Any Computer Engineers (or related) here?

[deals4j]

Hey guys,

I need the help of a computer engineer or someone in a related field that can answer 5 quick questions for a career project for CAPP (Career and Personal Planning) class. If you can spare 5 minutes or so of your time to help a fellow RFDer, that would be awesome. (Just 2-3 setences for each would be great) The questions are as follows:

1) What made you decide to go into this field?
2) What do you like most about your job?
3) What do you like least about your job?
4) What kind of traits/attributes/etc. do you think you possess that help you succeed in this career?
5) What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a career in this field?

Oh, and I'll need your name/job title to go along with it. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post it here.


Thanks so much!

[simms]

How about Chemical Engineering?

1) What made you decide to go into this field?

My own personal goal, solid foundation for higher education above those in Arts/Science for Masters in Business Admin (ideally a P.Eng with an MBA)

2) What do you like most about your job?
State of the art equipment, highest paid starting salary on average of all undergraduate degrees

3) What do you like least about your job?
No girls, but I have a girlfriend.. so no problem. Otherwise, long hours of work and HARD work at that.

4) What kind of traits/attributes/etc. do you think you possess that help you succeed in this career?

Organizational, time management. It's who you know, not always what you know. Learn to work independently and present results as a team.

5) What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a career in this field?
You better have straight A's in high school and be willing to work hard with not a lot of recognition. But at least the pay is awesome. :)

[ronny1980]

im a Sanitation Engineer..aka janitor

[deals4j]

Thanks for your quick response! If no one answers, I guess Chemical Engineering will do, since I'm supposed to do the best I can. (More towards computer related fields though) Keep the reponses coming! Thanks again, simms!


How about Chemical Engineering?

1) What made you decide to go into this field?

My own personal goal, solid foundation for higher education above those in Arts/Science for Masters in Business Admin (ideally a P.Eng with an MBA)

2) What do you like most about your job?
State of the art equipment, highest paid starting salary on average of all undergraduate degrees

3) What do you like least about your job?
No girls, but I have a girlfriend.. so no problem. Otherwise, long hours of work and HARD work at that.

4) What kind of traits/attributes/etc. do you think you possess that help you succeed in this career?

Organizational, time management. It's who you know, not always what you know. Learn to work independently and present results as a team.

5) What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a career in this field?
You better have straight A's in high school and be willing to work hard with not a lot of recognition. But at least the pay is awesome. :)

[Agent_J]

im a Sanitation Engineer..aka janitor
you didn't answer any of the questions :lol: :lol:

[guest10586]

I'm a computer engineer...it wasn't worth it!

1) I like computers and computer related stuff
2) Money and perks, and occassionally doing work
3) No girls, and it is true...computer engineers are the geekiest of all engineers. Some of the people you work with are full of sh*t but those are
the computer scientist you work with not the comp engs. This engineering lacks the group work that other engineering does so if you want to be in a group go to civilE, chemE or mechE cause this doesn't have it at all.
4) Hard work, leadership skills, humor and the ability to get things done under very harsh conditions.
5) Be willing to work hard and give up personal time but if you want a pretty good job it is worth it if you have 4 years to kill...

[relativity]

Thanks for your quick response! If no one answers, I guess Chemical Engineering will do, since I'm supposed to do the best I can. (More towards computer related fields though) Keep the reponses coming! Thanks again, simms!

I forwarded your question to a friend of mine ( my manager at work, I'm on coop actually ).

I applied to both computer engineering and computer science for waterloo, got into both, and decided I prefered software and the theory/math level stuff myself so I went into CS. Make sure you know the differences between Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering. Trust me, the differences are massive, even between Soft Eng and Comp Sci, Soft Eng focuses more on processes and management, CS has more focus on math and algorithms.


1)
Interest, having an interest in this field is very important. You will most likely fail out if you don't "like" engineering if you go to a decent university. If you're in it for the money, then look elsewhere, engineering salaries aren't as high as they used to be, even with a P.Eng ( and there are some minor limitiations with having a P.Eng that relate to ethics )

2)
being hands-on. The job pays quite well, but again, it's what I work with and the atmosphere around you.

3)
It's very technical, sometimes very frustrating. Expect a rough time through University, it will be difficult.

