Just a question since I'm trying to see how realistic my graduation plan is...
How long did it take you guys to graduate?
If my grad plan looks good, then it would of taken me 5.5 years to graduate with a BE(Civil Engineering). and if that calculations are correct, I should have about 1.5 years to get a job or do nothing at all before I die (because the history channel and Nostradamus says we're all gonna perish in December 2012). Everyone is saying i need another 4 years :o!!!!
Quote from: He Man on February 13, 2009, 05:29:06 PM
Just a question since I'm trying to see how realistic my graduation plan is...
How long did it take you guys to graduate?
If my grad plan looks good, then it would of taken me 5.5 years to graduate with a BA in Civil Engineering, and if that calculations are correct, I should have about 1.5 years to get a job or do nothing at all before I die (because the history channel and Nostradamus says we're all gonna perish in December 2012).
Quit now, I'm sure that they hire engineers without a degree. http://www.mta.info/
A B.A. in Civil Engineering ???
Quote from: Speeddog on February 13, 2009, 05:36:37 PM
A B.A. in Civil Engineering ???
Oops. BA= of Arts, i ment BE specifically CE. [bang] been looking at vectors all day today.
Quote from: lethe on February 13, 2009, 05:33:33 PM
Quit now, I'm sure that they hire engineers without a degree. http://www.mta.info/
Im not sure if you are trying to poke fun of me or not, but if you arent, that explains a lot of where the 800million "surplus" went.
Quote from: He Man on February 13, 2009, 05:45:29 PM
Im not sure if you are trying to poke fun of me or not, but if you arent, that explains a lot of where the 800million "surplus" went.
Engineers drive the choo choos.
Do you just make pretty paintings of civil sites? ;D
Most engineering degrees start with a B.S. - bachelors of science....
But anyway, I did it in 5 year, BS in Mechanical Engineering. The OP and I don't agree on responsibility, so I won't type my opinion of the importance of finding a job.
mitt
Quote from: mitt on February 13, 2009, 05:51:36 PM
Do you just make pretty paintings of civil sites? ;D
Most engineering degrees start with a B.S. - bachelors of science....
But anyway, I did it in 5 year, BS in Mechanical Engineering. The OP and I don't agree on responsibility, so I won't type my opinion of the importance of finding a job.
mitt
Pretty paintings is where its at! People buy poo for arts sake!
At my school its called a B.E. I just looked it up to be sure.
I would say dont get too tied up in grad plans... I was planning on an Aero Engineering major and after about 2.5 years in realized that I hate engineering/math/numbers/the word aero/working hard/doing
Im now studying international business/ minor in business econ and I am a lot happier. Im planning on doing study abroad next semester and that will put me a bit more behind but who cares? this is the time to explore our options, learn more and expand our horizons.
Play it along as you go... enjoy yourself and dont try to graduate so fast in this shit economy cause there wont be any jobs anyways for a couple years... good luck
How can you tell if an engineer is an extrovert and not an introvert??
He looks at Your shoes instead of his own when talking to you...
A vector was walking down cartesian drive when he bumped into a confused Scalar.
The vector asked him what was wrong and he replied, "Help I have no direction."
Quote from: lethe on February 13, 2009, 05:51:10 PM
Engineers drive the choo choos.
haha
i know a civil engineer who used to drive a train..for real.
he drove a freight for Burlington Northern in Northern CA and Oregon.
i think he is a starving house builder now...
I knew a civil engineer who was a contractor for the Army Corps of Engineers.
His "job" was to make sure that the Hornell Dam was still there every day.
He'd drive by it on the way to his other job and make sure it hadn't walked away during the night.
To the optimist, the glass is half full.
To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.
To the engineer, the glass was over designed.
Unless you're at the top of your class or going to a top tier school, you should add another few years to your plan to get a Masters degree (MS).
I'm finally in my last semester. I powered through it in 4 years, failed only one class (calc 4, twice), overloaded when I had to to stay on the 4 year track without having to go back during the summer. At one point I loaded 25 credits in one semester of all junior level engineering classes, duped the system to not get charged over. Yeah I got a few D's but said make the beast with two backs it and never looked back, it did hurt my gpa though I wasn't going to put myself through those classes again to maybe get a better grade. I put my family in debt doing it and for that I can never thank them enough.
