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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Timbers of Fennario
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 22, 2017 - 11:00am PT
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Thinking about going back to school. Would like to get a degree in this field. Been toyimg with the idea for a few years. Any suggestions? Tips?
Thanks, ya'll!
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Don Lauria
Trad climber
Bishop, CA
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Oct 22, 2017 - 01:37pm PT
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What's your educational background?
What's your idea of what mechanical engineers do? It's a broadly defined field. I have a Masters in Mechanical Engineering and the only courses I took were in analytical mechanics - 100% advanced mathematics, so you need to know what you want.
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Winemaker
Sport climber
Yakima, WA
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Oct 22, 2017 - 02:59pm PT
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Are you good at maths? How old are you? Can you afford it? My personal experience with going back to university as a pretty old guy for a full degree program is that as an older person you will be way more committed and serious about it; I missed one class during the entire program. You'll also find that being older is really useful for making connections with the professors or lecturers.
Then you need to get that P.E. attachment to your name.
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drF
Trad climber
usa
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Oct 22, 2017 - 03:32pm PT
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Another consideration is where do you want to work/live? I'm a ChemE which limited me a bit in my search for the perfect place to work/live. I got lucky and really enjoy where I work/live. MEng will be subject to some of these constraints as well. I don't what your age is but age discrimination is a real thing especially in this field.
I work with alot of MEng's. Like myself, what they do know has little to do with their background. No P.E required here
Any engineering degree you pursue will be a burly endeavor. Doing it in 3-4yrs is more than a full-time job.
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WBraun
climber
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Oct 22, 2017 - 03:38pm PT
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I half a degree in Redneck Engineering ..... :-)
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drF
Trad climber
usa
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Oct 22, 2017 - 04:22pm PT
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You're hired!!!
The snowflake engineers we're hiring call a tow truck when they get a flat tire. Can't figure out how to tap a keg either. Ho Man!!
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hailman
Trad climber
Sacramento
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Oct 22, 2017 - 04:30pm PT
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I'm a civil engineer...just got licensed here in CA... so might be able to give some halfway-baked advice on getting the degree + practicing engineering :)
Do you like solving problems and analyzing how things work? Have you ever found yourself trying to solve one good problem for a ridiculous amount of time? Like rifling through books and googling like a madman just to understand how a set of equations models some process you're interested in? Do you ignore human relationships to waste away in a computer lab, drunkenly attempting to finish your design project one dreary day after the next? OK too far...also, playing with LEGOs when you were a kid does not foretell engineering prowess.
A good example would be...somebody tells you the Wheatstone bridge is used in a lot of electrical instruments because it can detect very small changes in resistance. Most people would be satisfied with just this. An engineer would be more likely to get pissed off and would soon find themselves solving Kirchoff's laws for the bridge to examine the relationship between the supply voltage, changing resistance from the transducer, and the measurement voltage across the bridge.
If you did well in some upper level math in the past you will get through an engineering undergrad degree just fine.
A great reason to choose one engineering discipline over another is interest in a particular research area. Mechanical engineering, just like civil, is so broad it barely even means anything! I've always been interested in geology and focused on geotechnical stuff within civil, but I just as easily could have ended up in construction, structures, water resources, transportation...all with a civil engineering degree.
A good chunk of engineering grads aren't even working in an engineering-type career shortly after graduation. Lots of industries hire engineers because they're problem solvers and even if you end up hating it, getting the degree would open doors for you. The reality of most engineering careers is you will be following established methods/CODE (especially in civil). You might use the same spreadsheet thousands of times over. If you follow the rules...no one gets hurt...
This can get a bit monotonous...BUT engineering research is way rad. Looking into what your professors are researching (they don't care about teaching anyway) could be a good starting point to see what makes YOU excited.
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Winemaker
Sport climber
Yakima, WA
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Oct 22, 2017 - 04:59pm PT
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Yeah drF, P.E. isn't required, but it sure boosts your worth in some engineering disciplines. You're right about the effort involved in school for a technical degree; I earned my Wine Science B.S. in New Zealand where university is a three year deal, as they skip the bullsh#t, so that helped, but it was a full time slough. It was a bit daunting to go back to school and be the oldest student around, but it was great to realize the brain still worked and was capable of learning.
