Ta'Lisa- Recycling is an excellent way to start thinking about how environmental systems work. What you need to do at this point is just what you're doing: ask lots of questions! Perhaps you could ask to go check out your local recycling center and get a tour. Find out how they separate and sort all the things that people put in their recycling bins, and where they go after that. To actually practice science and engineering at school, you should ask your guidance counselor what extra technical classes your middle school offers. Many schools will allow you to take a technical drawing class or a computer design class instead of traditional art and drawing class. Also, high schools often have technology classes like robotics, or computer programming but many of students don't really even know about these programs. In these kind of classes, you can learn skills that will be helpful if you want to go to school for engineering or science. And don't be afraid by the number of boys in these kinds of classes! I was usually the only girl in technology classes in high school and it was still really fun for me, One last thing you can do is to get into any kind of ecology or nature groups in school. Environmental scientists and engineers need to know alot about ecological systems. If your school does not have a club like this, go to the local community center and find out if they do. Even just a gardening club will teach you some useful things about ecology. Good luck Ta'Lisa! Molly

Danielle, I know exactly how you're feeling about the stressful math. I will never forget my second semester of sophomore year in college when I took Differential Equations. For someone who always prided themselves on being good at math... I sure was no expert. It was my only bad grade throughout college, and certainly a low point in my college morale. But I dragged myself to office hours directly with the professor, and even though I never feel like I really grasped the subject, I got myself through the final (somehow), and moved on to the next math series, Linear Algebra, which made A LOT more sense to me. Stick with it. You'll get through the courses that really drag, and you'll fly through the ones that are interesting. This will actually give you some hints at what kind of job to, look for when you graduate. Lastly - please know that there are VERY few people in the world who actually use differential equations in their real job. As an environmental engineer, the hardest Math I've had to do on a daily basis is basic algebra, and maybe some statistics. Take care, good luck Molly Lebowitz

Swati, You are in an excellent position to be wondering the things you are wondering right now. Thanks for writing. Ironically, I was in a very similar position when I was a student - initially studied biology... and then found myself in Engineering, specifically environmental engineering. My 2nd year, I, too, felt very bogged down with all the technical general engineering coursework. Not necessarily because it was too difficult, but because I couldn't picture myself actually using any of that in my real life. It didn't relate to what I was truly interested in or passionate about. Keep in mind that your undergraduate degree is kind of like your starting point. It does not at all dictate what you will do - it simply is a statement about what kind of working mind you have. What is going to differentiate you, and capture all of the ideas and subjects that you are genuiniely interested in, is the extra activities and jobs that you do. My advice is to continue with engineering. You are clearly a natural problem solver, and you can think of your diploma as proof to the world that you are a good problem solver. That's kind of what any degree in engineering represents. What will get you into the field that you are interested in is the extra stuff- spring break internships, writing a column for the paper, working extra hours in a biology lab. Use your extra activities to DIVERSIFY what you're doing and flesh out your college experience into something that better represents YOU. Then, when you get out into the working world, you can point to all of that as the basis for your decision, even if it's a little different than what you studied. Keep in mind that you do not have to simply do what everyone else in your major does. If your school allows you to change what type of engineering you are studying, you might consider that as an option. Talk with other students in the Biological or Environmental Engineering departments and see if it sounds like something you might like to try. Chances are, you're taking all the same first and second year basic classes that they are so you could easily switch. However I don't think continuing with your current trajectory would hurt you in any way. You will have time to work in whatever field you choose and use the skills that you already have and you could learn to apply them in a really unique way! Good luck. Molly Lebowitz