4)
The Ability to learn and time management. University is not so much about what you learn, because >70% of what you learn won't be used directly in your job, but you will hone your ability to learn new ideas and concepts, that's University.

5)
Make sure your marks are high enough. Even straight A's might not be enough, some High Schools are harder than others. Know your limits, but don't be afraid to push them. Also, if you go to one of the more difficult universities, get used to not being the smartest person in the class.
Do some research, and make sure engineering is what you want. Too many people spend 2 years of their lives and lots of money and find that they hate engineering, and fail out.




Anyway, the responses:

[65505201]

3) What do you like least about your job?
No girls, but I have a girlfriend.. so no problem. Otherwise, long hours of work and HARD work at that.


But....all of the hot female engineers are in Chem....where did they go?

[simms]

But....all of the hot female engineers are in Chem....where did they go?

They're still there. :) But some are taken by guys like me. And not all hot fem engineers are in Chem, there are a few exceptions in Mech and Civ.

Just that Chem roughly has 50/50 boys girls doesn't mean the girls or the guys are exactly good looking. Remember, these people know how to get grades, but they barely know how to dress themselves nicely.

[deals4j]

I forwarded your question to a friend of mine ( my manager at work, I'm on coop actually ).

I applied to both computer engineering and computer science for waterloo, got into both, and decided I prefered software and the theory/math level stuff myself so I went into CS. Make sure you know the differences between Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering. Trust me, the differences are massive, even between Soft Eng and Comp Sci, Soft Eng focuses more on processes and management, CS has more focus on math and algorithms.


1)
Interest, having an interest in this field is very important. You will most likely fail out if you don't "like" engineering if you go to a decent university. If you're in it for the money, then look elsewhere, engineering salaries aren't as high as they used to be, even with a P.Eng ( and there are some minor limitiations with having a P.Eng that relate to ethics )

2)
being hands-on. The job pays quite well, but again, it's what I work with and the atmosphere around you.

3)
It's very technical, sometimes very frustrating. Expect a rough time through University, it will be difficult.

4)
The Ability to learn and time management. University is not so much about what you learn, because >70% of what you learn won't be used directly in your job, but you will hone your ability to learn new ideas and concepts, that's University.

5)
Make sure your marks are high enough. Even straight A's might not be enough, some High Schools are harder than others. Know your limits, but don't be afraid to push them. Also, if you go to one of the more difficult universities, get used to not being the smartest person in the class.
Do some research, and make sure engineering is what you want. Too many people spend 2 years of their lives and lots of money and find that they hate engineering, and fail out.




Anyway, the responses:

Thanks so much relativity, that's JUST what I needed! Gotta love the RFD community, hehe. If you don't mind, can you PM me his name? I'm supposed to include a references section with it.

Can't wait till university next year, I've applied for both computer engineering and comp sciences (comp sci as second choice), but I'm more interested in going into comp eng, so hopefully I'll enjoy myself! Thanks again! And thanks to everyone else for their input as well!

[P__S__2]

man im only 13 and today we got our forms for highschool courses and i picked Computer engineering.....im pretty good with computers....

Even though i didnt start this thread thanks for the answers above....very usefull.

[simms]

man im only 13 and today we got our forms for highschool courses and i picked Computer engineering.....im pretty good with computers....

Even though i didnt start this thread thanks for the answers above....very usefull.
Taking computer engineering in high school was the SOLE reason why I didn't go into computer engineering.

Spending months writing code to make lights light up? No thanks. I'd rather be processing steam reactors calculating the production rates of gasoline than programming in QBASIC watching LEDs go on and off.

[MTL]

I agree. Thinks long and hard before doing engineering. You need to have real interest in the stuff, and really enjoy it. If you're doing it for the money... fugetaboutit. Money won't buy happiness.

[deals4j]

if you want to go on into engineering in university, make sure you excel at the math and sciences or have some real strong interests in it. ive seen some people want to go into computer engineering only for their interest in computers and didnt do so well in math or hated math.

Yep, everyone I've heard from says the same thing. Good thing Math is my favourite subject.. (yay for 99% in the class :cheesygri)

[guest10586]

It isn't that math or any subject is hard. The only thing you need is the want to pass it. I hardly remember any of my math and I always passed my exams. I didn't know anything for a stats course and passed it. Not grades that were amazing but I passed.