Getting a BE in Mechanical/Aerospace eng. in 3 months, just got the email from the registrar telling me I will infact graduate if I dont fail anything. Everyone says "oh it will eventually get easier" it took me 8 semesters to reach "easier" where I'm only taking 4 classes and one of those is scuba. The thing that motivated me most was that if I didnt fail anything it wouldn't cost my family more $$$. When that wasnt enough I could only dream of the day when I would finally never have to solve another textbook class problem ever, throw the funny looking hat in the air and PEACE OUT.
I can't tell someone how to personally stay motivated, you have to figure out what does it for you. When you started school "you looked to your left, you looked to your right, one or both of those people wont finish" ....it was true. Those who stuck it out know what its like to have gone "to hell and back."
It took me 5.5 years total to get my BS degree in Geological Engineering.
I took a somewhat round about way though. I transferred to a different university after my 1st year (don't stay home for a HS girlfriend [roll]). Not too big of a deal schedule wise, but some of my non-engineering requirement classes were a waste. I also switched from Mechanical Engineering to Geological Engineering at the end of my Sophomore year. This probably set me back 6 months or so.
I think it'd be tough to bang out an engineering degree in 4 years. First, it's hard to know exactly what you want to do when you grow up so people often switch disciplines. Second, I don't think any undergrad. degree is more difficult to get than an engineering degree. The Sophomore and Junior level classes (weed out classes) were particularly tough. At times I envied my friends in other majors...like education (nothing against teachers).
It took 9 months (2 semesters) to get my MS in Geotechnical Engineering. It was a particularly brutal 9 months though! [cheeky]
Don't rush it if you don't have to. Making good money is nice...but working full time sucks. I'd also recommend against an expensive private school for your undergrad. Engineers make good money...but not good enough to pay off $100K or more...especially those that only have a BS. Save the expensive university for graduate school...where it is usually paid for by someone else. ;D
That was actually pretty motivating to read HHooligan. Congrats on getting it done in 4 years, atleat i know its possible. I wish classes were available for me to take during the summer. Atleast im not stuck like the Chem E guys who have classes that only occur during the fall.
I wish you the best man! Motivation is sure hard to come by. Im stuck in class with a bunch of other dudes. Half of which smell really terrible. There is one hot chick in my math class though. That keeps me going there cause she dresses pretty cute i just have to go talk to her one of these days! [laugh]
Quote from: Triple J on February 13, 2009, 08:56:40 PM
It took me 5.5 years total to get my BS degree in Geological Engineering.
I took a somewhat round about way though. I transferred to a different university after my 1st year (don't stay home for a HS girlfriend [roll]). Not too big of a deal schedule wise, but some of my non-engineering requirement classes were a waste. I also switched from Mechanical Engineering to Geological Engineering at the end of my Sophomore year. This probably set me back 6 months or so.
I think it'd be tough to bang out an engineering degree in 4 years. First, it's hard to know exactly what you want to do when you grow up so people often switch disciplines. Second, I don't think any undergrad. degree is more difficult to get than an engineering degree. The Sophomore and Junior level classes (weed out classes) were particularly tough. At times I envied my friends in other majors...like education (nothing against teachers).
It took 9 months (2 semesters) to get my MS in Geotechnical Engineering. It was a particularly brutal 9 months though! [cheeky]
Don't rush it if you don't have to. Making good money is nice...but working full time sucks. I'd also recommend against an expensive private school for your undergrad. Engineers make good money...but not good enough to pay off $100K or more...especially those that only have a BS. Save the expensive university for graduate school...where it is usually paid for by someone else. ;D
Hahaha! Dont transfer back to another school for an HS girlfriend either. 5.5 years. Thats exactly what I am aiming for. im shooting for 12-15 a semester right now since i cleared out all my liberal arts already.
How did you get a masters in 2 semesters???? I thought those things took 2 years! Im only playing 4grand a year for my school. Its my favorite one out of the 4 colleges ive attended classes at, and its the only school in my city that has it so its not like i have a choice. lol
how did you get your grad paid for? work?
