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Whats one thing you wish you knew going into college regarding engineering?

#engineering #technology #ISU #electrical-engineering #materials-engineering #chemical-engineering

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Rosalind’s Answer

Make sure you spend the time in College learning a variety of skills. No career will require only one area of expertise. Most fields require the ability to communicate well, which means both writing as well as good presentation skills. All fields will require more and more use of technology, learning more about computers and programming no matter what field you will go into will help you.

And most importantly it's not just what you know, but who you know. Start building your network, getting to know people and growing those relationships. Get an internship to learn what the job you want to actually involves. Be ready to change, the one thing that is common is that change is good, get into the mode of continuous learning.
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Bridget’s Answer

The one thing I wish I had known is how important the business side of working in corporations really is. I wish I had pursued my MBA directly after completing my BS in Mechanical Engineering. I have been in management my entire career and have witnessed how important understanding finance, leadership, organizational structure, etc....really is.

Bridget recommends the following next steps:

Register for courses that will contribute to an MBA.
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Brad’s Answer

That you need Business education as well as Engineering education. Often Engineering decisions require understanding of business parameters like cost, schedule, quality, customer experience, Marketing, etc.... Having business education and experience will help you as an engineer make better decisions that take into account the total cost of ownership and customer experience.
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Rory’s Answer

As a third year at a UC, the one thing I wish I knew going into college is how important internships are. Lots of people do emphasize it, but it's for very good reason; lots of Engineering classes are very conceptual/theoretical so without an internship, getting a job out of college with certain skills is pretty tough despite the engineering job market being so huge. So my best advice would be to apply to as many internships as possible, even your freshman year. I'm talking 200-300 applications (until you get one). It'll make getting a job after college easier, getting more internships easier, and you'll make very valuable skills.
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Andrew’s Answer

As someone who is currently in college at a highly regarded university, I would say, academically, I wish I knew how to study better. In my first couple of semesters, I struggled because I didn't know how to properly prepare for exams or be the most efficient when it came to completing homework.

Socially, I would say definitely get to know people and step outside of your comfort zone. There's a lot of amazing opportunities in college that you may not find anywhere else, so don't let those pass you by.
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Jay’s Answer

Jack,

I think that in addition to all of the answers so far (which are all excellent) one of the unsung skills is learning how to operate in a group. In my experience, it is a very rare situation where you operate completely alone building from end to end. Instead, you are almost always part of a team, so learning how to work with others, give and take responsibilities, and how to quickly identify and fill gaps is incredibly important. The group work you have in University is a great learning bed for how to deal with those dynamics.

Best of luck
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Nathan’s Answer

Looking back, if I could, I would advise my younger self in my teens (many moons ago!) that the stuff taught in schools are very fundamental and academia focused. Sometimes they don't make sense in the class room, and don't always reflect what's going on in the real world. So, go work on projects, do internships, stay up to date with tech news and discuss it with your professors. That's where the fun is and where interesting things are happening.
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