BTW I would really research computer engineering in YOUR area if you plan on working there when you finish cause I took mine in Alberta and there aren't many jobs here.

[simms]

Yep, everyone I've heard from says the same thing. Good thing Math is my favourite subject.. (yay for 99% in the class :cheesygri)

Don't get ahead of yourself.

I had 99 in OAC Algebra final mark.
I just barely passed Linear Algebra in 1st year (probably because I hardly went to class, and the prof didn't speak english).

[simms]

It isn't that math or any subject is hard. The only thing you need is the want to pass it. I hardly remember any of my math and I always passed my exams. I didn't know anything for a stats course and passed it. Not grades that were amazing but I passed.

BTW I would really research computer engineering in YOUR area if you plan on working there when you finish cause I took mine in Alberta and there aren't many jobs here.

True say.
Stats Midterm worth 20% - Average - 91%. Stdev - 4%.

[deals4j]

Don't get ahead of yourself.

I had 99 in OAC Algebra final mark.
I just barely passed Linear Algebra in 1st year (probably because I hardly went to class, and the prof didn't speak english).

Yep, will definitely keep that advice in mind. Just taking Calculus this term (with a teacher who teaches it at a way higher level than the curriculum) and I'm getting a taste of what it's going to be like!

This thread is turning out to be more interesting than expected. It's nice to hear from everyone's experiences and pick up a bunch of advice!

[simms]

Yep, will definitely keep that advice in mind. Just taking Calculus this term (with a teacher who teaches it at a way higher level than the curriculum) and I'm getting a taste of what it's going to be like!

This thread is turning out to be more interesting than expected. It's nice to hear from everyone's experiences and pick up a bunch of advice!

Indeed. I'm taking Calc IV, Differential Equations... the last calculus anyone ever needs to know. :)

[Jabb]

I'm looking into going into this field so ppl who answered his question, thanks so much!I have a couple of quesitons myself tho:


I forwarded your question to a friend of mine ( my manager at work, I'm on coop actually ).

I applied to both computer engineering and computer science for waterloo, got into both, and decided I prefered software and the theory/math level stuff myself so I went into CS. Make sure you know the differences between Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering. Trust me, the differences are massive, even between Soft Eng and Comp Sci, Soft Eng focuses more on processes and management, CS has more focus on math and algorithms.


What marks did you have when you applied? I'm looking to get into Waterloo.

could you plz tell me the differences between Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering?

[goob3r]

Reasons to chose CE over CS:

1) Engineering is a profession. If you decide to do so, you can get your P. Eng. But Engineering is such a "commodity" profession that it may not matter to you anway.
2) Iron ring

But the key is: If you are going into this profession and you decide to work in the IT filed, you'll all be doing the same damn work anyway. So spend that 4 years however you'd like, but you'll end up cursing yourself while studying for finals anyway. :cheesygri

[guest10586]

CS is so much worse then CE. CS is good if you want to program 8 hours a day. A CE will program part of the day and do management stuff as well. EE work with electronics but do the least programming of the three.

EE - Hands on with hardware, design and quite a bit management
CE - Some programming and some design and middle management
CS - No management and probably 90%+ programming

That's my personal experience, maybe someone has a different perspective of how EE is or CS.

[Nyte]

I'm looking into going into this field so ppl who answered his question, thanks so much!I have a couple of quesitons myself tho:

What marks did you have when you applied? I'm looking to get into Waterloo.

could you plz tell me the differences between Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering?

Computer Science and Software Engineering are more focused on the software side. As someone pointed out, SE is more about management of large projects and related stuff. CS has more to do with the actual coding, such as algorithms, the math behind it all, etc.

Computer Engineering and Electrical are more hardware. A lot of places actually have CE as a specialization of EE, and most places will group the two together. They both deal with electrical circuits and such, CE will have more focus on digtal circuits, and interfacing. Most of the programming you do will be at a very low level.

Personally, I applied to both CE and CS at UW. Got rejected for CE, and accepted into CS with my 90% average. It sucked initially, but now Im actually glad I never went into CE. Being in CS, I get much less work than the engineers (which they have mostly due to all the labs), so I actually have a lot of free time to do other stuff. And in the end, I will be competing for the same jobs as the people doing CE, so I don't think it matters too much for me.