Quote from: He Man on February 13, 2009, 09:06:30 PM
How did you get a masters in 2 semesters???? I thought those things took 2 years!
dont want to speak for him but typically an MS in engineering is about 30 credits, or a "graduate certificate" whatever they call it.
Ahhh, i see, 15 per a semester. Full time for masters i about 9 credits i hear. 9 months for a master seems like its worth every penny. I heard about this thing called a PE exam, and how some people take it after their masters? I thought it was something you can only take after working? like a tradesmen.
Quote from: He Man on February 13, 2009, 09:06:30 PM
How did you get a masters in 2 semesters???? I thought those things took 2 years! Im only playing 4grand a year for my school. Its my favorite one out of the 4 colleges ive attended classes at, and its the only school in my city that has it so its not like i have a choice. lol
how did you get your grad paid for? work?
UC Berkeley has a 1 year program for Geotechnical Engineering. No thesis, but a project at the end. 18 credits of coursework for each of the 2 semesters....maybe 15 credits per semester, I can't remember. It's tough, but well worth it. I looked into a few schools, but couldn't turn down a 1 year program. Besides, it's an extremely good grad. school for engineering.
Many schools have a large amount of money for grad. students which they use to pay for their credits. UCB offered to pay for my credits, and I taught 2 semesters of lab which paid for my out-of-state tuition. All I had to come up with was 9 months of living money. [thumbsup]
Quote from: He Man on February 13, 2009, 09:49:01 PM
I heard about this thing called a PE exam, and how some people take it after their masters? I thought it was something you can only take after working? like a tradesmen.
You have to pass the EIT first...might be called the FE now. It's typically taken during the end of your BS degree.
For the PE requirements vary from state to state, but typically you need 4 years of work experience after earning a BS to qualify to take the PE (California only requires 2 years for some reason). A MS degree will usually count as 2 of the 4 years.
I worked for 4.5 years between my BS and MS so I was eligible right out of grad. school.
I think working between the degrees is a good idea. It gives you some practical experience...and also lets you know if this is what you really want to do. My $.02.
WHat kind of work was it? I have years in the small construction business through my dad, and community programs, so I've pretty much always wanted to build/fix things, or destroy them. ( I perfer the later, but i hear most demo companies are family owned and operated)
I did traditional geotechnical engineering and a little bit of environmental engineering between my BS and MS. Quite a bit of field work, which was very useful. Now I'm in the tunneling industry.
It took me six years to get my BS in Engineering, for the following reasons:
1. I paid my way as I went (no loans!), worked the whole time, thus could only afford so many credits per quarter (the days just before semesters). This sucked balls for many reasons (never did anything but work during breaks) but it was the way to go looking back at it now.
2. I partied a little throughout when I had the time. ;)
All things considered, I'm not 100% sure I'd do it again. You probably won't get rich in engineering (I'm not, but then again I'm not starving either), but the work is very enjoyable for the most part.
I got my BS in Mech Eng in 4.5 years, this included a semester off for an internship. Don't load up your semesters to try and get through. Make sure you're actually learning the material because, believe it or not, you are not you are going to use this stuff when you graduate. Also make sure you leave plenty of time for [beer] [drink] because once you graduate it's harder to go out on a random week night.
Good luck! [moto]
I got my Bachelors in Mechanical in 4.5 years as well. Didn't like the job market at the time so I went into graduate school. I have been here now for 3.5 years. When will it ever end? :-[
Seriously though, if your grades are good enough, I would look into taking the GRE and checking out some Masters programs. That will buy you a couple of years to let the market cool down and you'll be more marketable. Don't do a PhD though, trust me.
Quote from: Schwanger on February 14, 2009, 06:07:52 AM
I got my BS in Mech Eng in 4.5 years, this included a semester off for an internship. Don't load up your semesters to try and get through. Make sure you're actually learning the material because, believe it or not, you are not you are going to use this stuff when you graduate. Also make sure you leave plenty of time for [beer] [drink] because once you graduate it's harder to go out on a random week night.
Good luck! [moto]
Yes but did you get it in 4.5 years while living in a tree?? Everybody at Berkeley lives in trees dont they??
