Thinking about becoming a mechanical engineer

[AKMac]

Well, now that I'm done with my associates at the community college, I'm trying to decide what to transfer into to get my bachelors. My major at the community college was flight technology, so only my generals transfer. I was looking at some of the majors at the university, and I keep coming back to mechanical engineer with an aerospace emphasis. I really like to design and draw stuff, and modifying my model airplanes has became a fun challenge to me. I really think it would be something that I would enjoy.

My goal in life is to become an airline pilot and I think being an mechanical engineer with an aerospace emphasis would really look good an a resume, and also be a good backup in case I loose my medical and can't fly anymore.

The one thing that really concerns me is the math required. I got a A- in Math 1050, but I'm almost certain I would have to start over again because I have forgotten so much. I suppose I would call myself mediocre in math. Can anyone share how hard the math really is?

Another thing that concerns me is that since being a pilot is my chosen profession, I fear that I may not take it seriously enough because I know I will be doing something else in life. I also work full time, so that will be a challenge as well.

If anyone has any experiences, and or advice please share.

[ksuguy]

If you want to be a pilot, go to pilot school. There are many colleges and trade schools that offer programs like that. There is also the military route. However, you have to remember that starting out you won't be making very much money. You have to work for peanuts for several years before getting on at a major airline. Even then, the job is not quite as great as it used to be with most of the airline companies suffering and perpetually losing money.

I'd advise against going into Aerospace engineering, it's a feast or famine business. Here in Wichita, we've got lots of major aircraft companies. Everything will be going great for awhile, then they will lay off a bunch of employees, only to hire them back a couple years later. This goes for the line workers, as well as the engineers.

[AKMac]

I'm done with flight school. I'm a couple months from getting my Certified Flight Instructors certificate. Most major airlines need some sort of 4 year degree to work for them, and Aerospace engineering seems right up my alley.

[ksuguy]

Oh, I didn't know that you already had the flight school done. Maybe you could try asking some pilots what their degrees are in? Engineering is a pretty tough major, and I doubt a lot of your course credits will transfer.

[Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck]

Ksuguy is right, many of your units won't count. At least in the colleges near me, the engineering departments kinda look down their noses at other majors, and think they're elite or something. Depending on where you go, APs or similar tests might not count either, even in an engineering oriented class such as physics. I suspect the same might hold true for JC courses.

Have you considered AFROTC? That seems to be a pretty good way to become an airline pilot (I can see why you'd want to be one. You get to fly and make a load of dough at the same time).

In my opinion, taking an engineering major with a full workload will be extremely difficult. Depends on where you go, but if your honest assessment of your math skills is only mediocre, I'd consider something else. However, if you like designing, go for it. Your call.

Also, a ME degree might be useful for those designing the airplanes or working on them, but I doubt it really matters for pilots (you'd have more knowledge about this than I would).

I originally wanted to be a ME major (and was accepted as such)(think of how it'd help me design guns!), but later decided it wasn't for me, and decided to pursue learning engineering on my own whenever I get the time (after all, Ronnie Barrett is a self-taught engineer). I think back and somewhat regret my decision (after all, I feel as if I concede defeat or something) but not too much. Well, this was a lot more personal than I intended...

Well, cheerio and good luck with whatever you choose.

[CETME]

just wait till you get to Calc. 3, Physics, Thermodynamics, Chem 2 Lab (i hated it), Vector Dynamics...

You'll change your mind.... I changed my major when I got to Calc 3.

[NAPOTS]

I am a ME major, about half way done, wtf calc III was the easiest calc, calc II was way harder

[Corpsie]

I really like to design and draw stuff, and modifying my model airplanes has became a fun challenge to me. I really think it would be something that I would enjoy.

The one thing that really concerns me is the math required. I got a A- in Math 1050, but I'm almost certain I would have to start over again because I have forgotten so much. I suppose I would call myself mediocre in math. Can anyone share how hard the math really is?

Being an ME is mostly math. The highest math course I had to take was differential equations. Aerospace engineering is going to be even more involved with differential equations because it deals with fluid dynamics. If you thought fluids was bad and if you thought dynamics was bad, wait until you combine the two.