Also, contrary to what a lot of people believe, you don't need a degree in engineering to get a P.Eng, its just a lot harder to get it if you don't have one.

Also, if you decide to come to UW, keep in mind that in the fields you listed (I donno about EE), Out of a class of 50-100 people, you will get about 0-5 girls. I've noticed that any girls here who are even semi-decent looking are taken.

[Nyte]

CS is so much worse then CE. CS is good if you want to program 8 hours a day. A CE will program part of the day and do management stuff as well. EE work with electronics but do the least programming of the three.

EE - Hands on with hardware, design and quite a bit management
CE - Some programming and some design and middle management
CS - No management and probably 90%+ programming

That's my personal experience, maybe someone has a different perspective of how EE is or CS.

That may be true as far as a job is concerned (and it doesn't have to be). It is true that with CS, if you get programming job, you will be programming 8+hrs a day. But you could very well get a non-programming job as well.

In school however, that statement definitely does not hold. There is very little management in CS as you noted, but I didn't notice much in CE either (from my friends that are in it). And its not 90% programming, its more like 20%.

[simms]

What marks did you have when you applied? I'm looking to get into Waterloo.

could you plz tell me the differences between Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering?


91. I got into Chemical Engineering at UW, UT, Mac + 6000, Queens (for Bio).



Also, contrary to what a lot of people believe, you don't need a degree in engineering to get a P.Eng, its just a lot harder to get it if you don't have one.

Also, if you decide to come to UW, keep in mind that in the fields you listed (I donno about EE), Out of a class of 50-100 people, you will get about 0-5 girls. I've noticed that any girls here who are even semi-decent looking are taken.

Interesting. How else can you get a P.Eng without a degree?

Go to UW for any Engineering other than Chemical. And some UW girls are good looking, you just won't find them in Engineering ;)

[Nyte]

Interesting. How else can you get a P.Eng without a degree?


You still need a degree, but it doesn't have to be an engineering degree. You just gotta write more exams, and probably have more related work experience. You can find the details at the P.Eng website. On a similar note, you don't need an engineering degree (Bachelors) to get a PhD in Engineering.



Go to UW for any Engineering other than Chemical. And some UW girls are good looking, you just won't find them in Engineering ;)

Definitely, Im living with 3 of them right now, lol. By my point remains that anyone, forget good looking, but even just semi-decent, is taken. In terms of engineering, I know a couple of good looking girls in it, and I also saw a really hot one in Chem Eng. but they surely are rare.

[fwhc022883]

1. Partly because I like computers and partly because I'm one of those typical Chinese that goes into a computer related field. I didn't choose CS because I wanted something to do with hardware as well as programming.

2. I'm on my internship right now so I get to learn about stuffs I'll never learn in school such as WebSphere, Oracle, etc.

3. I hate manual testing and that's what I'm doing. Employers tend to give software developer jobs to CS students rather than CE student. So if you like programming, take CS instead.

4. I'm hardworking (= sleepless nights during school) and I have the passion to learn (as long as it's computer/technology related). Time management is a must too.

5. Make sure you are going into Computer Engineering because of your interest to learn about the hardware/software aspects of the computer. Otherwise, you won't make it through the 4 years in university.

Job Title: QA Associate Specialist

[toalan]

Hey guys,

I need the help of a computer engineer or someone in a related field that can answer 5 quick questions for a career project for CAPP (Career and Personal Planning) class. If you can spare 5 minutes or so of your time to help a fellow RFDer, that would be awesome. (Just 2-3 setences for each would be great) The questions are as follows:

1) What made you decide to go into this field?
2) What do you like most about your job?
3) What do you like least about your job?
4) What kind of traits/attributes/etc. do you think you possess that help you succeed in this career?
5) What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a career in this field?

Oh, and I'll need your name/job title to go along with it. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post it here.


Thanks so much!

I think I can help you.

Former Computer engineering student At U of T but transferred to Electrical Engineering at U of T in 2nd year.

Here is my answer to your questions based on the sum of my experiences, mind you I currently work as a portfolio manager but I am also starting my side business, designing electronics.

1) Hardware almost never changes, what I learned in eletrical is very relevant even 10 years from now.