;D
HeMan if you are civil you should want to take the EIT for sure. All my civil friends took it in the fall of senior year, got the results back in January. Everyone who passed got jobs lined up. This is your area too (NYC). I dont think your type of work would count, I'm not certain but I believe you have to work under another licensed P.E. i.e like a construction firm such as Turner, Judlau etc.
Quote from: HobokenHooligan on February 14, 2009, 12:43:45 PM
I dont think your type of work would count, I'm not certain but I believe you have to work under another licensed P.E. i.e like a construction firm such as Turner, Judlau etc.
This is true. Qualifying experience for eligibility to take the PE must be gained while working under a licensed PE. The work tasks must also be engineering. The PE application will require recommendation letters from everyone whose experience working under you are trying to count.
oh well, the experience is what got me into this whole thing. dont mind working under a PE. I looked up EIT, thats engineeer in training?
how hard is the test suppose to be?
The EIT isn't all that hard. If you pay attention during your classes and do some brush up studying before hand you'll be OK. That's one reason everyone takes it in school...everything is still fresh.
Hey, up here in Canada the regular program takes 4 years if you skip co-op, 5 if you don't. Most people add at least one extra term for one reason or another as they go along, though. A much higher percentage of grads actually go on to register as P.Eng's than in the states, mainly because the licensing bodies are self-regulating and not government run.
The program is pretty intense. I did my undergrad degree (mech) in two tries, with a 3 year break between between halves. After graduation, I worked for a bit as an engineer, then did a couple of grad degrees and finally ended up teaching. I see lots of my students dropping out or switching to other programs as they go along, and that's fine. It's a great profession, but probably not for everyone. I'd only recommend you follow through and finish the degree if the thought of being sort of a self-directed problem solver appeals to you as a career.
One final thought: I don't think the school experience is really all that similar to what engineers actually do after graduation. So it's sorta hard to know if you would like being an engineer just by going to engineering school. Others may disagree with this observation, it's just my personal opinion, so take it for what it's worth.
took me 7-1/2 years to get my BSME, but i took 3 years off to snowboard, ride bikes, work in bike shops, and smoke weed. although i had fun and met my wife (who motivated me to stop make the beast with two backsing around) i don't recommend that path.
Took me 3.5 years to finish my BSME as I also have a BBA and school accredited a couple of classes. The most important thing is focus imo. Job market right now is horrible, so I'd stick for a while in college if I were you. Definitely do the EIT in your last semester, I did not and am suffering the consequences of work and study for it now. Make sure that your college is ABET certified. In today's competitive market it may me important, who knows. AND, do some type of internship, co-op, or research. It will be easier to get a job. Good luck!!!
wow, i learned a lot from this thread. I honestly never looked into the future of my career, im just narrowed into finishing school right now. Never even heard of ABET or EIT, just the PE. I looked up and luckly my school is indeed ABET certified since 1936 and apparently it matters a lot in CE (but not so much in Bio-ME apprently). phew!
I assume the EIT is just a cumulative test on physics stuff (deformable bodies, hydraulics, thermo etc...?) Can you do the EIT after you graduate? (so you dont have to prepare for it during senior year, unless senior year is suppose to be easy? or is that wishful thinking? lol)
Quote from: He Man on February 13, 2009, 05:29:06 PM
Just a question since I'm trying to see how realistic my graduation plan is...
How long did it take you guys to graduate?
If my grad plan looks good, then it would of taken me 5.5 years to graduate with a BE(Civil Engineering). and if that calculations are correct, I should have about 1.5 years to get a job or do nothing at all before I die (because the history channel and Nostradamus says we're all gonna perish in December 2012). Everyone is saying i need another 4 years :o!!!!
The Myan Calendar ( which has been more accurate than our own ) stops in I believe... Dec. 2012 and an Ancient Chinese text ( from thousands of years ago ) that has been more recently decifered has the ending date for the Earth.... 2012.
