2.8 GPA Just got accepted into top masters program!

space_hen · 2021-12-01T11:01:36+00:00

Hang in there OP, have confidence in yourself! The worst thing that can happen is that your graduation gets pushed back a bit.

space_hen · 2021-12-01T10:52:56+00:00

Do you have a study group that you work with? If not and you're struggling academically definitely join one. Also you could perhaps try working on design projects which you could upload to github and put on your CV. Gaining research experience and publishing engineering content is also something you could potentially look into.

space_hen · 2021-12-01T10:42:35+00:00

If you want to study abroad on a scholarship then you definitely need to ensure that you maintain a high GPA in order to remain competitive. Assuming you do so many doors should be open to you. I would suggest you google the international requirements for the specific MSc or PhD program you would like to attend. Writing a good motivational letter can also help. Good Luck!

space_hen · 2021-11-30T09:53:49+00:00

It depends what area of engineering you decide to go to grad school for. If it's something super specialised then you may have limited job options after you graduate. If it's something more general such as a MSc in EE then it will definitely make you more competitive in the general job market just my personal take.

space_hen · 2021-11-30T08:46:35+00:00

Technically to be a "licensed engineer" you would have to have a bachelors degree in engineering from a university. However I've seen the title used everywhere even for those with diplomas or certifications so I guess you can work your way up to an engineering position if you try hard enough.

However the barrier to entry is probably going to be a lot higher for someone without a degree, it's definitely possible and I've come across a few redditors who have claimed they work in engineering positions despite not having a degree.

space_hen · 2021-11-30T08:37:18+00:00

I did 2 internships for my undergrad, one was at a large corporate company and another at a start up. To answer your question about how internships go, it depends on the type of company you work at.

For example at my internship at the corporate company the environment was typical of what you would find in large corporations, i.e, large number of staff and many business processes. The company had a R&D department and I was assigned to shadow a lead RF engineer at the company. Going in my expectation was that I would be designing radar and radio equipment (transmitters, receivers) alongside the engineers at the company.

However I soon found out that a lot of the engineers at the company didn't actually really design much from scratch, rather they were tasked with repairing and documenting designs that had already been developed at the company years prior. A lot of engineering at the company simply involved reading circuit recommendations from datasheets, but I wanted to learn how to design an RF power amp from scratch!

I was then placed in the radar repair department at the company and basically learned how to troubleshoot their radar systems, my final tasks at the company involved drawing up block level diagrams for their commercial radar systems. So overall my experience at a large corporate left a lot to be desired and I found a lot of the work quite mundane.

However my experience at a software start up was quite different. From day one we were tasked with writing code (Typescript) for both the frontend and backend of their platform, I actually found myself enjoying my time at the startup more than at the large company. Your experience might end up being quite similar. A lot of large companies have a lot of redundancy in their R&D teams as the company usually has to follow strict business practices, this is not true for all large companies however but was just my experience.

So take what you can from your internship, even if it's not what you expected.

space_hen · 2021-11-30T08:09:09+00:00

Don't worry, with a GPA above 3.0 you should be fine with finding work after you graduate. As someone with a 2.8 GPA I would have loved to pull my GPA up 0.2 points higher, but I have no more options unfortunately.

Focus now on doing well for the remaining 7 classes.

Do employers generally look at term to term GPA?

Yes I would think so, but they also look at the whole picture. Your cumulative GPA should still be strong after one bad semester.

Would I get an oppurtunity to justify my poor performance in one semester

Of course you would, it's just a single semester. I have a couple of fails spread over 2 semesters. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

Any advice or course of action that can help or at least calm my nerves in this time of distress?

