me to reach a projected graduation of Dec 2011, a 4.5 year college career.

[WickedLou9]

do the business side. It has much wider application. It won't piegon hole you into one industry.

[nbiggershaft]

So here is my background before I dispense my advice:

Started school in electrical/computer engineering. Got decent grades, but started to suffer from a hatrid of circuitry.

Believe me on one thing, programming and circuit fun you have in high school or early EE is not similiar to real EE. It comes down to complex logic circuits and algorithms that come out of satan's ass. I still have friends in EE, but it wasn't for me.

So I realized I liked mechanical physics better and switched to ME. I've enjoyed it decently ever since, but there is a bit more thermo than I would like. About 90% of professional ME seems to be in air conditioning and water stuff.

There are however, a huge, huge amount of engineers that go business. From what I've seen from technical industry, a lot of vp's and execs come from engineering and just go to grad school in business.

So my recommendation, get an engineering degree (I prefer ME but to each his own). Then, get an MBA. After your engineering undergrad the MBA will be a walk in the park and you will be much higher in demand than a business undergrad with an MBA.

[nbiggershaft]

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

do the business side. It has much wider application. It won't piegon hole you into one industry.

over half of engineering majors don't do engineering

[nbiggershaft]

Originally Posted by ArrestMeRedZ28

I guess when it comes down to it, it just depends how hard I want to push myself. I realize EE is going to be a more "in demand" field with more job opportunities. (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

I felt that MIS (Business) was a "fall back" because I could get a engineering (I believe Trey is a Technical Analyst which is a EE job?) I could always fall back and get a easy 40k+ business job. Whereas if the engineering market collapsed I could be fucked. (Granted everything we touch nowadays is electronic, so I feel it would be an EXCELLENT field) I'd be looking into the communications and signal processing field most likely with hopes of a possible internship at Sprint. The World Headquarters (prior to merging with Nextel) is located 10 miles from my home.

Interned at sprint last summer. Last CEO, engineer from Rolla.

[ArrestMeRedZ28]

After looking at some flow charts and looking in to circuits I am also looking at Mechanical Engineering w/ Nuclear Engineering Option (+12 hrs)