Engineering degree and life advice

[Lucas156]

I have a question for you. My degree goal right now is in mechanical engineering but I'm now interested in electrical engineering. I'm thinking about transferring to ivy tech to try to get an associates in electrical engineering technology. Then i may transfer back to iupui to get my bachelors. Is this a good idea or would you just go for the electrical engineering degree at iupui right off the bat? I'm mainly concerned with time I honestly don't know if I could stick it out long enough to get my bachelors in engineering at iupui and still work full time. I'm also a parent btw. I like the more hands on approach of electrical engineering technology and I'm not sure if I like the abstract of the actual engineering. I'm currently going to iupui and have 14 credits.

I really love learning and enjoyed my last math class(algebra). But didn't feel I had enough time to get as familiar with the material as I want to be due to my full time job and being a parent. I have gotten As in all my classes so far. Hopefully you guys have some good insight. Please don't make this a technology degree bash fest I honestly want to know what degree is best for my situation long term not necessarily which is better because I know the engineering degree is better but I also know that it's not necessarily right for everyone. Opinions are appreciated.

 

[hornadylnl]

What kind of electrical engineering are you wanting to do? Design circuit boards, work on automated industrial equipment?

 

[Lucas156]

I don't have experience with either but if I had to choose between those two I would say automated industrial equipment. I can get bored with a project quickly. I kind of rotate around projects at my house. I'll start one get part if it done then work on another and come back to the last project at a later time. Don't get me wrong I do get stuff done but I rarely work on one specific thing for more than two hours at a time unless I'm really into it. My ideal job would be working at the computer part of the time and working hands on part of the time.

 

[Bapak2ja]

Start simple and work your way up. Do the Ivy tech training first. If you like it, transfer your credits (Assuming they are transferable; if not, find a program that is. Do not take unaccredited courses.). The basic courses will provide a foundation for your future study, and will give you insight on which way you want to go—mechanical or electrical. Learning is a life-long activity. Do not worry about running out of time. Continued learning will make you more employable, and provide greater security in terms of employability.

 

[femurphy77]

Any transferable courses you can take at Ivy Tech is going to save you money. I took a lot of gen ed stuff at Ivy then transferred it to Purdue for my Aeronautical Science degree. Heck a couple of my IUPUI classes were IU based (somehow) so as bad as I hate to admit it technically I've even taken classes from the Bloomington based school , although we don't speak of it in polite circles!

 

[femurphy77]

Start simple and work your way up. Do the Ivy tech training first. If you like it, transfer your credits (Assuming they are transferable; if not, find a program that is. Do not take unaccredited courses.). The basic courses will provide a foundation for your future study, and will give you insight on which way you want to go—mechanical or electrical. Learning is a life-long activity. Do not worry about running out of time. Continued learning will make you more employable, and provide greater security in terms of employability.[/QUOTE]

What he said, "I'm Your Boogie Man" was a number 1 hit the year I graduated high school and I started a new degree program back in January working on a degree in my current career field preparing for a major opportunity in the next few years. After a recent promotion one of my co-workers told me that I was just lucky I had my BS and that was the only reason I was promoted. Being prepared isn't being lucky! And even though you have a degree in one field will not limit its value in other fields.

 

[hornadylnl]

I don't have experience with either but if I had to choose between those two I would say automated industrial equipment. I can get bored with a project quickly. I kind of rotate around projects at my house. I'll start one get part if it done then work on another and come back to the last project at a later time. Don't get me wrong I do get stuff done but I rarely work on one specific thing for more than two hours at a time unless I'm really into it. My ideal job would be working at the computer part of the time and working hands on part of the time.

I don't know how many different specialties there are in EE but of the few I've worked with, they say they had extremely minimal instruction on plc's. So if industrial automation is something you're interested in, make plc courses your priority.

If you don't like problem solving, industrial automation is NOT for you.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

"I'm Your Boogie Man" was a number 1 hit the year I graduated high school.

