T-Engineers?

Off Topic
61

[quote]Chewie wrote:
blaque.ops wrote:
I’ve a BEng in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, I’d say Mechanical Engineers are the most useful, followed by EEE then Aeronautic/Aerodynamic. Although I give respect to anyone who gets the job done!

No way. Civil Engineers are the most useful for society. Think about it. Who designs the structures, dams, water treatment facilities, drainage facilities, roads, bridges, reservoirs… It’s Civil Engineers. We make the world go around.

All engineers get my respect, though.
[/quote]

Bah. Civil Engineers are just a bunch of ditch diggers.

62

[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
Ok, since we have so many engineers chiming in:

What class(es) really knocked you on your ass in your undergrad?

For me, it was physics E&M. I had to retake that class several times. It’s been the only class to really mess me up and, looking back, I have no clue why it really did that to me, but it did.

Circuit analysis roughed me up some but E&M really made me talk to God.[/quote]

Calculus I at Texas A&M kicked my ass. I finally passed with a C on my fourth try. I actually passed Calculus II (B) and Differential Equations (A) before I passed the pre-req Calc I.

There was an Introduction To Engineering I and II. Each class was for 2 credit hours, but these two classes generated an ungodly amount of paperwork and homework. Plus there was a new group project given out each week. Lame high school physics type stuff, mouse trap cars, a structure using only paper to hold as much weight as possible, etc… I was spending 20+ hours a week trying to keep up on the work for a crappy 2 credit hours.

There was another course that I passed with a B, but never knew what the class was about. It started out as mathematical modeling for physical systems. Like if you a cart operating with a spring and dash pod the mathematical model could predict dampening and oscillation. We covered that in week 2. From there on the whole class went right over my head.

63

[quote]Bujo wrote:
Chewie wrote:
blaque.ops wrote:
I’ve a BEng in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, I’d say Mechanical Engineers are the most useful, followed by EEE then Aeronautic/Aerodynamic. Although I give respect to anyone who gets the job done!

No way. Civil Engineers are the most useful for society. Think about it. Who designs the structures, dams, water treatment facilities, drainage facilities, roads, bridges, reservoirs… It’s Civil Engineers. We make the world go around.

All engineers get my respect, though.

Bah. Civil Engineers are just a bunch of ditch diggers.[/quote]

I prefer to think of them as a “jack of all trades”

64

[quote]Bujo wrote:
Chewie wrote:
blaque.ops wrote:
I’ve a BEng in Electronic and Electrical Engineering, I’d say Mechanical Engineers are the most useful, followed by EEE then Aeronautic/Aerodynamic. Although I give respect to anyone who gets the job done!

No way. Civil Engineers are the most useful for society. Think about it. Who designs the structures, dams, water treatment facilities, drainage facilities, roads, bridges, reservoirs… It’s Civil Engineers. We make the world go around.

All engineers get my respect, though.

Bah. Civil Engineers are just a bunch of ditch diggers.[/quote]

Ditches such as the Panama Canal…

65

I’ll get my M.Sc. in Computer Science/Engineering (a hybrid course) in 2,5 years. We still had our maths, calculus, physics, statistics, curcuitry, etc. etc., so I’ll call myself an engineer.

All that non-computer-stuff is what gives me a hard time, as I don’t find it as interesting… engineering algorithms and cool programs is something I could do just for fun, and then getting straight A’s is easier :slight_smile:

66

[quote]alit4 wrote:
i work in areospace and engineer parts for aircraft. i don’t like to judged by what i do for a living. it does not define me.
i’m much prefer to be defined by what i do away from work, and what i do in the gym is far more relevant to who i am.[/quote]

Amen!

67

BS in Ceramic Engineering. Try getting a job with that when no one’s heard of it. I wish I’d gone into sports science or physical therapy. Or ninja-ology. Getting a degree in something strictly for the money isn’t as good an idea as I thought it was at the time.

68

[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
Ok, since we have so many engineers chiming in:

What class(es) really knocked you on your ass in your undergrad?

For me, it was physics E&M. I had to retake that class several times. It’s been the only class to really mess me up and, looking back, I have no clue why it really did that to me, but it did.

Circuit analysis roughed me up some but E&M really made me talk to God.[/quote]

Circuits sucked. Differential equations also sucked.

Physics E&M was hard but I did ok.

I am a Chem E. All of my major classes were fairly easy. The hardest one was separations because the prof was a fucking dick that couldn’t teach, knew he couldn’t teach, and didn’t give a fuck. And the book sucked so I had a really hard time teaching myself.

69

I’m taking an Electronics Engineering Technician program at college. It is really interesting and now that we are starting to learn C for the purpose of PLC’s I am starting to get really excited. On the down side the program has the highest dropout rate and the highest failure rate for my school.

70

[quote]bcylee wrote:
1 semester to go as a Mech Eng major w/ Biomechanics option at the University of Waterloo. I see a lot of engineers at the gym but almost no jacked/strong ones. However, my buddy from my first year who got me into lifting was a Computer Engineer, a guy I normally lift with is also a Mechie (1 year down) and I lift with guys doing Master’s Degrees in Pure Math and CS. The Mechie’s boss on one coop term was a former Nose Tackle and a UW Civ Eng alumni who had a raw mid-high 400’s (I think) flat bench.

Most people I talk to view Mech and Civ Eng’s as the goons of engineering; probably because we’re the guys who work with the most hands on ‘heavy duty’ stuff (ie. buildings, structural reinforcements, mechanical parts). Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of nerds to go around.

Anyone here use their knowledge of kinematics in the gym? [/quote]

Welcome to Waterloo. Are you from around here or just staying for the school?

