So you want to be an engineer..

So you’re done with 12th grade, and school in general. And now, you’re at the threshold. Neither here, nor there. You’re not a school kid anymore. So you have to make your choices for yourself. Not your teachers. Not your parents. YOU.

It’s a bit hard to comprehend all the choices out there. I mean, after all, the world is a pretty big place right? With over a billion people in our nation alone, and each one following a different career path, how do you know which one’s the best for you?
There are a few ways to decide, I’ve discovered. One – you listen to your parents/teachers and do what they think is best. But that’s not very interesting, and definitely not highly recommended. What if they want you to become a doctor, and you can’t even stand the sight of blood??! The other way, is to choose for yourself what you want to do, and what you want to become. It IS rather hard, but I believe we’ve seen and done enough to figure out exactly what we’re good at!

As a kid, I’d fallen in love with computers, and today, computer science is the subject that I’m best at in school. So for me, the choice was pretty much straight-forward. Computer Science and Engineering. But then there was this big question I had.. what exactly is “Engineering”? So I did some research..
“Engineering is the professional art of applying science to the optimum conversion of natural resources to the benefit of man.”
- Ralph J. Smith , Stanford University

The quote above sums it all. Engineering is about the innovative and creative application of mathematical and scientific principles to the creation of products, technology and services for the good of mankind.
Engineering touches almost every aspect of our lives and is at the heart of contemporary life. The dramatic changes of the last century, and even the last decade, are the direct result of engineering.

Engineers are not only at the forefront of making new scientific and technological discoveries, but also actively involved in turning that knowledge into something practical and valued. Everything that is made results from the expertise of engineers; from expressways to the information superhighway, from video phones to digital television, from automobiles to spacecraft and the list goes on and on.

Engineers make a significant contribution to creating wealth in a country. Many successful economies have a high number of engineers. Engineering offers more career options than any other discipline. Engineers are able to pursue a wide spectrum of careers in both the private sector and in government, and in fields as diverse as financial services, logistics, and the biomedical sciences. Engineers may be designers, planners, managers, analysts, researchers, consultants, sales specialists, and much more. Engineering is a distinguished profession and engineers have helped to transform our world with many technological innovations.

That pretty much sums up what I’ve learnt about Engineering. And thus far, it seems to be pretty interesting.. VERY interesting as a matter of fact! Now, I only need to find out more about Computer Science!