first year student needs advice
 

hey all
i'm looking for advice from some older ones with more experience. i love cars, driving cars(hard), modifying cars and just being around them. I love computers too, but i'm not too excited about a job where i'm behind a desk all day everyday. i'd rather be a grease monkey turning wrenches, but i wouldn't want to depend on that for a living. i have no idea what i want to do as a career but i know i will involve cars in it someway and i will definitely need a decent salary to support my ludicrous spending habits. i've had dreams of working for STI/Nismo/TRD in japan or starting up a rad tuning garage to eventually become famous like Titan Motorsports/AMS/Crawford/Cosworth etc. excuse me if these sound like pipe dreams, im still young..

i'm currently a first year student at university of victoria for computer science and i'm wondering what are the kinds of things employers in this field look for? what kind of work/coop experience should i aim for? bachelors? masters? or am I even in the right program for what i want? haha... #firstyearuniproblems

First of all, communication skills are very important no matter what you plan to do.
On the left side of your keyboard is a key marked "shift". This will allow you to make the first letter of each sentence a Capital.
I do apologize for the heavy sarcasm but if you allow bad habits to develop, even when posting on a forum, then they will continue through the rest of your work.

Interested in or have an aptitude for engineering?

Engineering degree is super useful in almost any field, but especially when it comes to working for car companies.

/\ Good advice. Seriously.

I'm currently sitting in a university library (Acadia) studying for a German test. I'm in my fourth year and I'm older than most students. Best advice I can give? Don't stress about what you'll do someday. You'll likely do ten different things before you get where you want to be and those ten jobs will help you determine what it is you like doing. What you think you want to do might be accurate, but it probably isn't.

I won't be going any further in my formal education than a double major bachelors. After working in the field for 5 years (automotive) and done a 4 year formal program, I've decided more school isn't for me. I got more out of just working/living than spending 40 grand on education. The only thing I've gained from my education is perspective, which all things considered is very important, but not necessary. I'd like to think I'm a little more wise than I was 5 years ago, but I'm a lot more broke and would have learned a lot doing what I was before anyway. There is no "right" order or way to go through life. The most important thing is enjoying it. (Hence why I have a FR-S and wen't balls deep into autocross/motorsport. It is fun. "YOLO" lol...

Enjoy your youth. Don't rack up a lot of debt. Learn some things. Don't "waste" time spending all day every day playing video games. What you should be doing is learning about yourself. What are your strengths? Stick with those.

Random, but that's my advice.

This thread is full of great stuff. All I can really add what's already written is that in many cases you're not really going to know what you want to until you try it.


There are some things that I like to keep as a hobby, because I want to be able to enjoy them without relying on them for income or when under the pressure of a job. I'm currently studying Mechanical Engineering a few hours north of where Thorpedo is. I've got 4 months of my degree left and then I'm headed to work in oil and gas.


I never thought that was the path I would take when I started engineering, but I had a few co-op jobs that helped me to see that I was good at things that I didn't expect to be, and for the employer that I'm returning to when I finish, going back there was equally about the people I get to work with everyday as it is about the work.


It's impossible to plan all this stuff out, so the best advice I can give is that you need to take any opportunities you can. If you can, do co-op. You never know where things can lead. Right now my senior design project is designing a pneumatic shift system for our FSAE car. It's the most hands on work I've ever done in school and I'm really enjoying it.

College is a great time to explore and basically discover yourself. Find out what you enjoy doing and whether or not you could do that every day. As others have stated, any engineering degree is extremely versatile. Just know that things you enjoy as hobbies may not necessarily translate into something you'd enjoy working on as a career. If they do then more power to you.

Mechanical/aerospace engineer.

Or computer science and just enjoy cars in your spare time.

Take it from someone who dropped out. STAY IN SCHOOL! Life is gets so much easier with that piece of paper framed on the wall. Learn as much as you can, and enjoy the ride. Best of luck.

Sent from my LG-P769 using Tapatalk

^^^^ This. Especially in Canada right now. I work at a tier one automotive parts manufacturer (soon to be #1 in the world) and we are almost always looking for product and/or manufacturing engineers. In fact both my plants are currently looking and not having great luck as the available, skilled people, interested in entry level positions seem too be in short supply.
Now, the market could change dramatically by the time you are done school but that is the chance you take when starting down any career path.
Keep in mind, that many of us on the tail end of the "baby boom" generation will be headed for retirement in the next 5 to 10 years so advancement opportunities should increase.

I'm doing something completely outside my field of study. I'm in promotions for a major South East grocery store chain instead of criminal justice with which I have a 4 year degree in. I say just study in college as close to the subject you'd like to be in after graduation...just make sure graduation is top priority. I found that what I actually enjoyed, majoring in was too difficult for me so I just did criminal justice because any idiot can do it. Opportunities will arise regardless of what you study as long as you have that 4yr+ paper on your wall.

Working a drafty mech bay in the middle of winter and trying to adhere to a strict time limit will get old really fast.

Use the opportunity at school to sample as wide a variety of experience you can. That's what it's there for.