So cheer up . We'll all be gone in the next 3 years so let's enjoy the 3 we do have ! Dolph :)
p.s . It's the Hanta Virus that destroyed the Central American peoples ( Myans ) it will be the Hanta Virus that we fall prey to here in North America. I'd try to explain how we get there from here but ......suffice it to say it has to do with Rats. Anyone remember what the Plague of the " Black Death " did to Europe ?! This will "Dwarf " that. Dolph
Quote from: He Man on February 14, 2009, 07:59:31 PM
I assume the EIT is just a cumulative test on physics stuff (deformable bodies, hydraulics, thermo etc...?) Can you do the EIT after you graduate? (so you dont have to prepare for it during senior year, unless senior year is suppose to be easy? or is that wishful thinking? lol)
Yep...cumulative test. I've heard now you can choose a discipline though (i.e. civil, mechanical, etc). When I took it it was just general.
You can take it whenever, but it is a national test (like the PE) and is only offered once in the fall and once in the spring. Do it while you're in school...it's easier, even if it means you have to study a bit more the month before. Also, it's graded on a national curve. Since more people take it in the spring it is usually easier to pass in the spring due to the curve.
Quote from: DoubleEagle on February 14, 2009, 08:54:14 PM
p.s . It's the Hunta Virus that destroyed the Central American peoples ( Myans ) it will be the Hunta Virus that we fall prey to here in North America. I'd try to explain how we get there from here but ......suffice it to say it has to do with Rats. Anyone remember what the Plague of the " Black Death " did to Europe ?! This will "Dwarf " that. Dolph
Its spelled hantavirus (http://cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/FAQ.htm), and its not that big of a threat. Its easily preventable, is not transmitted from person to person, and kills fewer people per year than auto-erotic asphyxiation.
[/threadjack]
I've heard teachers saying that CA is going to require a master's degree to get your PE in civil. Dunno if that matters to you.
Why did all the columns not invite the beam to the party?
Because they thought he was a drag. [cheeky]
Quote from: Obsessed? on February 14, 2009, 09:19:18 PM
Its spelled hantavirus (http://cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hanta/hps/noframes/FAQ.htm), and its not that big of a threat. Its easily preventable, is not transmitted from person to person, and kills fewer people per year than auto-erotic asphyxiation.
So you're saying the entire human race is going to die out from auto-erotic strangulation in 2012? [evil]
Oh, and I know I'm a couple of pages late for the engineer gags, but I like this one:
There's two types of engineers. Mechanical engineers who build "weapons", and civil engineers who build "targets".
big
A mathematician and an engineer stand in the doorway of a room, wherein lies a gorgeous naked girl on a bed, two meters away.
The girl says to the gentlemen, 'Whoever reaches me first can do with me as they please, but you may only approach the bed in steps of half the remaining distance at a time.'
The engineer, with an expectant grin on his face, immediately steps one meter into the room, then a further half meter, then a quarter meter, and so on.
The mathematician, after watching the engineer's progress for a while, exclaims, 'You're crazy! What are you doing? You know very well that you can only reach the bed after an infinite number of steps!'
To which the engineer replies, 'Yes, but soon I shall be close enough for all practical purposes!'
Quote from: bigiain on February 16, 2009, 01:55:12 PM
So you're saying the entire human race is going to die out from auto-erotic strangulation in 2012? [evil]
Oh, and I know I'm a couple of pages late for the engineer gags, but I like this one:
There's two types of engineers. Mechanical engineers who build "weapons", and civil engineers who build "targets".
big
HA! My husband was a brilliant mechanical engineer with 6 patents to his name by the time he turned 36, with another still pending. He graduated (in 4 years) from Central Michigan. Even he wouldn't work for an aerospace company, though he was courted by many, because he didn't want to be responsible for someone's life if he messed up or if he made weapons of war.
So he worked for a card printer company and kicked ass there instead.
BTW, IZ, civil engineers are always needed. In this economy you have to find something that's recession-proof, and if you're good at what you do and passionate about it, you'll do fine in that field. Best of luck to you!
Quote from: River on February 16, 2009, 04:16:02 PM
HA! My husband was a brilliant mechanical engineer with 6 patents to his name by the time he turned 36, with another still pending. He graduated (in 4 years) from Central Michigan. Even he wouldn't work for an aerospace company, though he was courted by many, because he didn't want to be responsible for someone's life if he messed up or if he made weapons of war.
My pesky little sister expended much teenaged angst about her "capitalist warmonger" father building sonar systems and flight simulators and submarine fire control systems, and using his share of the "profits of death" to house and feed and clothe her... (and send her to university...)
