The math most actuaries use on a daily basis is not any harder than the math most engineers use on a daily basis. In many ways, you could look as actuarial science as "business engineering."
Engineering Degree
- Thread starter isucyfan
- Start date
Also, Texas Tech is a very good engineering school. Hired a lot of Tech engineering graduates and they were all top notch. Just like our ISU hires!
I did the same, except I hated Chemistry, so I picked the second most lucrative option: EE
When I went to Iowa State, they offered campus visits for perspective students. We had the opportunity to tour the various engineering buildings/ facilities with a professor and could ask them questions about curriculum and job experiences - I found this to be quite useful. For example I was dead set on becoming a Chem E out of high school, upon touring I decided I didn't want to do "big batch" chemistry as my career, so I went with Mech E as my major and haven't regretted my decision at all.
Perhaps TT offers similar campus visit opportunities?
Perhaps TT offers similar campus visit opportunities?
A few comments in case there are any helpful nuggets:
- I was set on Aerospace from a young age so didn't have to weigh multiple options, can't help much there other than to say if he waits to decide until after his first year he'll be fine.
- It might be worth doing some engineering job searches on indeed to see what's appealing to him, including any geographic preferences if he has any idea where he'd like to live some day.
- Not sure if Tech has a strong co-op program but I'd highly recommend taking that route if possible, particularly if he can get in with a company he'd like to work for after graduation.
- I did a 1-year co-op between my soph/junior years and another summer term the next year. Great real world work experience for the resume, and it is an extended interview from the employer's perspective. In my case, I went to work for the same company upon graduation and still work there today.
- My career started Aerospace-heavy but my job is in an R&D environment, so an individual career path is a little more "choose your own adventure" than most. My work is now more closely aligned to electrical engineering. Lots of opportunity in this area with vehicle electrification, batteries, autonomy, etc. if any of that sparks his interest.
- I was set on Aerospace from a young age so didn't have to weigh multiple options, can't help much there other than to say if he waits to decide until after his first year he'll be fine.
- It might be worth doing some engineering job searches on indeed to see what's appealing to him, including any geographic preferences if he has any idea where he'd like to live some day.
- Not sure if Tech has a strong co-op program but I'd highly recommend taking that route if possible, particularly if he can get in with a company he'd like to work for after graduation.
- I did a 1-year co-op between my soph/junior years and another summer term the next year. Great real world work experience for the resume, and it is an extended interview from the employer's perspective. In my case, I went to work for the same company upon graduation and still work there today.
- My career started Aerospace-heavy but my job is in an R&D environment, so an individual career path is a little more "choose your own adventure" than most. My work is now more closely aligned to electrical engineering. Lots of opportunity in this area with vehicle electrification, batteries, autonomy, etc. if any of that sparks his interest.
Yes, they do! He got to sit down and chat with a few professors there. This was earlier in his decision-making process, so he was really in the information gathering phase. It did help, though.
Are co-op opportunities the same as internships, and are either paid? As of now, I think he plans on coming home for summers, but maybe he should think about staying in TX for these kind of summer opportunities.
Speaking of Business.
Business degrees are just frankly more valuable than engineering ones
Think this depends on interest, and opportunities pursued. Who, what, when and why.
Well that is an unexpected hot take. In what way? Certainly not starting salary for new grads, though that is a simplistic way to look at it.
As an AeroE, with an MBA, and owning my own business... The problem solving skills are way more useful. Most useful thing I got from my MBA was 2 finance classes.
Curious why you say that.
Get an engineering degree, then get an MBA. I have a finance degree and when I got my MBA, one of the professors said that the reason why MBA's exist was to give an education for those in non-business disciplines, like engineering, a business education. Not sure how true that is though.
Most of the time with those scholarships you get a warning if you drop below the GPA requirement. If that is a concern have him take classes he struggles with at a CC that will transfer over with a pass/fail grade. Also make sure he goes to the profs office hours at least once a week. It lets the prof know he is serious and if something happens with a grade there is more wiggle room.
As others have mentioned internships are the key and should be a another reason to get in good with the profs because often they will have connections. Engineering is such a versatile degree that if he’s 25/30 and doesn’t like it there are opportunities everywhere.
As others have mentioned internships are the key and should be a another reason to get in good with the profs because often they will have connections. Engineering is such a versatile degree that if he’s 25/30 and doesn’t like it there are opportunities everywhere.
Not sure about this.
It's easier to get an employer to pay for an MBA if you're an engineer with management potential. I'm not sure I've heard of many (read: any) business majors having an employer fund an engineering degree.
I worked two summers as an intern at John Deere in time study and materials mgt. Hated everything about it. After IE (most general mfg degree at the time), got into tech sales/marketing. Wished I had got into sales/marketing sooner. Still, engr degree is most solid for most tech careers.
I hope that he won't have to worry about it, but he might. I would guess there is some wiggle room and/or things he could do if he is struggling a bit. He has something like 47 AP/other college credits that may transfer in, but I am not sure how that factors into the GPA requirement, if at all.
AP classes that transfer are basically just credits. If they fail the AP requirements, than those credits don't transfer. Those that do transfer will just show up as having the credits and thus completing the college requirements. For example, if he's taken AP English and passed the exam, then he won't have to take English 101 at Tech. But as far as GPA, those classes won't have an affect as they essentially show up on your transcript as being passed.
I took two AP classes, Biology and Calculas. I passed biology with a 4, but failed calculus with a 2. My biology credit transferred and thus, as a business major, I didn't have to take biology in College. But I did have to take business calculus on campus. Which was actually a pleasant surprise because it was super easy as I finished the class with a 98% or something.
