- #1
eestudent1
- 2
- 0
I realize this post is long, and maybe even not meant for this forum, but I could really, REALLY use some solid advice from someone who has been there/done that.
I am in my 4th year of being an EE student out of 5. I am attending a very good engineering school. I have had summer research experiences at even better engineering schools. I'm doing research with a professor here in a field I am interested in, and an active officer of the IEEE student branch on campus.
But, I am an awful engineering student.
I do believe I am an intelligent person, I know I am, but I don't think I'm meant to be an engineer. I went into EE because it was so broad, so that I could do something. I understand that in the real world, you have to get a job and work and that is life, but I had high aspirations that I could contribute to something special someday. Not for tons of money, not for fame, but for that solid feeling of self worth, for a real purpose, so I could have some good to show for my life.
I really hoped to go into medical technologies, with an EE degree and some background in nanotechnology. I'm very interested in BCI's and other human/machine interface technologies because the potential to help people is enormous. It is a topic I can get genuinely excited about, which there aren't many.
That is no longer an option with my GPA. (3.1) I will not get into very good graduate schools, and I certainly am not getting any funding. On a similar note, I won't be first pick for any companies.
I am getting beaten down every. single. day. I just don't think I'm cut out to be an EE, I don't think I have the character or mindset. I do work hard, I do study. No, not every waking moment. I need to sleep (I have Epsteinbar, basically super mono). I need a break here and there to rest my mind. But I put in hours and hours and hours a week, I should be getting better grades than I do.
It seems no matter what i do, I can NOT get good exam grades, which is usually about one third of my class grade a piece. I mean I've literally taught classmates the material and they perform better on exams than I do. The vast majority of my professors could care less about me, because as soon as they find out I'm not top 10% of the class they see me as someone who is lazy and/or shouldn't be in engineering.
I know I am not the only student struggling, I'm probably better off than the majority of the other EE students. But I hate, HATE going through every single day feeling completely mediocre and incompetent. It is getting to the point where it is weighing too heavily on me. I don't feel like I've learned much or am any use to anyone.
The only thing that EE has managed to do is make me lose all faith in myself. I've just finally hit a wall where I don't think I am smart enough for the field. I will be ok in life, I'll get a decent EE job, I'm just really depressed to find out that it turns out I'm not very talented and I'm not going to do anything profound for anyone. To make it worse, my family, who aren't a particularly scientific bunch, think I'm a genius and always brag me up and tell me how I'm going to have a great career. I don't see it, because I know where I really stand in EE and where it will get me.
I would honestly switch majors at this point, but it is too late. I'm not sure I enjoy EE anymore. I dread waking up every day.
Honest thoughts are appreciated. I'm really at wits end, hence my posting this. I genuinely hope I don't sound like another engineering student just complaining. I need solid, real advice. Any possible options for someone in my position and at my age.
Thanks
I am in my 4th year of being an EE student out of 5. I am attending a very good engineering school. I have had summer research experiences at even better engineering schools. I'm doing research with a professor here in a field I am interested in, and an active officer of the IEEE student branch on campus.
But, I am an awful engineering student.
I do believe I am an intelligent person, I know I am, but I don't think I'm meant to be an engineer. I went into EE because it was so broad, so that I could do something. I understand that in the real world, you have to get a job and work and that is life, but I had high aspirations that I could contribute to something special someday. Not for tons of money, not for fame, but for that solid feeling of self worth, for a real purpose, so I could have some good to show for my life.
I really hoped to go into medical technologies, with an EE degree and some background in nanotechnology. I'm very interested in BCI's and other human/machine interface technologies because the potential to help people is enormous. It is a topic I can get genuinely excited about, which there aren't many.
That is no longer an option with my GPA. (3.1) I will not get into very good graduate schools, and I certainly am not getting any funding. On a similar note, I won't be first pick for any companies.
I am getting beaten down every. single. day. I just don't think I'm cut out to be an EE, I don't think I have the character or mindset. I do work hard, I do study. No, not every waking moment. I need to sleep (I have Epsteinbar, basically super mono). I need a break here and there to rest my mind. But I put in hours and hours and hours a week, I should be getting better grades than I do.
It seems no matter what i do, I can NOT get good exam grades, which is usually about one third of my class grade a piece. I mean I've literally taught classmates the material and they perform better on exams than I do. The vast majority of my professors could care less about me, because as soon as they find out I'm not top 10% of the class they see me as someone who is lazy and/or shouldn't be in engineering.
I know I am not the only student struggling, I'm probably better off than the majority of the other EE students. But I hate, HATE going through every single day feeling completely mediocre and incompetent. It is getting to the point where it is weighing too heavily on me. I don't feel like I've learned much or am any use to anyone.
The only thing that EE has managed to do is make me lose all faith in myself. I've just finally hit a wall where I don't think I am smart enough for the field. I will be ok in life, I'll get a decent EE job, I'm just really depressed to find out that it turns out I'm not very talented and I'm not going to do anything profound for anyone. To make it worse, my family, who aren't a particularly scientific bunch, think I'm a genius and always brag me up and tell me how I'm going to have a great career. I don't see it, because I know where I really stand in EE and where it will get me.
I would honestly switch majors at this point, but it is too late. I'm not sure I enjoy EE anymore. I dread waking up every day.
Honest thoughts are appreciated. I'm really at wits end, hence my posting this. I genuinely hope I don't sound like another engineering student just complaining. I need solid, real advice. Any possible options for someone in my position and at my age.
Thanks