Me, I just _loved_ getting to "play" with things like F1-11 flight simulators!
big
Quote from: River on February 16, 2009, 04:16:02 PM
HA! My husband was a brilliant mechanical engineer with 6 patents to his name by the time he turned 36, with another still pending. He graduated (in 4 years) from Central Michigan. Even he wouldn't work for an aerospace company, though he was courted by many, because he didn't want to be responsible for someone's life if he messed up or if he made weapons of war.
So he worked for a card printer company and kicked ass there instead.
ha, my company manufactures many parts for many things,,, and that is all i can say. oh, and i am proud of it.
Quote from: aaronb on February 16, 2009, 07:31:44 PM
ha, my company manufactures many parts for many things,,, and that is all i can say. oh, and i am proud of it.
Heh, my dad loves telling people how the "Official Secrets Act" document he signed while working on the Barra Sonobouy project back in the 70's means he could go to jail for telling anyone things that we all saw in a documentary ten years ago or things that are on public display in a local museum (http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/australia_innovates/?behaviour=view_article&Section_id=1010&article_id=10003).
big
I'm a CE with a PE. Took me 5 years to graduate but that program is fairly rigorous and I had three jobs. I like it OK. The downsides are that everything is politically motivated and the environmental laws (which are not all about the "environment") are incredibly time-consuming, boring, and often misguided, though well-intentioned.
It's also not recession-proof. Our projects are either development or tax-based. In a recession both take a hit.
I got my BSME and passed the FE. Took 5 years. Did one year with only one engineering class though (was school's mascot) so it put graduation off.
Its possible to graduate on time in Engineering. Early? Hell no. It takes discipline, doing homework, and motivation. Curiously, working as an engineer requires the same things.
I'd love to tell you to bite the bullet, and stay in longer (not for partying) and get your masters. Its amazing how many more doors are opened for people with a graduate degree, and how many opportunities I miss out on to others because I don't have that qualification.
If you want big dollars and don't mind more school, go for electrical engineering (magik & sorcery, we called it in the ME dept), and then study for and pass the patent bar - and you'll be a patent agent - a very useful job. You don't need to go to law school to do this (its actually better to get it out of the way BEFORE law school if you want to be a patent attorney). You can sit for the patent bar with any technical degree (all engineering degrees are eligible), and this would allow you to work with a firm (say biotechnology, as that was a major market when I lived in M-town) and work on the newest, coolest stuff.
Food for thought. CE is great, try to get internships with the Corp of Engineers if possible.
atomemphis
You can take the Patent bar before you go to law school? Thats kind of the track I wanted to go, Law school -> Patent Law. etc. I love both fields, but law is still something thats very broad since it has so many aspects to it.
l need to do more research on this! If You become a patent agent..would going to law school still benefit you? Of course there are certain things that you cant do without passing the bar...
Corps of Engineers eh? Ill have to look into that, they do some pretty neat stuff. I just wouldnt want to join the Army and get paid jack squat and not get to shoot people. For that i might as well go with the original plan to shoot at stuff for a living. [laugh]
There are a lot of things patent attorneys can do that patent agents cannot. I believe a patent agent can only work within the uspto system, a patent attorney can practice in a regular court of law where people are actually suing each other, hence they make a lot more $$$. I know people that went that track, one became a patent agent first, it helped him get into law school.
Yes, Patent Agents aren't as highly paid or 'useful' as a patent attorney, but its a path one could take to secure employment with a good salary.
Going to law school after having passed the patent bar (thus being a patent agent) would open a lot of doors at Intellectual Property Law firms (and all firms that have this 'department') for the summers between years of law school and for careers post graduation.
The corp of engineers is not the corp that you are thinking of. This is civilian engineering, bridges, dams, etc.
