Good Advice
So, how do you prepare for engineering school? We asked current college engineering students for their advice to high school students thinking about pursuing engineering. Here's what they said:
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By Kyle S., Dallas, TX
March 22nd, 2010
Go to a college where the credits transfer easily to other engineering disciplines and fields. You will likely change your mind of what you want to do in the first year or two. I changed from EE to IE.
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By Nicholas H., Santa Fe, NM
March 18th, 2010
Apply to schools based on their specific engineering program's quality not only on the overall engineering ranking - there are many departments that shine when the rest of the college might not... and vice versa.
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By Kim F., Phoenix, AZ
March 18th, 2010
Don't focus so much on grades, just what you want to do when you finish your degree.
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By Marissa J., Boulder, CO
March 18th, 2010
Hard work and persistence as well as creativity are very important.
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By Anubhav Gupta, DEHRADUN, India
March 10th, 2010
It's not just about math and science, although having strengths in those areas is really important. Engineers should also be able to communicate and work in teams. Problem-solving skills and being well-rounded are critical.
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By Joseph T., Knoxville, TN
November 18th, 2009
Focus on your science and math classes in high school. Success in those will help you succeed on the college level and give you the tools you need to practice engineering
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By Jason B., Gainesville, FL
November 9th, 2009
Take as many math and science classes as you can, and take advantage of any hands-on learning or research opportunities.
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By Jill S., San Francisco, CA
November 9th, 2009
You don't have to be really good at math and science to be an engineer. In fact, I really dislike math, and yet I have been a successful engineer in both industry and grad school.
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By Mica G., Seattle, WA
November 9th, 2009
Take as much science and math as possible in high school and participate in extracurricular engineering activities so that you can get a better idea of what engineering is, the kinds of things engineers do, and what type of engineering you might be interested in.
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By Zeb T., Orlando, FL
November 9th, 2009
Try and get in touch with a local branch of the enginering society (e.g., IEEE or ASME) to meet with real engineers.