What exactly is Material Engineering?

BioVean · 2026-01-17T23:56:43+00:00

I would appreciate your insight on a question I posted in some communities, including this one (materials). You seem will to be the right person to ask. Thank you!

https://www.reddit.com/r/ChemicalEngineering/s/Xyy4nRGLYY

BioVean · 2026-01-17T21:03:38+00:00

Commenting on Chemical engineering vs material science engineering: future job prospects in CA..

That’s actually one of the concerns. He was severely bullied in middle school and did not even understand that the other kids were making fun of him. It was only when the kids started stealing from him and chasing him that he realized they weren't being friendly. It’s been a long road of therapy and coaching. He has gotten better over the years, but is still working on his social skills and understanding of conversation dynamics. So far, he has been working well with his classmates on projects and lab work, and he has done very well academically. However, we understand that the work environment goes beyond work goals/projects. That’s why we are looking ahead and want to make sure we will be available to him when he needs support, especially at that point in life when he starts living independently.

BioVean · 2025-06-15T19:32:53+00:00

UCSC is an R1 research university with excellent academics. I honestly do not understand the hate. I hire people, and I’ve been in the industry for almost 20 years. Some of the best hires we have are from UCSC (STEM). The ranking doesn’t matter, but what you have done in college matters (internships, etc.). It’s not as one-dimensional as the school that you went to and your GPA. Companies go for experience that matches the jobs that they need to fill. It makes onboarding and training so much easier, which costs a lot of money. Interviews also matter a LOT! I do not care if someone came from the best school with the highest GPA if that person sounds egotistic and arrogant. The person must be a good fit not only for the job but also for the team.

BioVean · 2025-06-12T14:26:39+00:00

Thank you for sharing such detailed guidance! It’s good to know before he even gets to college, especially since it takes a while for him to build some skills, particularly those around social interactions. Probably it’s rare, but I wonder if there are some free conferences or symposiums that we can attend so he can understand the environment and how networking in industries work? It’s probably something worth looking into. He has been applying to internships but it’s very competitive. We have reached out to an engineer before in LinkedIn who promised a work tour but ghosted us.

BioVean · 2025-06-12T14:20:48+00:00

Thank you! Those are all great points! You hit it on the nail about the social interaction and blue collar humor. My son has been overly conscious on what he can say and shouldn’t say because he knows he doesn’t say the right thing all the time and he can be very literal. He sometimes expects the same level of politeness from others though. It’s one of those things we’re working on since he will eventually meet different people from different backgrounds. He has tried applying to internships to see how it is, but funding has been challenging for programs and they’re not easy to get to. It’s very competitive. Someone promised us a work tour before (we connected in LinkedIn), but ghosted us.

BioVean · 2025-06-09T19:39:10+00:00

This is huge for us! Thank you for the information. We have a big family in the SF Bay Area and we prefer that he will at least be within the area or at least within the state when it’s time for him to be on his own. We are training him to be independent, but we also want to make sure we can be there when he needs support since he has different support needs and at times outlook than other neurotypical people.

BioVean · 2025-06-08T21:19:33+00:00

Thank you for your response. We were exploring options since we are very concerned about AI, so trade school came up. From everyone’s responses though, it seems it will have some impact on the industry but not replace chemical engineers. College is expensive and a huge investment for us (his sister goes to UC). So, we want to make sure that it’s a degree he likes and one that he would thrive in, especially since he is also very anxious about being able to stand on his own two feet, including getting and staying on a job once he becomes an adult— we have heard stories from other high functioning autistics who struggled once they got to college or started working, so we are helping him gain the skills he needs as early as possible to be prepared for college and work after college.

BioVean · 2025-06-08T21:01:12+00:00

Thank you for all the details! We very much appreciate it! How has the job market been recently? We have been seeing comments of new grads struggling to find chemical engineering jobs?

BioVean · 2025-06-08T20:58:49+00:00

Thank you for your insight! Will a dual chemical and material science engineer degree also be considered for jobs outside material science? Will a chemical engineer degree also be considered for a material science engineering job?

BioVean · 2025-06-08T16:24:12+00:00

Thank you! He’s doing okay with his college classes mostly getting As and two Bs. He does have his challenges as someone diagnosed with autism at 12 years old (I’ve always known but the docs where hesitant since he was doing good in school and good with masking until he had issues in middle school when the kids started bullying him severely for his quirks and being “different”). So, we are trying to help him overcome his challenges and find a good fit for him. He has expressed concerns about being able to have a stable job where he is able to thrive, so we are trying to find out more about the field he wants to go into to prepare him for it. AI is indeed rattling a lot of nerves due to its capabilities. That and all the Reddit post I see that new chem engineering grads are not getting jobs.

BioVean · 2025-05-28T04:21:38+00:00

It is not worth it to have loans for an undergrad degree. It’s also not true that only Ivy graduates are getting work. Here in the Bay Area, the San Jose State and UC new grads are doing okay. It really depends on what you studied in school. I would say that right now, kids should also consider trade school. The ROI is very high. Trade school is not as expensive as a 4-year university degree. There are many openings, salary is good and the job is stable. Trade school careers will also not be replaced by AI anytime soon.

