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GayWolf420
June, 2025

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Engineer thread only

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iced
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 17,986
Hey, just wanted to know how your first year went and the costs associated/ and personal tips. I get I have the internet at my fingertips but if by chance anyone here was an an engineer I am sure you would be way more trust worthy and reputable.
8 years ago
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TOAST.
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 40,087
Dont make "engineer only threads" because it makes you sound like a douche.
8 years ago
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milk_man
Posts: 5252 - Karma: 5,975
Inb4 Bill Nye the 'science' guy
8 years ago
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Not_Good
Posts: 214 - Karma: 876
TOAST.Dont make "engineer only threads" because it makes you sound like a douche.


Sounds about right to me
8 years ago
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Lonely
Posts: 7168 - Karma: 69,925
Costs associated with what? Going to college?
8 years ago
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iced
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 17,986
TOAST.Dont make "engineer only threads" because it makes you sound like a douche.

I am. Please leave the soon to be inactive thread as I only want engineers here, hence the title
8 years ago
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iced
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 17,986
LonelyCosts associated with what? Going to college?

Pretty much the sum of what it cost you first or second year. Ive heard stuff like 17k for classes and 30 class hours per week.
spooky rumors
8 years ago
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Lonely
Posts: 7168 - Karma: 69,925
Currently spending around 30,000 for classes and room and board. I have 18 credit hours a week and I came in with 30 credits from dual enrollment and A.P. A lot of it depends on the school.
8 years ago
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Session
Posts: 5408 - Karma: 22,546
Not an engineer, but I get referred to as one. My biggest daily headache is formally trained engineers who lack basic fucking troubleshooting skills. Do they not cover that in engineering programs?
8 years ago
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TOAST.
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 40,087
icedI am. Please leave the soon to be inactive thread as I only want engineers here, hence the title

Nah, im good. I am allowed in this super exclusive club.
8 years ago
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TOAST.
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 40,087
SessionNot an engineer, but I get referred to as one. My biggest daily headache is formally trained engineers who lack basic fucking troubleshooting skills. Do they not cover that in engineering programs?


Not really. Experience > classroom when it comes to that stuff when it comes to specific systems. Worst is engineers with holier than thou attitudes that think they know everything and from my experience those are the ones that know the least.
8 years ago
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profa_212
Posts: 9260 - Karma: 40,958
TOAST.Not really. Experience > classroom when it comes to that stuff when it comes to specific systems. Worst is engineers with holier than thou attitudes that think they know everything and from my experience those are the ones that know the least.


Always. Engineers usually live up to their stereotype
8 years ago
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SofaKingSick
Posts: 9777 - Karma: 66,132
just a heads up, Forcing Engineering Into Every Conversation 301 is a real bear. best to start practicing ruining conversations now to get ahead of the curve

good luck hope that helps
8 years ago
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Rparr
Posts: 5770 - Karma: 49,253
SofaKingSickjust a heads up, Forcing Engineering Into Every Conversation 301 is a real bear. best to start practicing ruining conversations now to get ahead of the curve

good luck hope that helps


lmao, perfect

On a similar note. I have an engineering degree (one of the harder ones, from no slouch of a university) and I'm still a fucking bum. It isn't the silver bullet you probably think it is OP. You don't become a super saiyan when you get your engineering degree
8 years ago
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iced
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 17,986
Rparrlmao, perfect

On a similar note. I have an engineering degree (one of the harder ones, from no slouch of a university) and I'm still a fucking bum. It isn't the silver bullet you probably think it is OP. You don't become a super saiyan when you get your engineering degree


haha true, I honestly could never see myself getting widdled down into a highly educated pointy stick.
8 years ago
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,494
TOAST.Dont make "engineer only threads" because it makes you sound like a douche.


well in my experience most engineers are
8 years ago
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kingsskier
Posts: 6213 - Karma: 2,170
TOAST.Not really. Experience > classroom when it comes to that stuff when it comes to specific systems. Worst is engineers with holier than thou attitudes that think they know everything and from my experience those are the ones that know the least.


I agree 100% with experience > classroom.
Im an electrical engineer (with my masters) with one of the big three auto companies. Basically the classes teach you crap that you can look up, but the key is to learn and practice anylitical thinking. Think quickly and accurately on your feet.

As for school and cost, my program was a 5 year program going year round (no summer break). This included three semesters of co-op which taught me more than the other 4 years combined. I have a crap load of student loans because I took max every time so I could ski, bike and drink a ton and not work. I loved it then, but am paying for it now.

Last note, if you are deciding between what type of engineer, you will have people begging you to work for them if you become an EE. I have had 5 job offers (not interviews) in the last year and I havent given my resume to anyone. Just got referred out.

