[TAB]

I work in a start up with people of all backgounds. Many of my coworkers are MIT Phds. I have noticed that a Mech. Eng degree offers a lot of flexability as compared to other majors.

I don't want to sound negative, but I don't think that you will be doing metal work in the dorms.

As far as a major, in the first 2 to 3 years, you will be studying things completely unrelated to machining.

in your junior year, you might be able to get into the projects such as the mini baja projects that many schools compete in as well as robotics comeptions where you desing and build the components. This may be where your interest will work for you.

I think that a mechanical engineer who can desing and build will have good oppertunites in the world. Unfortuantley to use those skills may mean that you will be working in small companies or start ups like myself. Larger compaines will tend to limit the scope of any job.

I think all those schools you mentioned are great. My boss the CTO graduated UCSD in Chem Eng. and went to MIT to get a Phd. he is one of the smartest Sh**s I know.

The only advantage to Michigan might be that they would seem to be a more rollup your sleeves and get busy type of program which may be more to your liking.

Overall I would say Berkley will open a lot of doors in life and if you do well and continue beyond a bachelor's, Berkely will help if you want to teach. (at the collegeiate level).

Other than that the choice is yours. Also look in to who will offer the best financial package. Some of the other schools may ante up if they know you have such excellent options.

Congrats I wish I had such a buffet of options and choices at that point in my life.

[teilhardo]

Thanks for all the advice TAB. Yeah, I am sort of resigning to the fact that I can't machine in the dorms but nevertheless, I hoped that I would be able to spend some time in the machine shops , continuing on my projects outside of school.
What do engineer PHD's do? I have been talking to many engineers lately and it seems that most of them just got their bachelors and then got a job because in the engineering profession it is experience that counts for more money. But if you start working, doesn't your time to learn get shorter? I would think that if you continued school to get a graduate or even a doctorate in some kind of engineering you would pretty much be forced to learn all the new technology and techniques of engineering for what, 10 years?
How much work is getting an engineering degree though? Many people say that it means a lot of studying and giving up a "life" for the next four years but my skeptical mind can't help but think that this is just the seniority phenomena. Like when middle schoolers tell elementary kids that they have "SO" much homework and high schoolers telling middle schoolers that they will be doing 5 hours/night. To be honest, I don't think I did more than 1 hour/night. I understand that the subject matter is much more complicated in engineering but how much time is actually spent studying? In college, going to class is optional (unlike high school) so if I went to high school for 7 hours/day and did 1 hour of homework, it would take 1/3 of my day. In other words if how much time in college do you actually have to study, go to class and work on mandatory projects (ie labs, homework)? Is there a chance that I can continue with my amateur electronic and engineering projects?
I completely see your position on the flexibilty of a BSE. I heard from a friend that if you get a degree in a engineering, you can also go on to med-school. Is this true?

[TAB]

Sorry, I was such a bonehead. I thought I was repling to the otehr thread and instead hit new topic.

Congrats again. The fact that you found this and replied means you are a lot smarter than I.

[TAB]

Yes, My doctor was an engineer who went to med school.

Typically, it is said that for every one hour of in class study you "should" spend 2 hours outside of class. I know of very few people who do this. But I caution you that you will only get out what you put into the learning. Now you might be brillliant, I don't know, and the material may be easy for you to comprehend.

As for PHd's they typically get high level jobs in companies as mangers and VPs overseeing techincal departments. Usually a Phd will be highly specialized and have a narrow focus. I know that in engineering, the higher the degree level the less opertunites job wise you are able to take advantage of. This is due to the fact that, these people are usually over qualified for a lot of jobs and are looking for higher salaries.

Finally, yes it is experience that makes an engineer valuable. At the graduate level, engineering is about research. It is the ability to acquire knowledge, and apply it to real world problems that makes engineers valuable. The most important skill an engineer has is the ability to analyze a problem, create assumptions and theories, build test and assess the intinal assumptions.

I know exactly where you are coming from. I started school at 18 and now at 30 I am finishing up. I worked in a machine shop from 16 thru 18 and thought I knew everything about engineering and it would be a breeze. I learned that there was a lot of other crap other than designing things associated with engineering. I wanted to work on cool things, not do calculus, Diff eqs, study satistics etc. I don't think I touched a mill or lathe in all my years of college.

As for your own projects, you will have projects at school to work on and there will be capstone projects as well as tests, and design projects you will have to do. I would be surprised if you have time, but you could if you are brilliant and pick up the material fast.

I don't know what else to give you. I see a lot of myself in your excitement and desire to do cool things.

I will sign off this message as follows.

You could hold off college and go work in a shop. This would allow you time to do all the cool things you want and have access to the equipment you need. If you do this you may see that to move into a better position you will need to go back to school and you may be in my position married with kids trying to finish what I should have 6 or so years ago.

Or you can go to school, get a degree, and have all the oppertunity to work in a shop at the engineer level or run machines if you wish. You can also build all the projects you want using a better set of tools to create better designs.

What ever you do don't do it half assed. Commit and don't look back.

Giddy up kid!