Ellie, Seattle asked Rae Anne Rushing, Rushing Company AddedTuesday, May 24, 2016 at 10:55 PM how much of the standard schooling actually shows up on the job? I know that this section is for questions, but I want to let you know how inspiring your story is to me, managing school, work AND motherhood- INCREDIBLE! I am friends with some of the engineers at Morrison Hershfield and they have spoken so highly of your company on many occasions. I am working on my second degree and am currently taking math and physics prerequisites for engineering. I have a wide variety of interests in visual arts, sustainability and design, so I am hoping to discover a career space to combine the things I care about! Some of the material I am learning in school is incredibly tedious and deals with very fine details. I am a big picture thinker, and I generally understand the systems before the parts. I would love to know what engineers truly do on a day to day basis, and how much of the standard schooling (Spatial Mathematics especially, like Calculus 2) actually shows up on the job. Seeing the end goal makes the journey a bit more bearable! I know you are extremely busy, so thank you so much for taking the time to read this! Ellie Related to Opportunities/Challenges for Women Reset Sort By Default Rae Anne Rushing , Rushing Company Answered Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at 10:55 PM Thank you very much for the note! My children are all grown up now with careers of their own so I can appreciate what you are going through trying to decide what is next for you. As far as a career in Engineering and what HVAC Design is all about in Seattle; I can tell you that 50% of what we do is focused on great communication and social skills coordinating with other consultants on the design and construction project. The other 50% is having good technical skills in your field. As far as using Calculus or Physics, no I do not use these skills on a day-to-day basis but it was good to get an understanding of those concepts so that I could learn about engineering concepts that used calculus and physics ideas to explain those concepts. Any calculations using calculus are completed using computers. We do however, need to learn to have a gut sense of what is a reasonable answer in order to know when we or others have made a mistake. I have never regretted learning those skills in college. It was very hard work but well worth it! Today I am studying for the Electrical Engineering Professional Engineering State Exam so I am having to refresh myself on all my Math and Physics skills as well as learning Electrical Engineering! Lots of hard work but lots of fun too! Please feel free to correspond with me directly on any questions or concerns you have. Good luck and let me know how you progress with your decision!