Code monkeys in the cubes are treated as a commodity in the computing industry.
The ones being promoted are those that can co-ordinate content management systems, code forks and block points.
Their bosses rarely even touch a computer for anything other than email. Project management, requirement specification and time management are the most useful skills at that level.
Those sorts of things will be more widely valued in nearly any organization.
(and are the ones who go on junkets outside the gates)

There's an old saying "if you love what you do you'll never work a day of your life". Now with that being said, sometimes it is smarter to let your profession fund your hobby(s). I agree with the engineering sentiments, they, just like doctors and nurses, will always be needed. If I had to do it all over again, I would get an engineering degree.

Keep in mind, that graduating is the first priority. It got me to where I always wanted to be. Now I am thinking about going back and getting another degree, most likely a masters, because it will open up more doors.

My last piece of advice. Your character will dictate what you do and don't do in life. If you have determination, perseverance and discipline with a solid work ethic and the ability to get along with others (people/comminication skills) the world is pretty much yours. If you're the negative type, easily defeated etc then beware. Don't be afraid of failure though, often it takes failure to gain experience. Experience makes up for a lot of things.

Study, fuck bitches and get as many project cars as you can.

Welcome to college.

Ditto for everything already well stated in this thread. What an amazing group of people you all are!

My dad was a mechanical engineer. One typical day while both of us were under one of our cars he stopped, looked at me, and said in all seriousness with his thick Hungarian accent, "Whatever you do, never ever become a grease monkey."

I say this with the greatest respect for mechanics. It's a super tough, unforgiving, under-appreciated career. I'm forever thankful for my dad's advice.

Keep wrenching as a hobby. As a mechanical engineer myself, I've been lucky enough to divide my time between the machine shop and the computer. Those are rare gigs and even then, you will never escape the drudgery of paperwork.

The world is mathematics. You don't have to be great at it, just do your best to appreciate its value and be competent.

Don't sell your textbooks.

I started a thread a while back in this sub forum labeled engineering school, might want to look at it.

Yeah, we all piled on pretty hard. :D How's school going for you?

Well i have to retake physics (or talk to the head of the physics department to get my teacher under some fire, longggg story). Calculus is...easier then physics. And thats saying something lol

I had to take calc II twice. Don't let it get to you. Second time was a charm for me. It all clicked.

Physics is dirty math. Engineering is dirty physics.

Im required to go through calc 2, but i figured if i go through calc 4 (multivariable calc with calculus in CAD training apparently?) then itll make things easier.

Don't underestimate the value of your advisor & watch out for those prerequisites. Eye on the prize & best wishes!

How is the chicks in the campus? When achieve remission of my disease i will try
to go too.

Most of 'em are on the other side of campus taking liberal arts classes.

SO many people end up doing something entirely outside of their major, it's almost like the point of college these days is just to prove that you are responsible enough to actually finish the damned thing.

I'm two years out of college, I have a Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering, with a minor in Mathematics...
...and guess what I'm not doing? Aerospace, engineering, or math! I happened upon a job that was more interesting, and is actually making me more money than I likely would be making at an intro job in any of the above fields.

So in my mind, I'm now many tens of thousands of dollars in debt for "no reason." You'll find your way into what you want to do no matter what your degree is in if you try hard enough :)

Engineer. Next question?

My suggestion would be a general "Mechanical Engineering" degree. It allows you plenty of flexibility down the road. You do something more specific, like Aerospace, as was my case, and you end up with a highly specialized edumacation which doesn't translate very well to a lot of engineering fields.

At the end of the day its not about what it says on your degree that matters, its how you present what it says. I highly recommend getting involved (even as a volunteer) with workplaces you strive to be a part of. As a third year student I've met people with a vast array of major combinations that want to be part of the automotive industry, what makes some successful and some not is their experience, look for volunteer/paid jobs that are part of the automotive industry.
Just as an example I have a friend who majored in psychology and sociology, he now works with a marketing consulting company that works with some big name auto manufactures, he started out doing general stuff but his employers realized that cars were his passion and now he solely works with two big name german companies, not only does he love his job, he also has quite a bit of money when he gets home.
What I'm basically trying to say reflects my first statement, its not the major that you choose, its what you decide to do with your major that counts.

I know that the predominant demographic here is what would be classed as professionals (engineers, It specialists, mid management, etc) all of which generally require a higher education so my next comment may not be well received but hear me out...
Although a college education at any level can certainly be great there is something to be said for a technical trade as well. I have no idea what the wages in the US are but here a Master Tech, Senior Millwright or Industrial Electrician can almost walk into any place and have a job. I know some techs that earn more money then most of the engineers working in the same plant. Now combine some well selected college with some advanced technical training and your chances of breaking into the auto industry can increase at least a little. I know engineers can sometimes look down on the tech crowd (don't deny it guys I work with it every day) by having training in both disciplines you can open many doors. As the OP did state he would like to have his hands dirty this may be a viable option.
Now once you are into the field you can take some business courses that can provide you with the stepping stones to a management position (if so inclined) or other such advancement options.
I know this system can work as I dropped out of high school and joined the army at 17 and when I got out at 22 had no plans and no real future. Eventually I went this route and today I get to tell the engineers what they can and can not do. This not an easy task I assure you but since I sign off on their project funding I always win.
At least you are young enough to change your mind without to much hassle.