71

I have a diploma in Applied Electronics and wanted to carry on with an Electronics Engineering degree but at the time there were very few university’s offering applied science degrees with the diploma so I went for a degree in Comp. Sci. It ends up half of the programmers (or Software Engineers :stuck_out_tongue: :stuck_out_tongue: Ponce :D)) I work with have their degrees in Electronics Engineering, and no CS education.

I do actually use my electronics background quite a bit, but that’s because of the nature of the programming I do.

72

[quote]Steel Nation wrote:
PonceDeLeon wrote:
Ok, since we have so many engineers chiming in:

What class(es) really knocked you on your ass in your undergrad?

For me, it was physics E&M. I had to retake that class several times. It’s been the only class to really mess me up and, looking back, I have no clue why it really did that to me, but it did.

Circuit analysis roughed me up some but E&M really made me talk to God.

Circuits sucked. Differential equations also sucked.

Physics E&M was hard but I did ok.

I am a Chem E. All of my major classes were fairly easy. The hardest one was separations because the prof was a fucking dick that couldn’t teach, knew he couldn’t teach, and didn’t give a fuck. And the book sucked so I had a really hard time teaching myself.[/quote]

First off, I am truly impressed to be in the company of such intelligent people - aside from all you engineers, there are other, very educated folk on here - who are as dedicated to their health as they were to their education. I dig that.

I have no idea why physics E&M is such a tough class. It seems as though the average engineering student struggles with it and I have only met maybe two that truly enjoyed it. The same goes for circuit analysis.

I loved mechanics and thermo, personally, but never took fluid dynamics (I may just do it for fun).

Also, it is amazing how useful diff eqs and linear algebra are. I swear the world made more sense after I took those two classes. Even very basic math - geometry, algebra, trig - made more sense after I took those two courses. Maybe because the brain has to ‘hypertrophy’ when you take on more complex thought processes, and so other things that maybe gave you problems before are all of a sudden crystal clear.

debra,

:stuck_out_tongue:

My PM function is messed up so I have not been able to send you a PM. I finally took an intro to database design course and enjoyed it. I saw an old programming instructor at a coffee shop and asked him if the course I took at uni would prepare me for the advanced stuff he teaches at my old community college. He said I could sign up, which is great because he was at Oracle for a long time. I love being taught by people that came straight from industry. I always trust their word above other profs that have only been in academia.

Steel Nation,

How was p. chem (physical chemistry) ? I hear that class is mind numbing but I’m not sure if it’s just tedious or if it is actually ‘hard.’

Did you also have to take polymer chemistry? Would you have been able to go into the field of rapid prototyping?

I was interested in that field along with materials science, before I switched out of engineering altogether. I might actually go back and finish up that degree since I have just over two years left to do it, rather than get a masters. Not sure.

73

[quote]PonceDeLeon wrote:
Ok, since we have so many engineers chiming in:

What class(es) really knocked you on your ass in your undergrad?

For me, it was physics E&M. I had to retake that class several times. It’s been the only class to really mess me up and, looking back, I have no clue why it really did that to me, but it did.

Circuit analysis roughed me up some but E&M really made me talk to God.[/quote]

I got my ass kicked by Thermo and Fluids from the Mech E dept. Then in the EE dept I got my ass kicked by Signals and Systems.
From the Civ E dept, I got completely raped by Structural Mechanics.

Yep…beatings from 3 different departments…all just to get my BS in Mech E

74

[quote]belligerent wrote:
Looking from the outside, I think the field of engineering is a pretty cool one, and I think engineers as a group are possibly the most productive members of society in terms of the actual value of their work.

It’s too bad that engineering is a field occupied mostly by geeks. A bodybuilding engineer would be a pretty impressive brawn-brains combo. There must be at least a few here. What field are you in and how do you relate to your geeky co-workers?

Also, how would you rank the various engineering fields?

Civil
Mechanical
Electrical
Aeronautical
Computer (software/hardware)
Bioengineer
Chemical

interesting shit[/quote]

How?
ALPHABETICALLY!

75

I finished up with a B.S. in Industrial w/ the FE under my belt. I always thought that IE was one of the more versatile types of engineering and we studied a lot of finance in relation to industry and manufacturing. Overall a great time.

Then I went active in the Army immediately after graduation, so it’s been about 3 years since I’ve even cracked a book. I figure I’ll have to go back to school and pursue a Masters of some sort before I get back into the engineering field.

The funny thing is, all the Docs and Lawyers I know are telling anyone thinking about going into medicine or law to reconsider and go into engineering.

76

I studied mechanical engineering and now work for an oil & gas company as a subsea development engineer - if you could see some of the equipment being used and stuff that has been build under water you would not believe it…

Mechanical engineers build weapons, civil engineers built targets :o)

77

One thing I would say is that anyone who is unsure of what field they would like to enter would be better keeping their subject choice simple such as mechanical engineering. You can pretty much enter any field with a mechanical engineering degree off the top of my head I know of people who were on my course who now work in investment banking, currency trading, manufacturing, aerospace, consturction, process, civil, nuclear, management, accountancy etc…

78

I’m an EE (BS and MS) and a lot of my coworkers are out of shape. My office mate looked at me like I was insane when I didn’t want some cookies he brought in. I get the “you aren’t fat, why would you want to diet, all the time”.

EE is great. I also took a lot of physics and chemistry.

79

[quote]JamFly wrote:

Mechanical engineers build weapons, civil engineers built targets :o)[/quote]

One of my favorite quotes…

80

I’m about halfway through a degree in ocean and naval architectural engineering right now, and the opportunities are fantastic. Highly recommended.