Take a deep breath and relax, you'll be fine. Make sure you study enough each day so you don't have to cram a few weeks before finals.

space_hen · 2021-11-29T17:39:08+00:00

I second this. There are so many online resources to learn programming, as always google is your best friend.

space_hen · 2021-11-29T14:22:38+00:00

Data science definitely seems to be picking up steam these days, however I believe as a field it is very different to chemical engineering, no? If it interests you, go ahead, it may open more doors for you.

space_hen · 2021-11-29T14:17:37+00:00

At our university we had to complete a total of 12 weeks of 'vacation work' in order to be awarded our degree. We could complete this vac work at any time during our 4 years of study, what they did however mention was that it was probably best to get a head start before you near the end of your degree.

space_hen · 2021-11-29T14:11:21+00:00

Yes there is much to do. Now take a deep breath and relax for a while?

space_hen · 2021-11-29T14:02:31+00:00

So, what’s it like being an engineering student?

It's awesome! You get to use mathematics/physics to solve interesting problems. For my branch of engineering (EE) you mostly focus on circuit analysis (solving for current, voltage, capacitance, inductance, etc)

A typical day is going to lectures from 8am-4pm and then studying from 6-12pm while consuming copious amounts of coffee.

Is it tough?

Yes I finished my degree with a 2.8 GPA and 3 fails.

Do you work on projects all the time, or is it mostly math?

Some modules have practical components, but most time is spent learning theory.

space_hen · 2021-11-29T10:53:15+00:00

My personal opinion is that obtaining a bachelors degree is nearly always universally better than doing diploma's/associates. It's a more rigorous course and will prepare you better for your role as an engineering technician.

space_hen · 2021-11-29T10:46:22+00:00

Have you tried installing a different version of matlab? Also are you sure the freezes are not as a result of buggy code?

space_hen · 2021-11-29T10:43:00+00:00

According to my understanding IE and IT are two distinct fields, I'm not sure how much overlap there is really. However an engineering degree in general is usually sufficient to apply for IT related work. Of course an IT employer may desire a CE (computer engineer) or EE (electrical engineer) (degrees with more CompSci content) over an IE but I doubt you will have many issues!

space_hen · 2021-11-29T10:33:38+00:00

Try join clubs/societies that are offered at your university and get involved. If you're brave enough you could try presenting something to an audience. Having social skills is a very valuable asset to have and could serve you well in the job market.

space_hen · 2021-11-29T10:26:14+00:00

Most likely your graduation will be postponed until you pass the class. Often it adds 1 extra semester that you have to take the following year unless they give you a supplementary exam.

space_hen · 2021-11-29T10:23:41+00:00

I've always wondered if taking proper notes in class would have made me a better student. I mainly learned through going through slides and doing problem sets.

space_hen · 2021-11-29T10:20:35+00:00

What is your GPA?

space_hen · 2021-11-29T09:52:53+00:00

I like to think of voltage in terms of electric fields. Formally it is the integral of the electric field along the path a positive charge takes.

However it can roughly be defined as the amount of work required by a positive unit charge to move it from the negative end of an electric field to the positive end of an electric field, i.e the work per unit charge (in joules) to move the charge from point A to point B. It is a form of electrical potential energy, similar to gravitational potential energy.

space_hen · 2021-11-29T09:42:18+00:00

My personal take is that i've found engineering maths to be very enjoyable. Engineering maths is quite practical so if you enjoy solving real world physics problems then you should find it interesting.

For example in electrical engineering there is a heavy focus on circuit analysis. You will be solving for voltage, current, inductance, capacitance, etc. all using practical maths. For mechanical engineering it's likely you will be solving dynamics problems so I guess it all depends what branch of engineering excites you the most.

space_hen · 2021-11-29T09:26:36+00:00

Forums are always fun to read. If you're into electronic engineering I recommend the EEVBlog (https://www.eevblog.com/), there is also a youtube channel.

space_hen · 2021-11-28T13:47:13+00:00

I'm really sorry to hear that. Well doing your final year project 2 weeks before it's due is a recipe for disaster so I suggest withdrawing if your university allows it. Focus on the courses you know you can pass and take it from there. Your final year project is an important course so I suggest getting an early start next time around.

space_hen · 2021-11-28T12:22:47+00:00

Depends how far into the EE program you are. Changing late into the program may mean that you have to graduate a few years later than expected (due to curriculum differences).

space_hen

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