2) WRT to my electronics business, there is immense satisfaction in building something. My day job is in finance, I also trade commodities form time to time in order to balance a portfolio, let me tell you that finance is a zero sum game. No value what so ever is created, it is just a transfer of wealth. If I make a good trade, that means someone made a bad trade, it is impossible for both parties involved in a transaction to be happy. Personally I think that is not a sustainable business. To me the only sustanable business is one where you add/make value, by either creating a product form ground up or adding to an existing product to create more value, this way both people involved in the transaction are happy. I made a product and am able to sell it to you at a reasonable price, I am happy, you buy my product at a good price and get good vale and you are happy.

Nothing illustrates this better than electrical engineering. Think of it, you can take silicon found in sand, add in copper and as if by magic you can create a CHIP that does so many wonderful things. It is like alchemy, creating gold from lint. For me it is the process of taking off the shelf Intergrated ciruits that are only a few dollars each, arrange them in such a fashion that as a whole it is now worth 100 times the cost of materials.

3) There is alot to learn, so much that often all I do is read the data sheets and have faith that it works like it says it does.

4) Creativity, an electrical engineer with his computer is like an artist with his paint, an infinite number of possibilities.

5) Think outside the box, there are alot of good hardware/software out there, but there is always a way to do it better, cheaper and faster.

I think no one can disagree with my point #2, honestly it has taken 4 years of working in finance to come to this conclusion. I have no idea why anyone would ever want to become a commidites trader, risk analyst, portfolio manager, in the long run all you are doing is playing a game in which nothing of value is ever created. I hated electrical engineering when i first graduated, but now I love it more and more. It might be cliche to say it but in electrical engineering there is so much beauty in symmetry and duality, it seems that many equations and phonomenon were designed by god himself because they exhibit such marvelous behaviours.

[emptypocket]

I think I can help you.

Former Computer engineering student At U of T but transferred to Electrical Engineering at U of T in 2nd year.

Here is my answer to your questions based on the sum of my experiences, mind you I currently work as a portfolio manager but I am also starting my side business, designing electronics.

1) Hardware almost never changes, what I learned in eletrical is very relevant even 10 years from now.

2) WRT to my electronics business, there is immense satisfaction in building something. My day job is in finance, I also trade commodities form time to time in order to balance a portfolio, let me tell you that finance is a zero sum game. No value what so ever is created, it is just a transfer of wealth. If I make a good trade, that means someone made a bad trade, it is impossible for both parties involved in a transaction to be happy. Personally I think that is not a sustainable business. To me the only sustanable business is one where you add/make value, by either creating a product form ground up or adding to an existing product to create more value, this way both people involved in the transaction are happy. I made a product and am able to sell it to you at a reasonable price, I am happy, you buy my product at a good price and get good vale and you are happy.

Nothing illustrates this better than electrical engineering. Think of it, you can take silicon found in sand, add in copper and as if by magic you can create a CHIP that does so many wonderful things. It is like alchemy, creating gold from lint. For me it is the process of taking off the shelf Intergrated ciruits that are only a few dollars each, arrange them in such a fashion that as a whole it is now worth 100 times the cost of materials.

3) There is alot to learn, so much that often all I do is read the data sheets and have faith that it works like it says it does.

4) Creativity, an electrical engineer with his computer is like an artist with his paint, an infinite number of possibilities.

5) Think outside the box, there are alot of good hardware/software out there, but there is always a way to do it better, cheaper and faster.

I think no one can disagree with my point #2, honestly it has taken 4 years of working in finance to come to this conclusion. I have no idea why anyone would ever want to become a commidites trader, risk analyst, portfolio manager, in the long run all you are doing is playing a game in which nothing of value is ever created. I hated electrical engineering when i first graduated, but now I love it more and more. It might be cliche to say it but in electrical engineering there is so much beauty in symmetry and duality, it seems that many equations and phonomenon were designed by god himself because they exhibit such marvelous behaviours.

Without a doubt one of the most eloquently written posts I've read. Whatever career I end up with, I hope that my feelings towards it will be similar to your feelings towards EE.

[relativity]

I'm looking into going into this field so ppl who answered his question, thanks so much!I have a couple of quesitons myself tho:



What marks did you have when you applied? I'm looking to get into Waterloo.

could you plz tell me the differences between Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Software Engineering?



