Non-engineers are people too: another STAC convert speaks out

Have you ever wanted to change your major? I mean, all of us have been tempted to change from time to time when frustrated by our classes. But are you having second thoughts about making a career out of engineering? I certainly am.

I've wanted to be a Georgia Tech engineer for as long as I can remember. However, I didn't have any engineers in my family, nor was I particularly close to any practicing engineers as a kid, so I really had no clue as to what engineers actually did.

When I arrived at Tech, I decided to major in Industrial Engineering, and I also got a pretty good co-op job with a management consulting firm. I strongly disliked all those calc and physics classes from the outset, but I kept telling myself that my major classes would be better. I was wrong.

My decision to major in IE was made for all the wrong reasons: I turned to IE simply because I didn't know what I wanted to do, and IE was Tech's highest-ranked undergraduate program. I suspect that other students may have been in the same situation, but I can't be sure.

After some time, I discovered that I really didn't like IE all that much, but I was still determined still get a degree in it. I decided I would go to graduate school in a non-engineering field, but my pride wouldn't let me change my undergraduate major.

I've decided that I'll be most successful doing things I enjoy, and I think that's true for many of us. How many people do you know who are truly happy with their jobs? I know a few, but most people see their work as a means to an end-a way to support a lifestyle. That's the last thing I want happening to me. After all, I'll be spending most of my waking hours working, so I might as well be doing something I love.

I'm certainly not saying that individuals who are engineering majors have made the wrong choice. I merely ask that you examine your motives for being at Tech. Are you getting a degree for its earning potential? That's something I hear all too often. "Tech is the shaft, but I'll be making lots of money when I get out." So that makes it all worthwhile. Or does it?

Many people I encounter speak of the high earning potential that is associated with an engineering degree. I can almost guarantee that those individuals won't find true fulfillment in their jobs as engineers.

I know some lucky people who have a true passion for engineering. Those few are quite fortunate-they'll have jobs they love, will make lots of money, and will be highly successful because they firmly believe in what they're doing.

For the rest of you, it's going to be a long, tough road until your retirement. I, for one, am glad to have reached this decision now instead of after 20 years of misery. I know several forty-somethings who wish they had chosen different careers, and I'm afraid that many current Tech students may be headed down that very path.

So many people think that if you're at Georgia Tech and you're not an engineering or science major, than something must be wrong with you. I believe that the problem exists with those individuals who are genuinely unhappy as engineers.

Many Tech students I know are miserable. It's only because they choose to be. Classes are viewed as something to be endured, and the shaft as an inevitability. Why does it have to be this way? It's because Tech students are unable to "see outside the box." We tend to be hopelessly one-dimensional, and we refuse to embrace people and ideas that are different than the status quo.

Why must Tech be so one-sided? Why do so many students place so much worth on their position or their degree? I want people to evaluate me based on who I am, not based on some position I may hold or my major. Unfortunately, many students have a highly positional self-worth, and base their self esteem on grades and academic achievements. This is basically unhealthy, in my opinion.

A certain feminist friend of mine-who shall remain nameless-continually reminds me that men want to be engineers because they have womb envy. That is, they have a desire to create life but can't, since they don't have a womb. According to theory, men compensate for not having a womb by creating or building things, and this often manifests itself as a career choice in engineering. Furthermore, men attempt to subjugate women because of womb envy. Most male engineers I know get pretty defensive when the subject of womb envy is approached. Do they feel threatened by what might be the truth?

Ask yourselves why you're here at Tech and why you want to be an engineer. You might be surprised at what you find.

College is supposed to be a time to learn about yourself, your interests, and how to interact with other people. Much of this learning takes place outside the classroom, and I do believe that the most successful people are going to be those who interact well with others and their surroundings. I hope you're at Tech to learn the right things.

Chris dropped three classes this semester, changed his major to STAC, and has never felt better.