- #1
zachucsd
- 11
- 0
Hello. I appreciate the time given to read through this. I am ending a stressful self-defining process to choose my major!
I knew I would have to decide my major this week. I have been extremely stressed about choosing Mechanical or Chemical engineering. While some careers in both disciplines can overlap, they are pretty different. This is the last quarter of my second year as an engineering student. I am a declared Mechanical engineer, but I have always been interested in Chemical engineering since I like chemistry, at least the basics and concepts, and I like the idea of working with large process equipment to make large amounts of a product.
I really like machines and I like knowing how machines work. However, today I had a realization: I was sitting in the first lecture of a Mechanical engineering intro design class (basically a fabrication/design lab).
The epiphany: I had absolutely no interest in the professor's inventions, like robotic humans, mechanical joysticks, or sensors. I also had no interest in making the class projects like robots and pendulum clocks.
In short- I am over 90 percent sure I want to be a Chemical engineer.
I have realized that I am interested in machinery and want to use machinery, but what really gets me excited is to think about working with liquids, making beverages or biofuels or a cool product on the large scale, as if I am cooking or making tea on a huge scale (my hobby).
I think pumps, turbines, vacuums, steam engines and other rotating/liquids/gas equipment are really cool, but I think that I can use these types of machinery in chemical processing, maybe with biofuels or perhaps a job in natural gas/oil refining (less environmental but still interesting).
I take solace in the fact that I could always get a masters in mechanical engineering really easily: I plan to take statics and also turbines classes as a Chemical engineering electives for my undergraduate. Basically I will have half a Mechanical degree with an emphasis in processing and chemicals.
Anyways, do I sound like I am thinking clearly and have good expectations for chemical engineering?
This process has been hard because my school is so esteemed and highly ranked for Mechanical, but not Chemical engineering. The Chemical engineering is small but seems more relaxed so I am excited to be part of it.
Note: Growing up, I was never a "fix-it" mechanical child. I really am more of a tea/coffee enthusiast who likes chemistry and thermodynamics and wants to have a waste-vegetable oil mini-refinery.
I knew I would have to decide my major this week. I have been extremely stressed about choosing Mechanical or Chemical engineering. While some careers in both disciplines can overlap, they are pretty different. This is the last quarter of my second year as an engineering student. I am a declared Mechanical engineer, but I have always been interested in Chemical engineering since I like chemistry, at least the basics and concepts, and I like the idea of working with large process equipment to make large amounts of a product.
I really like machines and I like knowing how machines work. However, today I had a realization: I was sitting in the first lecture of a Mechanical engineering intro design class (basically a fabrication/design lab).
The epiphany: I had absolutely no interest in the professor's inventions, like robotic humans, mechanical joysticks, or sensors. I also had no interest in making the class projects like robots and pendulum clocks.
In short- I am over 90 percent sure I want to be a Chemical engineer.
I have realized that I am interested in machinery and want to use machinery, but what really gets me excited is to think about working with liquids, making beverages or biofuels or a cool product on the large scale, as if I am cooking or making tea on a huge scale (my hobby).
I think pumps, turbines, vacuums, steam engines and other rotating/liquids/gas equipment are really cool, but I think that I can use these types of machinery in chemical processing, maybe with biofuels or perhaps a job in natural gas/oil refining (less environmental but still interesting).
I take solace in the fact that I could always get a masters in mechanical engineering really easily: I plan to take statics and also turbines classes as a Chemical engineering electives for my undergraduate. Basically I will have half a Mechanical degree with an emphasis in processing and chemicals.
Anyways, do I sound like I am thinking clearly and have good expectations for chemical engineering?
This process has been hard because my school is so esteemed and highly ranked for Mechanical, but not Chemical engineering. The Chemical engineering is small but seems more relaxed so I am excited to be part of it.
Note: Growing up, I was never a "fix-it" mechanical child. I really am more of a tea/coffee enthusiast who likes chemistry and thermodynamics and wants to have a waste-vegetable oil mini-refinery.