Me, I applied with an 89 ( 89.5 actually ) average. The only reason why I had gotten in is because the reputation that my highschool had at the time (Woburn CI), Woburn kind of blows now... most of the nerds have been scared away from it by the thugs.

A friend of mine got into SE with an 88, and SE was harder to get into than Comp Eng at the time I applied ( it was the second year the program was being offered ).

I'm pretty familiar with the differences, I've considered switching into SE before and realized that it wasn't my thing. I'm probaby reiterating here but here goes:
Electrical: You learn a lot more about circuits and electronics. One thing that EE's do that CE's dont do is a lot of work with Analog circuits and power. Any Analog circuits in CE end at around the middle of second year.

Comp Eng: You learn the basics to circuits like the EE's, but you deviate away later on and do some more software, but a lot more lower level stuff. You'll be doing ASIC's, and low-level processor design.

Note: both CE and EE involve a lot of APPLIED math. That is, the concepts themselves are generally easy, but the problems are complex ( weird numbers, lots of arithmetic, and lots to remember ), basically what you'd deal with in the real world, you're basically hardened. And yeah, Engineering is a lot of work, you've got Sleep, Social Life, and Passing, choose two.

SE: Imagine SE as CS and CE mixed together with another portion of Business admin thrown in. You'll learn some circuits, but mostly you'll be doing courses on software maintenance and project management.

CS: CS involves a LOT of mathematical theory, at least at waterloo. You don't learn how to code in a proper CS program. So, if you don't like doing proofs, induction, and theoretical math ( like proving that knots only exist in 3 dimensions, not even in 4,5,6,... dimensions ) then CS will kill you. On top of this expect to be staring at your screen, pullling your hair out trying to figure out why something won't work.


One thing I hate at least at Waterloo is how Engineering is taught. I was helping a friend study for his Calc2 final, and I was surprised at how little focus there was on actually understanding concepts and why a specific formula works out. They were just taught to use those formuals and trust them, there isn't enough focus on understanding.

Also, FYI, if you really really like the program you didn't get into, you can still switch after the first term. Do your best, and try to get an 85%+ average ( switching into Engineering or into CS at waterloo is 80% cumulative average in your current program of engineering, cs or math ) in University and switch over, a lot of people fail out in the first few terms because they realize they are in way over their heads and that their highschools prepared them poorly for the major.

Edit: I'd also like to add that a P.Eng will open a lot of doors to you, but may also close a few. Becoming a P.Eng invovles some oaths to ethics, much like becoming a doctor. Some Government jobs will require you to be a P.Eng, but some consulting or higher-level jobs might require you to say things that are in the best interest of the company you're working for and not ncessarily in the overall best interest as an Engineer.

[deals4j]

Wow, a lot of good advice has stemed from this post. Thanks to everyone again for their input! I've gathered a lot from all of your posts, and I'm sure others have too. It's truly appreciated.

[guest10586]

PEng for CE and SE seem sorta useless. I can program an electronic bridge and it might get destroyed in the simulation but who cares?

[BladeX]

can anyone tell me what they recommend most in highschool courses to prepare for university?

I know for a fact..

Grade 9 - Academic English
- Academic Math
- Academic Science
- Tech course if possible

Grade 10 - Academic English
- Academic Math
- Open tech course

Grade 11 - English for university
- Functions and relations or just functions
- Computer engineering

Now for grade 11, what sciences do people tend to do, physics chemistry or biology? I know all 3 is recommended but which ones would you take most, Im liekly to take 2 of the 3.

anything else ?

[deals4j]

can anyone tell me what they recommend most in highschool courses to prepare for university?

I know for a fact..

Grade 9 - Academic English
- Academic Math
- Academic Science
- Tech course if possible

Grade 10 - Academic English
- Academic Math
- Open tech course

Grade 11 - English for university
- Functions and relations or just functions
- Computer engineering

Now for grade 11, what sciences do people tend to do, physics chemistry or biology? I know all 3 is recommended but which ones would you take most, Im liekly to take 2 of the 3.

anything else ?

For engineering, you need chem and physics.

[webdoctors]

1) What made you decide to go into this field?