I agree! Many times, tech school is overlooked and it shouldn't be. I know electricians and plumbers making way more than some of our Senior IT people.
As a side note, everyone thinks "IT" is programming. There are many disciplines that use no programming or lite scripting in their day to day. I graduated with a computer programming degree and realized that I liked coding, but if I did it day in an day out in a cube, it was going to get old real fast.

I changed disciplines a few times and eventually ended up in Networking. Now I work on a team of 4 that bring internet/network connectivity to almost 20k people (university students and staff). I LOVE this work! I don't sit in a cube all day, I problem solve, I can work remotely, and my time is often my own to schedule.
All I'm saying is - fully explore any field you are interested in. Don't just rely on books, the internet, or (heaven forbid) what your professors tell you a field is like. They are often VERY wrong. Ask people who actually do the jobs.

Nothing wrong with having higher education though.

Health related sciences crew holla ... http://forums.clubrsx.com/images/smi...umbleweed1.gif

lol the further I go in my biochemistry/neuropharmacology program, the more I realize that I am not really contributing to 'health science' as much as I am contributing to corporate capitalism

Well see, I work with patients in a clinic, so I guess you could say my contribution is a lot more applied.

I could not do research/lab work to save my life. But that's just me!

You'd help develop the cures for cancer they said, you'd save lives they said… what they didn't say is that you would only develop cures for disease and saved lives if the drug therapy had a high profit margin… :sigh:

I wish I had done health science :respekt:

Go drive a Tesla and ponder whether you might find a career playing with cars *and* sitting behind a desk wrangling code. Pick up some physics and mechanical engineering on the side so you understand what you're writing for... Or perhaps find yourself at one of Elon Musk's other companies like, say, SpaceX writing control software.

I'd also take a long hard look at those spending habits. If they're what sit between you and your dream job, you have to weigh the fruits of the spend vs the joy of the job. That doesn't mean you give them up, but ... well, moderation and all.

I have a degree in Fine Art - went to a school that turned out particularly good car designers, with the thought I might pursue that as a career (I have friends that have done supremely well.) Instead, I write code officially, but spend a lot of my day in related work - whether it's engineering a new system to support evolving devices and product requirements, or crafting a more functional user experience, or walking the ropes gathering handshakes and votes (not literally, but an awful lot of my time is spent sharing visions and building confidence and support for change.)

C

http://i.imgur.com/c2nBF.gif
You are not only ignorant, but arrogant with your comments here. this is an informal car forum, not a resume.

Bingo. If you have the self discipline, this is a great field. A lot of interesting mechanical things you get to study and in the end, will have a career that can fund your passion for cars. It is working for me and many others for that.

You're young and free to switch gears anytime. Reality is a far cry from the brochure but there is great value in taking the tour. Regardless of the path you take in your formal education, serve your future employer to the best of your ability while keeping an eye out for the opportunity to follow your bliss.

Who do you work for? I was a project manager for Denso for 8 years before changing careers.

Well to be fair, it's hard to get funding for something that hasn't yielded results yet, ya know? Big pharmaceutical companies have to feed their kids too ;)

Jokes aside, being 3rd year in my program, going into a placement at the hospital next year, I'm glad I chose a career with direct contact with patients.
But again, that's just me. YMMV on a lot of things, especially life choices!

[QUOTE=m3bassman;2039688]
You are not only ignorant, but arrogant with your comments here. this is an informal car forum, not a resume.

QUOTE]
Yes, it is a car forum and as such not necessarily the place to be asking for advice in making life decisions in the first place.
As I pointed out sloppy, even an a forum can transfer to sloppy in real life.
I appreciate your candid feedback on my communication methods and bow to your obviously much greater wisdom and people skills. I will be sure to send all forthcoming comments to you for review and approval prior to posting.

Just so i am following, on this car forum, you are saying that grammar is of upmost importance and that asking questions to people that may have more life experience than their peers is not okay. got it.

Now i am well aware you are an old silverback and may still use a typewriter for when you need to type letters and send them. That's neat and all but today, we have things called computers! With word processors!! Instead of having to whiteout a mistake or start over, the word processor will correct spelling or grammar! It really is a beautiful thing. Also, you can send letters through computers, called email, and they correct spelling and grammar too!

In todays day and age, computers iron out the bad habits.

As for asking such questions on a car forum, lets put things in perspective. The kid is 18-19, almost done with his first semester and surrounded by his peers who are just as lost and clueless as he is. the off topic portion of a car forum is a great place to reach out to a huge demographic and hear various opinions from those who have been there and done that.

And i need you to refrain from having me screen your posts. Unfortunately, my peanut brain can only monitor one self absorbed asshole at a time. Me.

As for on topic:
OP, look at what your university offers in the way of a Mechanical Engineering degree.

Yep that sums everything up nicely.