Wow, you probably remember having a cord connected to your phone, AND having to get off the couch to change the TV channels.

 

[CathyInBlue]

If you're only now getting Algebra, I don't think mech eng is for you. All those load calculations are calculus based. Now, if you just wanna be a mech tech, sure, there are pure algebra cheat sheets you can use, but those are prepared by engineers, not used by them.

Now, to be sure, there's ample calculus in EE as well, but it's not as vital to the everyday work that they do, and as hornady mentioned, lots of specialities within EE, and they use calculus to varying degrees, some very minimally. If you wanna do industrial automation, you just use the NEC and you're good to go. If you're gonna do circuit-level EMI compliance, you better find a good calc tutor now.

I have an MS in CS from IU and am doing an AAS in industrial tech at IVYTech right now myself, just to get my foot in the door of a local firm. I'm taking PLCs I and it's "boring as whale snot" for someone like me, but I look around and various people are struggling with number base conversions or Boolean logic systems or data comms to get the relay ladder logic "programs" we create in the proprietary Rockwell software into the controllers themselves. Meanwhile, I'm pushing the prof to get into things like SCADA systems, network security issues, JTAG programming, analogue field devices, motor control. It's maddening for me. I hammered out 5 chapters to turn in when everyone else was turning in just Chapter 1 a month ago.

Feeling restive. I think I'll go do another month of PLC homework this afternoon and chase it with a month of CNC Programming I homework.

To be fair, most of the problems people are having with data comms can be directly attributed to the general craptasticity of the software created by and for the Microsoft OS environment, as well as IVYTech's computer/network support.

 

[marv]

Wow, you probably remember having a cord connected to your phone, AND having to get off the couch to change the TV channels.

My first phone had a crank on it. And TV did not even exist.

 

[steveh_131]

EE and ME are tough programs. Be prepared for high level calculus and lots of work on abstract concepts.

It sounds to me like you would prefer the tech side of it - although an EE degree opens you up for a lot of job opportunities that would be hands on as well, and likely higher pay.

 

[mrjarrell]

OP, can't you arrange to major in one and minor in the other?

 

[hornadylnl]

I started working industrial maintenance about 9 years ago. I got on a highly automated production line about 6 years ago and became an automation tech almost 3 years ago. All of my training has been on the job.

I don't care how many degrees you have, industrial maintenance requires the ability to troubleshoot. It's not something you can learn in class. Class can help but you have to have the knack. I've seen 20+ year maintenance guys who couldn't find their way out of a wall-less maze.

I use a laptop with Rockwell Automation software to troubleshoot equipment and do some minor programming. I enjoy electric much more than mechanical, pneumatic, or hydraulics. The principles of electrical controls, pneumatics, and hydraulics are largely the same. You have to move energy to the desired location.

I also enjoy troubleshooting much more than machine building. For what I do, use of math is minimal. As far as 32 bit words and such, I'm only dealing with them at the level of troubleshooting.

If you want to get your hands dirty, you might be better off skipping an engineering degree and just becoming an electrician. Any place worth a damn will pay $20+ an hour and you won't have the student loans.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

I've spent over 30 years working as an "electrical engineer" in an automotive manufacturing plant. The last 20 or so years, I managed our plant's engineering group. Our plant would gladly hire electrical engineers to help out on the floor and manage projects but for many, it's not technical enough. It's surprising, anymore how few engineers even want to get their hands dirty much less do "hands on" work. Over the last few years, I convinced our HR people to consider EETs and electrical folks with associates degrees because, frankly, most of our work has tended towards plant floor support rather than actual engineering and as I said, EE's will tend to jump ship when a better job comes along. I strongly recommend sticking it out and getting a 4-year degree. If you were to come knocking on our door, you'll get in a lot faster. EET or BSEE wouldn't matter much--your work ethic, ability to work with others, and attitude would be more important to me.