Went into the field cause I like computers and it seemed like a really challenging and fun subject to me. I love tinkering with them, building them from the ground up and engineering is a pretigious profession which at the time I applied had many job opportunities and great pay.

Another reason I went into Computer Engineering is because it teaches me to think outside of the box. Sometimes I think even if I don't become an engineer due to a lack of jobs, I am still better off wid my engineering degree for many othe jobs because of the problem solving and outside the box skills U get when U take engineering courses. I think these skills would help me if I wanted to succeed in consulting, business, finance or marketing. When I took those types of courses in Univ., my profs expected us to be able to use our engineering problem solving skills to apply to almost any problem.

2) What do you like most about your job?

The cutting edge technology I deal with and the affect my products have on people's lives...

3) What do you like least about your job?

My boss. He getting anal about how long I go for lunch.

4) What kind of traits/attributes/etc. do you think you possess that help you succeed in this career?

I am smart, work hard and like a challenge.

5) What advice would you give to someone looking to pursue a career in this field?

Don't, it sucks now. Engineering is becoming a commodity with offshoring and most designs being exported to thirdworld countries.....

however if U must go into engineering, be prepared for sleepless nights and working much harder than ppl around U. If U ok wid and can handle not having a gf or many friends for 4+ yrs and only working and not having a social life in Univ. and working extremely hard non-stop constantly for weeks or months at a time than Comp. Engineering is for U. To be successful, remember to never give up, or at least until after the project is due :)

ASIC Design Engineer

[P__S__2]

Im not good at math. But i love computers and i love working with them? will that affect anything? from the posts it sounds like it does...

[guest10586]

I know this sounds harsh but you have a good chance of failing by not knowing the math. There is plenty of math there when you take it.

Liking and using computers is totally different then programming and design.

[simms]

I know this sounds harsh but you have a good chance of failing by not knowing the math. There is plenty of math there when you take it.

Liking and using computers is totally different then programming and design.

Chemical has a lot too.

Calc I, II, III, IV.
Linear Algebra.
Differental Eqns.
Stats.
Economic Analysis.

That's only 2nd year so far

[Kai Viti]

im a Sanitation Engineer..aka janitor

A garbologist, hey! :D

[toalan]

Im not good at math. But i love computers and i love working with them? will that affect anything? from the posts it sounds like it does...

You need math, if you know math atleast you can blindly follow equations and get most things done. If you know math and have a good understanding of the material then you will rock. Quite often there is so much to learn that you do not have the time to understand the stuff, in which case you will be pretty safe switching your brain to math mode and just crunching numbers. The hard part of engineering is just getting into University, once you are in then I would not say that it is exactly easy, but you gotta be a true slacker to fail out. I knew some people at U of T engineering that were always on the probation list, I think by the time I graduated they were still in 2nd year. But I am pretty sure they did graduate.

Seriously you have to take university in stride, if you do not do well what is the worst that can happen? they put you on probation or they force you to take a year off and come back next year. Let me tell you once you graduate and start to work, everything is a blurr, it really makes no diff if you got held back a year or not. Infact If I had to do it all over again I would either work my ass off and try to get into grad school or just be a super slacker and coast through. I have preference for the latter though. I have to say university caused me alot of stress, alot of undue stress, often I was sure i failed the final or midterm but in fact I did quite well.

You have to put in decent effort in school, but if you are putting in a good effort and still continure to do poorly well then you know you are in over your head. Sure you can work harder, but you gotta keep up the pace for 4 years while other really smart people are just chilling through school.
If you are a smart guy no matter what the challenge you will make it through, and if you are not smart enough well then it is better to find out sooner than later.

[IceMan77]

All the hottest women are in Commerce/Management. Best 4 years of my life. Now working in CS cuz it pays well, but there's no women anywhere. Makes me wanna quit and work at a call centre. hehe.. :cheesygri

playa tip: fastest way to turn off a girl in a bar is telling them you work as an engineer/programmer. :evil:

[guest10586]

Its funny cause its true. My friend used to say engineer but then after a while he just started saying applied sciences...lol.

[P__S__2]

WHOA!....you guys are right I will be in big trouble cuz im not good in math.

Looks like ill have to search for something else i love to do.

Thanks for the comments and helpful tips guys.