Provided all goes well with the senior design project, I will graduate in may with a BS in mechanical engineering after 4 years. The whole thing about the sophomore/junior classes weeding out most of the kids is definitely true. We went from about 200 kids down to 40 or so. Just signed up for the FE exam this spring....hope that isn't too bad of a test. Gotta make it to a few of the review sessions for some older material (statics, thermo, dynamics, fluids) just to make sure it's all still fresh. Just hoping for some good, hard rain before spring break to get all the salt off the roads for some [moto]
The FE is not a beast that everyone thinks it is. The test is divided into two sessions: Morning & Afternoon, each alloted 4 hrs to complete. They give you an equation manual. Go to your department office and ask for a copy of it now so you can familiarize yourself with it beforehand, no sense in having a manual with most of the equations in it, and not know where they are (its a big manual, no time to go looking during the exam).
The morning section is "GENERAL". Each concentration takes the same morning section. Has some statistics and finance questions that throw people who are unfamiliar with these topics. I was good at Statistics and was excited to see it pop up on the exam to the extent that it was.
The afternoon section is concentration-specific. This is a mis-nomer, you can take any damn afternoon section you please: Civil, Mechanical, OR General II. I took General II, because when I flipped to Mechanical and looked at it, it looked hard, and I wanted to do more statistics, chemistry, basic thermo, statics, fluids, etc. You can choose to take General II in the afternoon regardless of your major, and you do not have to choose which exam you are going to take in the afternoon prior to opening the book. I looked at Mechanical, flipped through a few problems (the first one was by far the hardest) and decided that General II looked more appealing. I then marked my answer sheet accordingly, and took the exam.
The time requirement is also daunting at first glance. Two 4-hour exams sounds like no fun. That's the maximum time given. I took 2:45 in the morning, and felt comfortable with my answers, checked a few, and didn't want to monkey with stuff I had done earlier. What else could I do? Go to lunch. Watched an episode of Scrubs. And came back when it was time to complete the 2nd half. The second half took me the same amount of time, and thus I finished the "8-hour Exam" in 5.5 hours.
Practice using a crappy calculator. You are required to use a TI-30XII or similar, there is a list on the website. The website is horrible, by the way. AND, the deadline to sign up for the exam makes no sense whatsoever, its far too early in comparison with when most collegiate semesters begin. Go to your office and find out the deadline and testing date and location early. At this time you should demand an equation manual to study with and begin using it and your 'crappy calculator' to practice some problems.
ive been dying to do more research after reading your post (i keep wandering off to try and finish of my powder coating oven + testing aluminum! and doing hwk :()
But from the little i have searched. THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME THIS STUFF!
pic of hot girl (suppsely miss universe) bows wai to you!
(http://rspas.anu.edu.au/rmap/newmandala/wp-content/uploads/2006/09/miss%20universe.bmp)
Definitely practice using your junkie calc. I actually got pretty good with my junkie calc and use it all the time now. I got a Casio fx-115MS.
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CKVKF9YJL.jpg)
If you do forget to practice with it, at least figure out how to use the fraction functions, exponents, and log functions. If you have a bit more time, tinker with the integral function. You'll probably only use the integral function twice on the whole test but it'll save you a bit of time.
Honestly, I didn't study for the EIT (same as the FE). I went to the study sessions at school and got the sample tests. I got pretty lost and gave up hope so I didn't bother studying. The actual test itself only uses remedial stuff from most subjects. Throughout the whole test I kept thinking, "I should know this. I know this stuff is easy but I just can't figure it out right now." :-\ It was simple stuff like knowing the triangle in EE. What's it called... I...
A... something... R? They give you two and you have to find the third. After the morning general session I felt really bad because I had missed simple stuff that I shoulda known and knew I should have known so I took the Civil portion for the afternoon since I was scared of the General II. Lol, that was a cake walk. There was a lot of simple geometry stuff and most of the stuff I didn't know I could look up in the equation book and figure out. There were only a couple traffic related questions I had no clue on. Turns out I passed on my first shot. They don't tell you how you scored if you passed; they only do that if you fail. [roll]
The worst part is waiting for results. I didn't get my results until some 2 weeks before registration was due for the next test... and this is like 2 months after you take the test. [roll] Honestly, considering that I passed, I was amazed how many people I knew that didn't pass. Maybe I'm just a lucky test taker. It felt kinda like an SAT test.
i ahve a TI-36X solar, but i have never really touched it. It has way to many buttons and not enough pixels on the screen. stupid thing!