Especially nice was that the government paid all the tuition and a support stipend, which leads to the (slightly) off topic subject of costs. It's scary to see some of the debt American people are taking on to go to university. And that debt can't be removed by bankruptcy, it's always there and has to be paid.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Oct 22, 2017 - 05:04pm PT
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I have a degree in Physics and was in the same year as my brother who was doing Chem Eng. My program was more difficult conceptually but those engineers got loaded down with a ton of work, 6 classes. I went to work in oil and gas exploration as a petrophysicist and have worked with many engineers over the years.
Once graduating they think they have it made, but then they get beat upon for the first few years and have to learn a lot more. However 5 years into it they generally enjoy life a lot.
The late great Dave Cheesmond was an engineer designing production facilities. Somehow he managed to swing a lot of time off and get a ton of climbing including expeditions.
A career like that is worth it if you can find the right job with the right company. Just make sure you get enough time off for climbing.
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originalpmac
Mountain climber
Timbers of Fennario
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 22, 2017 - 05:23pm PT
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Hey all, thanks for the replies.
Werner, me too! Helped run the Ouray Hydro Power Station for a while. If that isn't redneck engineering, I don't know what is.
Busy at the moment, but I'll chime back in this evening when I have more time.
Thanks again, yall.
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Yury
Mountain climber
T.O.
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Oct 22, 2017 - 05:43pm PT
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Just keep in mind that after the first wave of manufacturing offshoring now we have a second wave of R&D offshoring.
Whatever jobs are still here have more focus on regulations and compliance.
Please be ready as an engineer to spend a lot of your time/efforts on paperwork and checklists. :(
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Aerili
climber
Project Y
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Oct 23, 2017 - 08:46am PT
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What kind of suggestions are you looking for, exactly? You're a bit too general to give good feedback on what you're looking for.
A good chunk of engineering grads aren't even working in an engineering-type career shortly after graduation. Lots of industries hire engineers because they're problem solvers and even if you end up hating it, getting the degree would open doors for you.
I agree with this. Alternatively, some engineers work in strict engineering for a while and then transition into something else later. And/or you can find yourself doing things which require creativity and problem solving but which don't the involve the stereotypical physical design aspects per se, like Solidworks (this is true for me - I work with systems, both virtual and real, as well as risk management). However, I used to work a lot with more mechanical systems, including lots of hoisting and rigging applications, which I also enjoyed.
Most ME's don't need to be a PE, but I would not worry about that one way or another now. That will come down the road several years out and you can cross that bridge when you know the direction you're headed in.
One area that has good projected future prospects is mechatronics, I believe.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 23, 2017 - 09:30am PT
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Isn’t civil where the money’s at?
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Oct 23, 2017 - 09:42am PT
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Petroleum engineering pays more than civil. I don't know how this compares to Silicon Valley pay.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Oct 23, 2017 - 01:00pm PT
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Thanks, learn sumpin new every day! I guess I've only known civils who didn't know that and
found their way to the bank. Would designing dams for Bechtel have had anything to do with that? ;-)
One of my best friend's brothers is one of the top petroleos at Arco - that dood ain't hurtin'!
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ontheedgeandscaredtodeath
Social climber
Wilds of New Mexico
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Oct 23, 2017 - 02:13pm PT
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I'm about as far from an engineer as you can get! I barely made it through the minimum college math requirements. Luckily there is law school! Anyway, I interact with engineers on an almost daily basis both as client representatives and as expert consultants. This includes or has included petroleum, mechanical, environmental, mining, EE, civil, etc., engineers. (I'm an environmental compliance, permitting and litigation atty).
Generally I'd say they really like what they do, and many have extremely interesting careers. Though I'm sure I only see a small slice of the profession.
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Oct 23, 2017 - 02:33pm PT
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I've always been interested in geology and focused on geotechnical stuff within civil
I agree.
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AP
Trad climber
Calgary
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Oct 23, 2017 - 03:05pm PT
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The engineers I have worked with are good people but very career driven. I have always been a climber first so I think differently than most other people at work.
The big factor in a career choice is the potential work location. You have to be near stuff you want to do. The last thing a climber needs is a good job in Houston.
Geotechnical engineering could a good gig for the West Coast.
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wilbeer
Mountain climber
Terence Wilson greeneck alleghenys,ny,
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Oct 23, 2017 - 03:16pm PT
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Think about environmental engineering,somebody has to clean up industry/corporate waste/abandonments. Plenty of work in the future.
They get paid well.
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