How do I know what I'm good at?

Most of us face this question; personally, I did. There are several ways to try to find out which type of engineering fits you the best. One is attending an introductory engineering course where various types of engineering are introduced. I would suggest seeing what drives you and where you can find passion. A few other ways that I went about to settle with my major included shadowing professors, conducting research, and obtaining internships. I would also suggest joining student organizations, such as the Society of Women Engineers and others to expose you to the different types of engineering and mentorships. Through those, you can have access to mentors and a network that you can further explore the various fields of engineering.

I tried to get summer intern jobs engineering related. Although many of my jobs did not involve engineering, I was surrounded by engineers and had the opportunity to talk and have some coaching sessions. I found out the type of basic skills needed - and the next school semester I took electives related to those basic skills - like advanced math, logic, program management, shop classes - which helped me narrow down the field of engineering.

However when I started college, I took intro Electrical Engineering. It was after two classes that I started to look at civil engineering and architecture. When you get to college, try to get into an engineering class in your freshman year, it will help you determine if that is the right fit for you, and will have plenty of time to adjust before you hit your junior year.

Good luck - it is OK if you do not get it right the first time, start to experience the different engineering fields now and work to get internships or job visits with engineering companies so you get a hands-on look at the job.

There are many streams in Engineering and it is difficult to decide on the best fit. So I would suggest that you read up a bit about each stream, and as you read your mind will start firming up about your choice. Also, talk to people around you (if possible) to find out the intricacies of each stream - types of jobs available, pay scale, future of the industry, working hours, work life balance, stress involved, gender neutrality, industry culture, etc. As you read/ learn, you become aware and can make informed decisions.

To learn what type of engineering you might be good at, think about the different types of engineering and look for similar activities that you may be exposed to everyday. Do you like to craft, build things, or find you are someone who can easily fix things - perhaps Mechanical Engineering is the right area for you. Are you interested in the Space Program, flying, or rockets? - Aerospace Engineering. Are you interested in gaming or computers - Computer or software engineering. Etc. I find what you may be good at tends to align with what activities you find fun and interesting.

Figure it out in your college physics class. Do you like calculating forces in static? Civil or structural engineering might be good for you. Do you like calculating the forces of moving objects? Then mechanical engineering would be good. If you absolutely love chemistry, then chemical engineering. If you really enjoy circuits and electrical current? Electrical engineering. If you like water flow or fluid mechanics? Civil engineering or mechanical engineering would be a good fit. If you like all of that, but want to apply it to medicine and the human body? Then, biomedical engineering. Most undergraduate programs do not start major-specific classes until your junior year, so you typically don't need to pick until the end of your sophomore year of college.

The book Strengths Finder by Tom Rath includes access to a quiz that can help you figure out your strengths.

Based on my own experience and conversations with other female engineers, the general field of engineering can be identified based on STEM interest. However, picking a specific field can be based on what one likes or dislikes. For me, I really liked chemistry so I knew that chemical engineering was for me. I am 30 years removed from that decision, and I have never second guessed myself. I know other engineers, for example, who were unsure and encountered a subject that they didn't like such as Thermodynamics. It then ruled out all engineering fields based heavily in thermodynamics. Some engineers choose their fields based on specific interests like automotives, pharmaceuticals, or manufacturing. I think it is fine to adopt a meta-major and take a semester to clarify interests to find a specific field within engineering or choose to be interdisciplinary.

This is a great question! I would start by thinking about which subjects you enjoy the most. Different engineering disciplines require different base capabilities. If you can match what you enjoy with those base capabilities, it is likely you will enjoy your coursework and career in engineering. If possible, talk to engineers in the different disciplines and ask them which capabilities are most relevant. I am an industrial engineer and that coursework focused on making processes more efficient. This was a good fit for the way my brain worked. Engineering disciplines can be heavier in math or analytical thinking or design. What is most exciting for you?

Also, it would be great to know exactly what you wanted to do going into college but I think college is about figuring out what you want to do while you’re there. When I first went to college I was studying pre-law. This was not a good match for the things that my brain likes to do most. Switching to engineering was a great decision and I had never even considered it.

I think of the “best” engineering discipline for someone as the topic area that will keep them intellectually engaged and professionally happy throughout a career. It is often impossible to know your career destination by age 18, or even age 25. I chose to go into civil engineering because I knew that most CE work is in the best interest of the public at large, rather than for a business trying to maximize profits for shareholders and/or employee compensation. There are diverse fields within CE, and I waited until I was 21 years old before I latched onto transportation. Transportation seemed much broader to me than the other CE disciplines, and I figured it would keep my mind engaged for far longer than a relatively narrow field.

We do see a lot of students with BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and even Chemical or Aerospace Engineering shifting departments as they go for a graduate degree. A graduate degree (and/or work experience) is really where you will hone your discipline. I believe a Mechanical Engineering degree will keep many doors open for those who are not confident about which department is the best one to start in. And I believe many universities do not have students declare their major within engineering until after freshman year (though you may mention something in your application online). So that should be a relief!

You have many more years to really latch onto a discipline, within the vast field of engineering. And you can do this through work experience as well. A person’s full path is never known in advance. Coursework, conversations with practicing engineers, and summer work experiences will help you find your way!

The good thing about engineering is that most disciplines can be applied to most industries – don’t worry about tunneling yourself to a specific type of engineer now, that can always evolve once you get the basics.

