3 answers
Christopher
Student
Columbia, South Carolina
3
Questions
Asked
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What path would you recommend to someone just starting out?
What choices are ahead of me that I don't know about yet? What is the best options i can take advantage of? How can i make the most of my time?
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3 answers
Suzanne Sorkin
Retired family physician and medical educator
115
Answers
Traverse City, Michigan
Updated
Suzanne’s Answer
Christopher, it looks like South Carolina offers a Youth Apprenticeship option for high school students to begin to earn some money while apprenticing part time with local employers. I would suggest you look at this option if you are considering going into the construction trades such as carpentry.
Here is their website:
https://www.apprenticeshipcarolina.com/youth-apprenticeship.html
Make an appointment with your guidance counselor to see if the Youth Apprenticeship is a possible option for you.
Here is their website:
https://www.apprenticeshipcarolina.com/youth-apprenticeship.html
Suzanne recommends the following next steps:
Thank you so much Suzanne! This is really going to help me out! I will look into it right away.
Christopher
AAMIR PENKAR
Business Ops
6
Answers
Round Rock, Texas
Updated
AAMIR’s Answer
Hi Christopher,
You have plenty of options to form your career path. You already have some great recommendations from folks above, so I would suggest 'in addition to' instead of alternatives. It may be helpful for you to figure out whether you like software/programming or your talents and interests lie more on the hardware/building/engineering side. It sounds like you prefer working with your hands quite a bit, so you could look at options in design and engineering. Whichever path you take, you will need to make sure you have an interest as it will be much better for your future to have dedication in that area.
Coding starts off with many resources where you could pick up the languages described above, or even python or Go (golang) all for free. However, if your interest is not really there, you may find yourself struggling more.
You could also look at where the world is headed and decide if you may be interested in that direction; in the upcoming years, strict regulations will direct car makers to pursue electric vehicles. Many engineering principles are involved in this area alone - chemical, civil, mechanical, electrical etc. engineers will be needed to lead the next generation of technologies in new batteries, safety, wireless communications, security, automation, robotics and so on. This was one example.
Be sure to look at various web resources like: https://www.machinedesign.com/community/article/21214562/educating-and-inspiring-the-next-generation-of-engineers
https://www.machinedesign.com/community/article/21214562/educating-and-inspiring-the-next-generation-of-engineers
You have plenty of options to form your career path. You already have some great recommendations from folks above, so I would suggest 'in addition to' instead of alternatives. It may be helpful for you to figure out whether you like software/programming or your talents and interests lie more on the hardware/building/engineering side. It sounds like you prefer working with your hands quite a bit, so you could look at options in design and engineering. Whichever path you take, you will need to make sure you have an interest as it will be much better for your future to have dedication in that area.
Coding starts off with many resources where you could pick up the languages described above, or even python or Go (golang) all for free. However, if your interest is not really there, you may find yourself struggling more.
You could also look at where the world is headed and decide if you may be interested in that direction; in the upcoming years, strict regulations will direct car makers to pursue electric vehicles. Many engineering principles are involved in this area alone - chemical, civil, mechanical, electrical etc. engineers will be needed to lead the next generation of technologies in new batteries, safety, wireless communications, security, automation, robotics and so on. This was one example.
Be sure to look at various web resources like: https://www.machinedesign.com/community/article/21214562/educating-and-inspiring-the-next-generation-of-engineers
AAMIR recommends the following next steps:
Randy Tolentino
UX Engineer
19
Answers
Updated
Randy’s Answer
Christopher,
In terms of computer engineering, you can check out a bunch of free online resources to help you get started with learning to code. Places like Codecademy and FreeCodeCamp.org are great sites where you can get experience in learning common programming technologies like HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
I always recommend these two places for people who are just starting, because it gives you a little taste of what kinds of concepts you'll be learning on your journey into computer engineering. (Plus it's free -- all you need is an internet connection and you can create an account).
Also, another piece of advice I'd give to someone who's just 'starting out', would be to find motivation. This could come from reading inspirational books, or by finding your favorite motivational speaker, and following their work. Having the right mindset is such a critical part in any career or educational journey, and these motivational speakers are available to influence you and help you adopt the right mentality.
Best of luck and keep asking questions as you progress.
We all believe in you!
In terms of computer engineering, you can check out a bunch of free online resources to help you get started with learning to code. Places like Codecademy and FreeCodeCamp.org are great sites where you can get experience in learning common programming technologies like HTML, CSS, and Javascript.
I always recommend these two places for people who are just starting, because it gives you a little taste of what kinds of concepts you'll be learning on your journey into computer engineering. (Plus it's free -- all you need is an internet connection and you can create an account).
Also, another piece of advice I'd give to someone who's just 'starting out', would be to find motivation. This could come from reading inspirational books, or by finding your favorite motivational speaker, and following their work. Having the right mindset is such a critical part in any career or educational journey, and these motivational speakers are available to influence you and help you adopt the right mentality.
Best of luck and keep asking questions as you progress.
We all believe in you!
I appreciate the advice Randy!
Christopher