Anyone with Electrical Engineering degrees?

[brand0nized]

I'm in my first year of college, and I'm trying to figure out what I want to major in.

I've always wanted to learn music, so I'm thinking I'll minor in music, and major in something else.

I'm thinking about electrical engineering because I love designing and making things with my own two hands. I've noodled around with electronics in middle school, but quit for a little bit, until I discovered that you can make your own pedals. So I've been playing around with this, and I really like it. I'm only still working on debugging my first two boards, but I plan to make a lot more.

Anyone with experience with an Electrical Engineering major? What was the major like, and what do you do now? What type of jobs are out there for an electrical engineer?

[madbean]

Everything you need to know for pedal design could be satisfied with one or two introductory courses in EE, most likely.

If you pursue EE, that's pretty much all you are going to do for the next four to five years. The first year or so is the toughest because they try to weed out a lot of students. At least, that was the case at UT Austin. My dorm was exclusively science/engineering guys and let me tell you: the engineering students worked harder and studied more than anyone. Plus, you'll end up taking nearly as much math as a Math major, so make sure you like lots of math like Calculus, Linear Algebra, Probability, and so on. And computer programming.

Anyway, I don't have an EE degree, although I would probably get one if I did college all over. Or, not go to college at all and spent that money starting my own business. I'm not trying to discourage you in any way. If you want to build pedals for a living, then you should build pedals. If you want a career that might not involve pedal making, then EE is solid. Or, it could serve as a incredible foundation for designing audio electronics. It's just a lot different now for students than 15-20 years ago. Unless you are well off, or have scholarships, then you are looking at starting your working life with $40k or more in debt when you graduate. It's so out of control.

I will say this: nothing in my life has challenged me as much as my Bachelors (Math, Astronomy minor). There were a lot of intellectual highs and lows. Sometimes I would leave class with my brain just BUZZING....like an endorphin kick or something. That brain training has paid me back tenfold of the course of my life.

[chromesphere]

Astronomy Brian!?  Do you have a scope?  I have an nexstar 8se which gathers dust because I'm always too busy building pedals.  It pains me to see it neglected.

I notice people that have gone through these studies tend to have an easier time grasping concepts, particularly when they are mathematics related.  I have absolutely no hope with maths which makes my love affair with pedal modding or "designing" a slow and difficult task.

[Jmilla]

That's ok I'm a medical student with a degree in biology and a minor in math and I have a hard time with electrical concepts, although I haven't honestly read up on them much. I will say my old roommate was an EE major but burned out and switched majors to mechanical because of being overworked but to each their own.

[GermanCdn]

I have a bachelors in mechanical engineering and am a licensed professional in multiple jurisdictions.  The positives - I have travelled the world on someone else's dime and the money can be very good, depending on where you are.  But it is an insane amnount of work in school, you are only looking at a 40% completion ratio, and unless you are willing to relocate or take some big career risks, you can get stuck in a dead end job pretty quick.  It's also a highly volatile industry, I've worked for companies who have doubled in size over a year, then cut 70% of their staff in a month when a project got shelved.

That being said, it was the right choice for me and I like what I do.  I, like you, figured I would use my schooling towards instrument development.  I now have designed minig equipment for 15 years.....

As far as a major and minor, forget it,  you won't have the time or the energy and will end up dropping one or both.  You probably did pretty good in high school, but that is no indicator when it comes to engineering - I took the grade 12 Canadian Acturial Math exam in tenth grade and finished in the top 11% in the country.  And I nearly flunked out in first year.

As a discipline goes, electrical isn't a bad choice.  If I were to do it again I'd probably go civil structural, as it is the widest ranging discipline.

Anyway, if you need more input PM me and I'll do my best to advise.

[madbean]

Astronomy Brian!?  Do you have a scope?

It would go to waste where I live (too much light pollution). Sadly, I've only ever seen the Milky Way in its full glory 3 or 4 times. Mostly I was interested in physics and cosmology. I really wanted to become a professor and research large scale galactic structures or do something interdisciplinary, but not nearly as much as I wanted to be a professional musician, haha.

[aziltz]

i'm a physicist, about 6months away from my PhD.  You get a lot of experience with electronics working in experimental physics.

[brand0nized]

Thanks for the reply guys!

I'm not thinking about building pedals for a living. Actually like Brian, I'd love to be able to make music full time. I love recording songs in my bedroom.

I'm just exploring different things, electronics really interest me, wanted to do mechanical for a little bit, but these two majors scare me with the amount of work you have to put in and it's difficulty.

I also thought about audio engineering and music ministry. Don't know what I would do with audio engineering, though.

I'm trying to think about my college education as EDUCATION, and not what job my education will get me, but it's really hard to avoid the fact that money will always be scarce and I need to support my parents and my future family.

[chromesphere]

That's a lot to take on Brandon.  I will oversimplify the complexities of life by saying 'do what you love the most'.

Trust me, if you can make a full time wage from a hobby you love, you will hate it in no time at all

[pickdropper]

Astronomy Brian!?  Do you have a scope?

It would go to waste where I live (too much light pollution). Sadly, I've only ever seen the Milky Way in its full glory 3 or 4 times. Mostly I was interested in physics and cosmology. I really wanted to become a professor and research large scale galactic structures or do something interdisciplinary, but not nearly as much as I wanted to be a professional musician, haha.

Light pollution didn't stop our mutual buddy Dave, who just spent a metric truckload on the STAND for his latest telescope.

[chromesphere]

The stand is just as important as the OTA, especially at high mag.  sorry for the hijack.  Please continue

[pickdropper]

The stand is just as important as the OTA, especially at high mag.  sorry for the hijack.  Please continue

He got this one:

http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/mounts/900gto/900gto

/ end of thread jack

/ maybe

[wgc]

That's a lot to take on Brandon.  I will oversimplify the complexities of life by saying 'do what you love the most'.

Trust me, if you can make a full time wage from a hobby you love, you will hate it in no time at all

Agree!  To oversimplify even more, do the thing you would do even if you had to do it all day for free.

I did 2 years of mech eng studies, made it through the weed out courses and finally realized it wasn't at all what I wanted to do for the next 40 years. 

If there's something you're really interested in, see if you can spend some time with someone who's been doing that job for at least 4-5 years. You'll learn a lot in no time.

[chromesphere]

The stand is just as important as the OTA, especially at high mag.  sorry for the hijack.  Please continue

He got this one:

http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/mounts/900gto/900gto

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/ maybe

/ restarting hi jack

Holy mother of telescope stands...what the hell size OTA is he using with that beast?

[pickdropper]

The stand is just as important as the OTA, especially at high mag.  sorry for the hijack.  Please continue

He got this one:

http://www.astro-physics.com/index.htm?products/mounts/900gto/900gto

/ end of thread jack

/ maybe

/ restarting hi jack

Holy mother of telescope stands...what the hell size OTA is he using with that beast?

I think it's an ED152.  It's not heavy at all, really.  Carbon fiber, 20 lbs or so.  There's also a CCD, but I don't think that weighs much either.