**This post was edited on Sep 16th 2017 at 12:42:22pm
8 years ago
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JASTEW206
Posts: 568 - Karma: 117
The only kind of people that think way highly of you for being an engineer are insecure college kids.
8 years ago
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Casey
Posts: 8025 - Karma: 27,011
The engineers I work with are kind of insufferable. They are always referring to themselves as engineers and making jokes about how engineery they are. Like, "how did a group of engineers manage to forget paper plates for the utilities picnic?? Lol should have planned for that redundancy!"

Seriously irritating.
8 years ago
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CabbyArrant
Posts: 780 - Karma: 4,126
I spend 15 a year for tuition room and board. Honestly community college the first two years saved me about 30k. it sucked but was worth the fact that I don't and will not have loans
8 years ago
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Iliveinutah
Posts: 1250 - Karma: 5,147
Out of state? I mean its the same as any college advertises. You'll have to pay dorm cost as well at tuition and meal plan. I was out of state as a non freshmen at CU and I spent 60K last year. Im in state now and only cost about 13k for this year. But I wouldn't count on getting instate in you come here.
just google it, there are some fees associate with certain programs but only a few hundred. And when you get a 30 k bill a few hundred really doesn't matter at that point.
8 years ago
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Casey
Posts: 8025 - Karma: 27,011
IliveinutahOut of state? I mean its the same as any college advertises. You'll have to pay dorm cost as well at tuition and meal plan. I was out of state as a non freshmen at CU and I spent 60K last year. Im in state now and only cost about 13k for this year. But I wouldn't count on getting instate in you come here.
just google it, there are some fees associate with certain programs but only a few hundred. And when you get a 30 k bill a few hundred really doesn't matter at that point.


Holy shit that is gnarly. Why didn't you just wait to get residency what a horrible waste of money.
8 years ago
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robotdna
Posts: 1232 - Karma: 2,959
First year, hm, okay. Without scholarship funds it came out to be 54k/year. I went from skiing 60 days/season to like 15-20. Really didn't have time for anything besides work.

Engineering kind of changes you, too. The people you will be surrounded with make fun of the arts and sciences. You'll get a superiority complex. Mine is awful and I am still working on it. I can attest from all my internships that really no amount of education will truly prepare you for the world you will be thrown into. Experience is key here and I'd do everything in your power to start nabbing internships and coops. Don't look immediately to large companies as they won't have you do good work. Small companies have less manpower and usually treat you more like an engineer and less like an intern.

Be prepared to partially give up skiing. If you are okay with this then it is fine. But it is impossible to manage good grades (I am talking 3.5+ GPA), skiing, and any sort of social activity. Something has to give. For me, it was a little of both social and skiing.

I like rocket propulsion and spacecraft. For me, the sacrifice is okay. I find the material interesting. I know for many it is devastating to their interests.

Carefully consider what you want. Why engineering? Why not sciences or business or entrepreneurial endeavors? If it is solely due to a stable job, consider that you will be working tough and long hours for the rest of your life depending on the company.

Bottom line is: do what you love. Don't let anyone tell you that engineering is the only way. If you love problem solving and designing, this could be a fantastic field for you. Just be wary.

Have any schools in mind?
8 years ago
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robotdna
Posts: 1232 - Karma: 2,959
CaseyHoly shit that is gnarly. Why didn't you just wait to get residency what a horrible waste of money.


CU makes it nearly impossible for us to get in-state. The amount of paperwork and new tiny little laws they've put in place are absurd. Plus they make parents sign "out of state" forms promising them to never get in state tuition. I think the system is BS.
8 years ago
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Andi_G
Posts: 3102 - Karma: 15,262
1st year is real easy and then it gets a ton harder. Find a good group to study with if you don't get weeded out because the workload can get crushing and it's almost impossible to lone wolf it. If you get stuck, seriously swallow your pride and go to office hours. Good luck bro
8 years ago
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cornholio
Posts: 3952 - Karma: 3,057
I have an engineering degree, but am not an engineer. The first few years of my career I wished I had paid more attention in high school Spanish class or continued the language through college
8 years ago
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CaptainObvious.
Posts: 5713 - Karma: 20,652
English major checking in. Used book stores are a must. It's super easy to find a beat up copy of "A Tale of Two Cities" and in the end it doesn't matter it there's a piss stain on the cover. As long as you can read it, saving two bucks on every one of your Hemingways is going to pay off greatly in the end.

If you end up having to translate Beowulf, invest in two separate Old English dictionaries. You can try the online translators, but they usually have little nuances that your corduroy molesting professor will likely know about and burn you for not using a dictionary.