My degree is in Chemical Engineering but I don’t work as a Chemical Engineer, I work as a project engineer for an Aerospace company. When I was in college I never would have considered Aerospace to be possible with my degree choice! After graduation, I broadened my search terms beyond chemical engineering (i.e. process engineer, materials engineer, research and development), and various industries (oil and gas, aerospace, cosmetics, food manufacturing, beer manufacturing, adhesives). I ended up finding a job as a material and process engineer in research and development for aerospace.

One thing you can look at now is your interests in the type of work you want to do. Do you want to work in an office, or on a manufacturing floor? Do you want to work with customers, with other engineers, with manufacturing technicians, or alone? Do you want to make spreadsheets and presentations, or do detailed analysis or design, or solving manufacturing issues on the floor? For example, if you want to work in a factory setting with real products and processes, a manufacturing engineer would be a good idea. Or if you like planning and organizing, and you’re good at communication, maybe a project engineer would be a better fit. If you love detailed analysis you can be a stress engineer, or if you want to work alone on AutoCAD all day you can be a designer.

This can help narrow it down – but you also don’t need to decide now! Many engineers change roles throughout their career, so you can always evolve as you begin to learn what you like and don’t like. To answer your final question “How soon should I figure out what type of engineering is best for me?" – it can be now, or it can be in 30 years even as your career is still evolving!

I had the same question when I was trying to decide which type of engineering to pursue! When I was first looking at colleges, I was considering majoring in chemical, biomedical, or mechanical engineering. The funny thing is, once I got into college and declared my major as biomedical engineering, I promptly switched to aerospace engineering after just my freshman year!

Based on my experience, I certainly say it is 100% okay to just pick one type, then try a class or two (for me, I took an introductory seminar) and if you don’t like it, just switch to another type. Sometimes it’s hard to know if you’ll actually find the type of engineering you pick interesting until you take a class. You have to experience some of it to truly know if it’s the right fit for you, particularly since other references you might be reviewing, such as reading articles about it online can leave a lot of the smaller details out and provides no opportunity for discussion or strategizing based on your interests and life situation.

Another thing is, many of the engineering disciplines have some overlap, so I think it’s important to mention that just because you pick one type to study in college, it does not mean that after graduation you will stay specifically within that same type. You might be employed (by title) as another type or expected to at least dabble in another type. For me, I studied aerospace engineering, but was employed as a manufacturing engineer initially out of college, and then moved to become a mechanical engineer by my 3rd year out of college. Both my roles overlap with aerospace engineering, but I am not directly employed to be an aerospace engineer in its purest form, if that makes sense. I do work in the aerospace engineering industry and so I think that should be more of a focus for you as you try to decide which major.

Ask yourself - what industry do you see yourself succeeding in – medical, aerospace, semi-conductors, automotive, etc.? Many of the types of engineering are incredibly versatile and intentionally generic across these industries, so you really can’t pick wrong.

I was in this position when I was applying for undergraduate engineering programs. I was interested in mechanical, chemical, aerospace, civil, electrical, computer, and even a sustainable energy engineering program. I eventually chose electronics, but it wasn't at all easy for me, and then I switched to civil engineering.

A person should always follow his/her passions. Try this exercise to see what your technical passions are: walk into a department store (like Target). Walk completely around the store twice, and look around carefully. Spend the next hour examining the things that interested you most. Then reflect on your visit, and consider the following:

• If you spent most of your time in electronics, consider electrical engineering.
• If you spent most of your time in video games, consider computer science.
• If you spent most of your time cosmetics or housewares, consider chemical engineering.
• If you spent most of your time in sporting goods, consider mechanical engineering.
• If you spent most of your time looking at the building and the floor plans, consider civil engineering.
• If you spent most of your time looking at how departments are integrated and the flow of the workspace, consider systems engineering.

You don’t need to specialize until midway through your 2nd year, so take your time to assess your calling. You should choose a degree that fulfills your passion. Is it something you want to learn about continuously? Is it something that you crave to learn more? Are you fully engaged (most days) in the topic and coursework? You need to select something that fuels your passion and gives you energy otherwise it’s drudgery and careers are too short to not be passionate about your choice.

I don't believe there is one single type of engineering discipline that would be the perfect and only match for anyone starting out. I think if you like problem-solving and the various disciplines look great, then any could work out great!

I have degrees in both Electrical and Mechanical Engineering. I did find EE had more math, but there are areas in ME that are very heavy in math too. I found more types of programming in EE, but there is programming in ME also.

If you do well in school, and are driven to be the best, I recommend taking a deep breath, know you will succeed in any path, and start in what interests you the most. I believe that is what is best for you - what you are most interested in, not necessarily where you get the highest grades in school. Additionally, every engineering discipline has so many areas, if you start in one discipline and don't seem to like what you are doing, try a different area within the same discipline. But if you are still being driven by pursuing your strengths, electrical engineering does typically use the most math (in general) and chemical engineering will have you take the most chemistry classes.

This is a great question which will decide your Career path. Analyze yourself your personality , your career  interest,  what are your skills and abilities. your career values and what motivates you, your learning style. this is the 5D analysis that will reveal what you are good at. If you are not able to figure it out, career counselling is the option you can go for. then you will have some clarity on what your are good at.