Hey
ladies! My name is Jamie and I’m a rising junior here at Penn State majoring in
Industrial Engineering. While I’m completely in love with Penn State now, I can
remember how overwhelmed I was during my senior year of high school when faced
with the daunting task of choosing a college. I was so excited to have finally
committed to Penn State, but the tough decisions didn’t stop there, next I had
to decide on a major.
When
debating what major to choose, I remember thinking, ‘how am I supposed to know
what I want to do with the rest of my life.’ Good news- I didn’t need to know
then and you don’t need to decide now. You have almost two years to explore the
different engineering curriculums and decide which major seems like the best
fit for you. Nevertheless, I do have some advice on how to best find your niche
in Penn State’s world of engineering.
First,
research the opportunities offered by each engineering discipline. A great
place to start are the Penn State Engineering websites- each department has its
own site where you can explore the required courses and descriptions for each
major. But don’t stop there; reach out to WEPO mentors or rovers in those fields
you are considering. Learn about the classes they take, where they work, and
what they find so interesting and rewarding about their major. Don’t be shy -we
all wanted to be a part of WEPO in order to make your transition easier and are
more than willing to talk.
Another
helpful tool is “Major Nights”! Each discipline in the College of Engineering
offers an informal information session during the fall semester called a major
night. These programs can be extremely informative and rewarding as they often act
as an open forum to allow you to talk to current students in the major and hear
about their varied experiences. (The College of Engineering will provide
information about their dates, times, and locations.)
Lastly, talk to advisors in the different
engineering departments. They are extremely knowledgeable on the specifics
related to their assigned discipline of engineering and are super qualified to
answer questions and offer advice as many have seen tons of students throughout
the years, many with the same questions as you.
Most
importantly, don’t forget that it is totally okay to change your mind, and your
major. I’ve encountered tons of students who change engineering disciplines
within the first two years of school, me included. I came into Penn State
thinking Chemical Engineering was the perfect fit for me. However, after
getting involved in Chemical Engineering research on campus, I realized it
wasn’t the right fit for me as I was more of a big picture person. Luckily I
had great WEPO mentors who got me in contact with many different students,
professors, and advisors to discuss my interests and goals. Ultimately my
conversations with these people resulted in my switch to Industrial Engineering.
Nevertheless, if I hadn’t kept an open mind and explored all that Penn State
Engineering has to offer I may have never found this perfect fit for me.
Ultimately,
I want you all to remember not to feel overwhelmed and pressured to commit to an
engineering major right away. Feel free to explore all that is out there and
don’t be afraid to try something different. Even if you end up discovering an
engineering discipline which isn’t the right fit for you as I did, at least you
know what you don’t want to be when you grow up, and you are one step closer to
figuring out what will truly make you happy.
Jamie Sweeney is a junior studying Industrial Engineering and a Mentor for WEPO'13!
