Hi Da'Keisha. It's great to hear that you're finding a passion for something, and I'm definitely a cheerleader for women pursuing computers and engineering! The exciting news is that computer-oriented fields are growing more and more interdisciplinary every day. Architects of course are becoming increasingly dependent on specialized software tools as they design and build models (and someone needs to make them!). Though computer science/engineering and architecture rely on different skill sets and serve different purposes, both require a good deal of creativity and thoughtful planning as you use your knowledge of problem constraints, design requirements, and esthetic considerations and apply your knowledge to unsolved problems! The truth of course is that while it's theoretically possible to specialize in both areas, most likely you'll eventually have to choose one direction to really focus on. Studying computers involves thorough study of math, patterns, and the exciting complexities of storing and extracting information to solve new problems at lightening speeds...and with heavy courseloads. My architecture friends at CMU spent long hours into the night drafting and building models in their studios, and math (while important) was more practicality than science. Specializing in one does not mean ignoring the other though -- learning to combine two seemingly different fields opens opportunities (and makes you uniquely qualified for them!) and allows you to see creative solutions that others may not think of. When I was a music major and engineering student, I considered combining the two through acoustic engineering, sound recording, or even concert hall design (it's amazing the types of musical considerations needed in deciding the material and texture of the ceiling design, or the slope of the mezzanine seating!), and eventually found a path that interested me. I would recommend that you brainstorm what types of problems a computer whiz-architect might try to solve and go from there, perhaps talking to your school guidance counselor or faculty in both fields at prospective universities. In the meantime, keep studying math, keep asking questions about how things work, and keep loving what you do! Cheers, and good luck. -Erin

Hi Angela! Congratulations on all your achievements! As a former double major in music and engineering, I can tell you that it's not impossible... but it's pretty close! There are indeed some fields where you can try to combine engineering and music, such as audio engineering or architectural sound design (designing concert halls, etc.), or you can even try my field of speech recognition where if not music you can at least try to integrate acoustic features with information technology. I think in the end though, the real question here may be: can you still let music be a priority if you study engineering and NOT music? And the answer is, of course! In fact, often it can be easier! Most likely what you really plan for the future is not in reality to be at Google by day and the San Francisco Symphony at night. I found that I spread myself so thin trying to get adequate practice while keeping up with problem sets that I no longer found playing as relaxing and enjoyable as I once had. Once I made the decision to focus on engineering and reduce music to a minor, I felt I was able to be a better engineer and though I played less, found music to again be the enjoyable release it used to be. Without a formal program you do have to be more proactive to find time to practice and ensembles to play with, etc., but you may be surprised at all the options you find. And of course, when life gets really busy, I can't think of a better way to relax than to take a night off and enjoy a performance by the professionals!

There are a lot of different areas of robotics (controls, mechanical design, dynamics, stability, motion planning, etc.). Find what you're interested in and take courses in it is the best place to start. There are several paths in robotics: mechanical design where lots hands-on projects and a portfolio helps; theory/algorithms where getting a masters/phd is helpful, also human-robot interaction where running user studies and statistics play a huge part. My advice is to do project-based work like a senior capstone and take as many robotics courses as you can. Also building robots with motors, sensors, and actuators for fun will also give you hands on design experience. Stop by a machine shop and get certified to use the equipment. That being said, I've known people who go to work after their bachelors (generally had an internship at the company or had done research as undergrads). I personally worked in underwater robots as an undergrad and had broad exposure to going on dives, data collection, and small projects. Then I did a senior design project building a teleoperated robotic arm with force feedback. I'd taken mechatronics and loved building things. A bachelor's would have been enough to get a job at a robotics company, however, I wanted to get into design and gain a more solid foundation. Robotics is a specialized field with a lot of math and theory behind it. I would strongly advocate a masters. It gives you more exposure, more training and projects, and will enable you to ask for a higher salary. If you're interested in working in a research lab or becoming faculty, go for the PhD. Most companies who specialize in robotics are heavily focused on design and product development and have more of a mechanical engineering background. This response was contributed by Dr. Fitzgerald's friend Ms. Carol E. Reiley, PhD Candidate, Computer Science, Johns Hopkins University.

Hi Rachael! It's always fun to talk to others who have both an analytical and an artistic side... and it's amazing sometimes to see how many of us there are! Careers that explicitly combine engineering and music are more difficult to find, but they're out there if you look for them. When I was in high school searching for a potential future career (and a possible major for college), I focused on ways to combine technology and music, which led me to investigate sound and recording engineering and other opportunities working with acoustics (mainly in mechanical and electrical engineering disciplines). I encourage you to consider universities which have strengths in both areas, even if you don't pursue them both in the end, and when you visit talk to faculty in both areas about how they envision the fields intersecting. In the end I took a slightly different career route (emphasizing sound and language engineering but not music), but I still believe that my background gives me a multidisciplinary perspective on the engineering problems I tackle and helps me to be creative in my approach. Regardless of the career decisions you make in the future, I encourage you to keep up with your music through whatever you do! Erin

Hi Elsa. In electrical engineering, as for I'd assume all engineering fields, one of the best ways to get your foot in the door is through your university Career Center. As you consider what college might be best for you, I would ask questions of staff and students there to find out whether there are well-attended technical job fairs during the year for students, and how many students get internships during the summer. For strong technical schools, many competitive companies interview for entry level jobs directly through the university. In my own experience, three-month summer internships are not only valuable resume builders (and wallet stuffers!), but they allow you the rare chance to try a job you might like and see if it's something you want to continue with in the future. My first internship after my freshman year of college took a lot of work to get (as I still had no real experience) and mainly involved menial technical tasks, but finding the second and third gets easier and easier as you build contacts, learn how to ask the right questions, and of course learn real world skills that employers appreciate! A sidenote: internships are a great way to experience living briefly in a completely new place as well! (My internships were in NC, OR, and Seattle.) When you're done with school and looking for jobs, chances are that your opportunities will be all over, and it's valuable to know your regional preferences (I found I love the Pacific Northwest, for example!) and what it's like to live and work somewhere new. Hope that helps! -Erin