I spoke to a bunch of my engineer friends. only 1 of them knew what the FE was, the others just thought i mixed it up with PE.
I looked up the FE and it seems that you dont need to take it if you have some sort of advance degree or time in field. So exactly how mandatory is it for a CE?
Hmm, as I understand it, FE is the same as an EIT (Engineer in Training) test that you have take here in CA. The requirement here is 2 years college experience or 2 years practical experience I think so a lot of people take it while they're still in school. As far as I know it's a requirement before you can get your PE in CA. It's been a while since I've looked this stuff up though.
it probably is just as required here. I guess people will be suprised when they say "FE? wtf is an FE?" [laugh]
maybe some of the MEs here can scoot over to the PC'ing thread in accessories and mods, or right blow this one and tell me something about annealing aluminum.
Ok, there are some misnomers floating about:
FE Exam = Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (you take this to be eligible to take the PE Exam, mentioned below)
E.I / E.I.T = Engineering Intern or Engineer-In-Training is the designation given to a person who has passed the FE Exam
PE Exam = Professional Engineer Licensing Exam. This requires X years of field experience working under a P.E. or a graduate degree and a few less years doing the same thing. The exam tests ethics and some other issues. Must have the E.I. or E.I.T. designation (having passed the FE Exam) in order to "sit" for the PE Exam.
P.E. - Professional Engineer. This is the licensed dude that is required to sign off on blue prints before any building can be built, road can be laid, etc etc. If people's lives could be in jeopardy, a PE must have a look-see at the plans. This means more responsibility and liability when stuff goes wrong, which in turn means more $$$. And more $$$ = more [bacon]
Quote from: ato memphis on February 25, 2009, 05:37:01 AM
Ok, there are some misnomers floating about:
FE Exam = Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (you take this to be eligible to take the PE Exam, mentioned below)
E.I / E.I.T = Engineering Intern or Engineer-In-Training is the designation given to a person who has passed the FE Exam
Correct now...but back when I took the EIT it was called the EIT exam, not the FE exam. That change occured around 1996 IIRC. Anyway...that's probably the reason for the terminology confusion.
He Man: Like others have said, passing the FE is a requirement to being allowed to take the PE exam. Having a PE license isn't a necessity for Electical Engineers...and isn't even necessary for a lot of Mechanical Engineering work. But, for Civil Engineers it is crucial unless you never want to advance past the Staff Engineer level in your career.
The FE exam isn't all that hard. It's as much about test taking technique as it is about knowledge. Here's a few pointers to help you pass (I was 1 of 2 out of 6 of my buddies to pass the 1st time).
1. Take it in the Spring sitting. More people take it during this period so it's easier to pass due to the curve.
2. Use either B or C (out of A, B, C, & D) for unknown answers during the exam. If you don't 100% (and I mean 100%) know the answer to a question, then pick your guess letter. Use one or the other for the entire test...
and stick with it. B/C are the two most common answers on the test (my buddy and I were told this by a professor, and we confirmed with 4 practice tests), and your odds go up if you consistently choose the same one, as opposed to guessing for each one if you
kinda think you know the answer. An educated guess is still a guess.
3. Don't study for all of the disciplines. Pick 3-4, study them, and guess on the others unless it's a super easy question. IIRC I chose Statics, Dynamics, Thermo, and Engineering Economics to study. I guessed throughout the rest. At one point in the EE section I had an entire row of C answers. [cheeky]
4. Do a first pass through the exam, doing only the easy ones. An easy one is one you can do within 90 seconds or so. Then do a second pass for the harder ones you initially skipped...a 3rd pass if time allows. This ensures you complete all of the easy ones, and don't run out of time getting stuck on a tough question.
5. If you're running out of time, DO NOT leave blank answers. If you have to just go down the remaining ones and guess your letter during the last 3 minutes of the sitting, then do it. On the FE there is no penalty for guessing, but if you don't fill out an answer it is obviously wrong.
6. Lastly, don't get hung up on trying to "ace it". No one gives a shit about your FE score...just that you passed. I don't even think you get a score, just a pass/fail notice...can't remember though.
All good test taking tips, J. [thumbsup]
You are correct that you don't get your score for the FE if you pass (at least here in CA). You only get your score if don't pass.