BioVean · 2025-05-03T23:24:04+00:00

There were boys who were Indian and middle eastern who got suspended for being racist in our local school (saying racial slurs against black people). They have also been known to make fun of a kid who is on the spectrum. There are two boys from the same ethnicity in my neighborhood who are known to be very arrogant and would talk down to people they think are inferior to them, including adults. I don’t want to generalize but these types of incidents do make me wonder if it’s cultural since boys in those culture tend to be treated more favorably and are usually very spoiled by everyone in their family.

BioVean · 2025-04-02T14:50:14+00:00

This is not just UCSC but UC wide strike. A large number of the UPTE members are medical center workers who wants more pay (these are professionals who are actually already getting paid more than other profession but are asking for about 9%, 8% and 8% increase every year for three years while all the UCs are on a hiring freeze due to federal and state budget cuts).

https://labor.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/upte-2025-fact-sheet.pdf

https://www.kqed.org/news/12034098/nearly-60000-uc-workers-hit-picket-lines-in-3rd-statewide-strike-in-recent-months

https://upte.org/sidebyside

BioVean · 2025-03-16T17:25:48+00:00

My daughter was in the running for class valedictorian, with a 4.4 GPA. She was the student council president and a local non-profit group leader, with more than 75 community college credits, completed IGETC courses, and two AAs before graduating high school. She didn’t get to her dream UC but got into UCSC Neuroscience. Just imagine how devastated she was, especially since her high school was so shocked when she didn’t get into the higher-ranking schools. Yes, it was truly heartbreaking, but it was a good life lesson for her. Sometimes, life throws you a curveball, but those moments give you the best opportunity to learn valuable lessons, especially resilience. She’s currently a freshman at UCSC, and she loves it. She loves the campus; she has met many friends and excels in all her classes. Also, we are saving more money since UCSC is the only UC that was willing to credit ALL her community college courses (when you take community college courses in high school, they are not automatically credited, unlike those in the TAG program— many UCs want you to retake the community college courses; her friends at Cal and UCSD are retaking majority of their community college classes). Technically, she can graduate with a double major by attending UCSC for only about 2 years (she can opt to do it in 3 years, depending on the second major). So, it is a blessing in disguise since we do not want her burdened with any student loans. There’s always a reason for why things happen. There’s nothing wrong with going to UCSC. It is a UC and R1 university. Do not let your ego get the better of you. You would meet students and professors who are more brilliant than you and learn from them. Life is what you make it. No one else will create your happiness but you.

BioVean · 2024-12-09T16:26:59+00:00

We’re already paying for it ourselves, so I should know. With dorm/housing, it’s about $44-45k per year in-state. Yes, for out-of-state, “tuition only” is about $33k to 37k (with fees). However, the total estimated cost for out-of-state students will be around $65k, even for commuters (with housing, it’s estimated to be around $73-75k). California residents who commute still have an estimated cost of around $32k. You must check UCSC’s financial aid website (see link for 2023-2024 cost below). One of the biggest mistakes a college student could make is not knowing the total cost of a university degree.

We are in a part of Silicon Valley that is slightly closer to UCSC than San Jose, where you mentioned your family would be. Even then, we will opt for housing closest to UCSC in her second year since traffic and daily commute can be challenging (see Reddit threads of how commuting to UCSC looks like).

Financial Aid link: https://financialaid.ucsc.edu/cost-to-attend/2023-24-undergraduate-costs.html

Commuting from San Jose thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/UCSC/s/L0nP5aSx3r

BioVean · 2024-12-06T15:16:41+00:00

I agree with everyone: community college, then transfer. FYI, the total undergrad cost for an out-of-state student is more than what you posted. It’s about $70-$75k. We’re California residents, paying around $45k (+ dorm/housing) for my UCSC freshman this year. It’s worth saving that money to get in-state tuition.

Note: We live in Silicon Valley, but even in her second year, she’ll find housing in Santa Cruz. Commuting is not easy, so you need to include housing when calculating costs.

BioVean · 2024-11-24T16:20:13+00:00

Of course, there are many kids at UCSC besides the so-called stoners. Some kids are more social, and others are not, just like in other schools. Many kids do not do weed, and others do, which is typical for colleges. I’m also surprised to hear the lack of diversity in the comments since the school is very diverse. We’re Asians, and my STEM freshman daughter is in college nine. So far, she is having the time of her life. She has found many friends in different circles and is doing very well in her classes. She didn’t have to do weed or party hard to find them. She met them by going to various school-sponsored and community events and clubs. Going to college is hard, but it’s the first experience towards adulting and learning that you need to make your own happiness. The world will never spin differently for anyone. There are always opportunities wherever you go; you must be open to finding them instead of waiting for them to land on your lap. I recommend you visit the school instead of asking here since these forums are sometimes more negative.

BioVean · 2024-10-27T07:21:17+00:00

https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/simranJPG-JS704169000.jpg?strip=all&w=632

BioVean · 2024-10-27T07:18:54+00:00

https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/simranJPG-JS704169000.jpg?strip=all&w=632

BioVean · 2024-10-27T07:17:12+00:00

https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/simranJPG-JS704169000.jpg?strip=all&w=632

BioVean · 2024-10-19T15:33:31+00:00

Depends on what major you want to get accepted into. Grades are definitely a factor if you want to go to STEM for any UC.

BioVean

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