ME's don't really design and draw stuff, that's what designers (CAD people) do. ME's are forced to fit subsystems into spaces which are uber-cramped thanks to the designers, make it work better than the competition and make it profitable. The rest of the time you waste on e-mails, phonecalls, meetings, and fighting with union "workers"

I am a ME major, about half way done, wtf calc III was the easiest calc, calc II was way harder

Maybe your Calc II class is equivalent to his Calc III. My calc III class was Applied calculus for engineers (applied is a fancy term for "easy" as far as I have experienced)

[NAPOTS]

our calc III was integrating curved surfaces and such, and a little bit of diffeq

calc 2 was planes and surfaces and distances between a point and a plane and I think we did the alternate co-ordinate systems like spherical and cyllindrical in calc II

[TwoLaneBlackTop]

just wait till you get to Calc. 3, Physics, Thermodynamics, Chem 2 Lab (i hated it), Vector Dynamics...

You'll change your mind.... I changed my major when I got to Calc 3.\

Calc III is not bad, I had more trouble with it than cal I, or II, but most students seem to think Calc III is easier than Calc II. Calc III Is basically Calc II, except our Calc III has pretty much everything is in a 3 dimensional coordinate system, lots of triple integrals and such.

Physics, all the physics classes a mechanical engineer will take are easy in my opinion, I remember getting an A, showing up late almost every day if showing at all.

Most schools only have mechanical Engineers take general Chemistry, then later you will take a course like materials science, this is much more useful to you than chem. II in my opinion.

Vector Static’s, great course and a cakewalk. Dynamics is a little tougher by not much, vector static’s is a mere freshmen level course and one of the more interesting ones at that level. Dynamics is typically a sophomore course and is not difficult in my opinion.

Thermodynamics, this has to be the most over estimated course of all time in terms of perceived difficulty. I was scared of taking it at first, figured it would be the make me or break me course in engineering. Wrong! This class was not hard at all, but was perhaps the most interesting course I ever took. Just understand the laws of thermodynamics, and know how to work through all the common heat engine cycles and you are fine.

I will have finished my schools Mechanical Engineering program in 3 years, and has been a worthwhile experience. I highly recommend this degree to anyone. Any Engineering degree (excluding Industrial Engineering) will tend to be the most difficult undergraduate degrees, it will require a lot of work but the work is interesting. If you want to go to college and get a useless piece of paper that means nothing go get some type of buisness degree like so many others, if you want a degree that means something, get an engineering degree.

[NAPOTS]

properties of materials was the most interesting class I have taken so far
next semester i hope to take thermo, fluids, dynamics, mechanicals of materials and this machining class we have

[Mr. Buckets]

The one thing that really concerns me is the math required. I got a A- in Math 1050, but I'm almost certain I would have to start over again because I have forgotten so much. I suppose I would call myself mediocre in math. Can anyone share how hard the math really is?

If anyone has any experiences, and or advice please share.

A freshman engineering student starts with Calc I because most of your subsequent courses require a good conceptual understanding of calculus. It isn't that hard, you just have to do the work and put forth some effort. At junior level you're expected to be done with all of your math, save statistics (in my case). It's a very rigid course schedule, and you won't get to put many of your AA classes towards an engineering degree.

[Yossarian]

ME's don't really design and draw stuff, that's what designers (CAD people) do.

I only found that out three years into my ME degree. :(

The rest of the time you waste on e-mails, phonecalls, meetings, and fighting with union "workers"

That's pretty much what I did on my mechanical engineering work experience.

If you thought fluids was bad and if you thought dynamics was bad, wait until you combine the two.

I second that. Studying engineering is difficult enough, but what is even more difficult is to be interested in it. A lot of the subjects and ideas are interesting in concept, but as soon as you start getting into the specifics they are amazingly fucking boring.

Don't let average math skills put you off. If you keep up with the work, get to know people who are better at maths than you are, and study hard for the exams you should be ok.

[cowdawg]

Doesn't USU have a program like the one you want?