Also, start getting used to saying you love Shakespeare even if you don't. It's expected of you by both academics and common-folk who will love hearing about your extensive time spent breaking down sonnets and your in-depth knowledge of iambic pentameter.
8 years ago
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stinky_cheese
Posts: 1221 - Karma: 5,176
I'm a freshman right now going into engineering but i think it might not be the thing for me. in highschool, math and science were my strengths but definitely at college math and science are everybodys strengths so that just makes it more difficult. also, i know not all engineering jobs are like this but i was planning on going into materials science and engineering but im not sure if i want to because i think most the jobs within that field just involve you being in a lab trying to invent new shit which would be cool but also i like interacting with people and human interaction i guess. and a lab is not a prime setting to be meeting new people and helping them
8 years ago
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TOAST.
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 40,087
robotdnaBe prepared to partially give up skiing. If you are okay with this then it is fine. But it is impossible to manage good grades (I am talking 3.5+ GPA), skiing, and any sort of social activity. Something has to give. For me, it was a little of both social and skiing.


I skied around between 70 and 90 days through college and that was in PA so the seasons only like 90 days long. I worked Park Crew at my hill so that helped with skiing a lot.

Tip to save a lot of money would be to buy International Edition text book, especially if you arnt doing homework problems out of them because those are sometimes a little different. They cost like 20$/book, double check with professors though and have a backup plan if they do assign stuff out of the book. Only downside to them is that they never use Imperial Units.
8 years ago
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Iliveinutah
Posts: 1250 - Karma: 5,147
robotdnaCU makes it nearly impossible for us to get in-state. The amount of paperwork and new tiny little laws they've put in place are absurd. Plus they make parents sign "out of state" forms promising them to never get in state tuition. I think the system is BS.



to be fair I did get in state but I planned ahead. I made sure I had more story straight and did everything I needed to for an entire year. for a whole year I was compiling documentation. Its not something you can just decided you wanna do later. But ya its a bitch at CU but I got lucky. I wouldn't count on anyone else being able to get it. just read the website I guess.
8 years ago
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search4freshies
Posts: 358 - Karma: 1,336
I graduated with a BS in Civil Engineering in 2013 from Penn State. I worked for a structural firm out of Philly for a couple years, and started on my masters at Lehigh U (didn't finish). In 2015 I quit my job, cashed in my 401k, and moved West to be a ski bum. Best fucking decision of my life. I had two seasons of 100+ days, started skiing in the backcountry, got my avy 1&2, scored my first heli drop, and worked tuning skis/picked up bar shifts when I needed money.

Coming from the east I always dreamed of tits deep pow lines with mandatory airs. It felt good to get some bucket list items ticked off, but recently it was time to pull my big boy pants up again, and find some engineering work. Now I'm working as a structural designer in SW Colorado, surfing newschoolers during lunch at my desk, daydreaming about cliffs and couloirs.


It's been a while since I was in a classroom, so it'll be hard for me to recall the details of cost, but I do know I'm about $35k in debt after it was all said 'n' done. Something I could've easily paid off quick enough if I had stayed in my field of work, instead of traveling and skiing for 2 years.

For the majority of us, making a living skiing isn't realistic, but over the past few years I realized being a full-time engineer and a part-time skier satisfies my needs for intellectual work/money and I still get stoked to be on my skis every weekend/storm-cycle.

**This post was edited on Oct 17th 2017 at 4:43:18pm
8 years ago
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Lonely
Posts: 7168 - Karma: 69,925
Buying books is overrated in today's online world. I've tried out going textbook free this semester (besides one for my course that directly uses it) and the difference is barely noticeable. And I save close to 800$.
8 years ago
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profa_212
Posts: 9260 - Karma: 40,958
LonelyBuying books is overrated in today's online world. I've tried out going textbook free this semester (besides one for my course that directly uses it) and the difference is barely noticeable. And I save close to 800$.


Went textbook free last semester and saved like 400. Shit was tight.

This semester 4 of my classes work directly from the book so I got boned again.
8 years ago
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TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12721 - Karma: 120,360
put a fleshlight between my mattress and frame and put a picture of eheath on the top of the bed. I am engineering the future.
7 years ago
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iced
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 17,986
TRVP_ANGELput a fleshlight between my mattress and frame and put a picture of eheath on the top of the bed. I am engineering the future.


Boy

thanks for the memories
People took this stupid thread title seriously lol
7 years ago
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dolanslebensraum
Posts: 5959 - Karma: -13,093
Uncel Dolan approves of this thread.
7 years ago
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