 

[gvbcraig]

If you are going into manufacturing then the associates degree is a good starting point. I you want to become a design engineer, requiring you to be a licensed PE "Professional Engineer" then the Ivy tech course will be a waste of time and you need to stick it out and get an EE or ME degree. Both will require heavy calculus.

 

[hornadylnl]

I've spent over 30 years working as an "electrical engineer" in an automotive manufacturing plant. The last 20 or so years, I managed our plant's engineering group. Our plant would gladly hire electrical engineers to help out on the floor and manage projects but for many, it's not technical enough. It's surprising, anymore how few engineers even want to get their hands dirty much less do "hands on" work. Over the last few years, I convinced our HR people to consider EETs and electrical folks with associates degrees because, frankly, most of our work has tended towards plant floor support rather than actual engineering and as I said, EE's will tend to jump ship when a better job comes along. I strongly recommend sticking it out and getting a 4-year degree. If you were to come knocking on our door, you'll get in a lot faster. EET or BSEE wouldn't matter much--your work ethic, ability to work with others, and attitude would be more important to me.

Unfortunately, many that I support would be hard pressed to wire up a single pole light switch.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Unfortunately, many that I support would be hard pressed to wire up a single pole light switch.

Yeah we've got that disease too. We've got 2 engineers on the off-shifts to help stop the bleeding.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

First, was that the "KC and the Sunshine Band" Boogie Man, or the "White Zombie" Boogie Man?

Definitely investigate credit transfer before you start anything. I had to take calculus three times because I couldn't convince those rectal orifices (been using that term a lot lately) to accept that I'd already had it (of course the first time was in HS). Not like it's something exotic. Other stuff, for some reason, transfers better.

Are you a doer or a thinker? Do you make things or think about how to make things? If you're more of a doer, go the tech route; if you're more of a thinker, go engineering.

In my EE curriculum, there was hella math. We were doing math that used calculus as a tool like algebra uses addition and multiplication. Depending what you go into, you may or may not keep using that, like with adaptive beamforming or signal analysis, but you probably won't. I do mostly test & measurement, and automated test. Algebra suffices. I've also gone back and studied PLCs and things, so I can find my way in at many levels. Plus, I've been doing electronics informally (though obsessively) since I was like 10, so in fact I actually had an advantage on many of my instructors. Had to explain resistor values and tolerances to one once. That kinda troubled me. Nevermind, I'm rambling. I do that now that I'm old.

I think I started off having a point, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. Bank robbery. Go into bank robbery. Much more profit in that, and a good chance at free room & board. Engineering is for weirdos.

 

[hornadylnl]

Yeah we've got that disease too. We've got 2 engineers on the off-shifts to help stop the bleeding.

What's even better is hiring a $10 an hour temp to run a million dollar plus machine with hundreds of moving parts and hundreds of buttons and indicators across 20+ screens on an HMI. Probably the most difficult thing they've ever operated before was a coke freestyle machine.

 

[CathyInBlue]

I had to take calculus three times because I couldn't convince those rectal orifices (been using that term a lot lately) to accept that I'd already had it (of course the first time was in HS).

I had Calc I and Calc II in HS. When I got to ISU, the Calc 1 class there was full when I went to Freshman orientation. The curriculum helper saw my HS transcript and told me to just jump right into Calc 2, so I did, and it was no problem. On to Calc 3 and Diff Eq, and my college calculus curriculum was largely over.

Not so fast. Start eyeballing a graduation date and did the check out interview. "We see here you never completed Calc 1." *sound of my forehead hitting the desk* You guessed it. I went the full 12 rounds with ISU administration, and they forced me to take Calc 1 (with the same prof with whom I had done Calc 3. Shoulda seen his face first day of class to see me front and center.) when I already had As in Calc 2 and 3.

"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." -- Bones McCoy

Probably the most difficult thing they've ever operated before was a coke freestyle machine.

You can operate a Coke Freestyle machine???? Wow! Those things stymy me.