Ask an Engineer

You don’t have to change the way you are, no matter what you decide to study or where you work. What I think happens in these work areas where there are fewer men than women, is that you feel constantly insecure. Especially is you enter a new subject, ...

No, you do not have to be really outgoing. It takes all personality types to make a really great team and teamwork is an absolute necessity to accomplish great things. Most of the engineers that I have worked with during my 20+ year career have been ...

In my experience, the best engineers and leaders know their strengths and use them to their advantage in how they interact at work. You can still be an introvert and be a successful engineer, but you will need to find a balance of speaking up and ...

I had this exact thing happen to me in high school.  I tried taking calc and my teacher asked me to drop the class because I was so terrible at it and he couldn't help me.  I thought I was horrible at math!  However, when I got to college, I took the ...

Dear You-Can-Do-Math-too,

Mathematics, like many acquired skills, requires practice. This is true of mastering cartwheels, baking, woodworking, painting – I could go on. This is also true for reading and for language in general, the more exposure we ...

The opinion of one person does not/should not define us. Please do not take this person’s teaching style or opinion as a reflection of what you are capable of accomplishing. Study groups, online learning, a tutor, library resources, a classmate, someone ...

This is such a great question; it hit home on a subject that I personally have struggled with for many years – if it was “ok” to be both girly and an engineer! The short answer is, it is 100% ok to be both. Embrace your differences!

My personal story is ...

Hi! Let me just start by saying you are my favorite person for knowing exactly who you are and being very cognizant of the world around you. I see parts of myself in you in that I too like art as well science. I love to cook and go mural hunting. I make ...

I can understand where you are coming from, historically, an engineer would not have been the first guess of occupation for a "girly girl". But times are changing. You will fit in because you will shape the future perception for those that follow you. At ...

Think of "failing" as just an opportunity to learn.  But you must learn from the situation so that you will not repeat the same mistake.  Then, just brush it off, get up and try again.  Always think that you can do this, and try harder in another way.  ...

When you fail, which will happen at some point in your career, the most important thing to do is learn from it! Give yourself time to process what happened and what went wrong, then brainstorm ways to mitigate failure in the future. If we treat failure ...

I think failure depends on your definition. If you tried something new and it didn’t work – that is not failure. That is exploration or design iteration or learning. There are times that you fail an exam or a course or have a paper rejected. My approach ...

I do think confidence is an important thing, not just in engineering. A big part of any job is emotional maturity and confidence is part of that. Your questions tell me you are on the right track to consider how to improve your self-confidence! Based on ...

Answer from a biomedical engineer:

I think that it is very common for people – including myself! – to focus on the negative rather than the positive. It might help you to keep a list of achievements that you're proud of and positive feedback that you ...

I have always had a problem with low self-confidence. I still do. Even though I always got good grades in school, I would do the same thing that you do and focus on what I got wrong. But I turned that focus into making sure that I didn't get it wrong ...

It’s very natural to experience a moment in time when you think you just can’t get there. We all have those moments. Most of the time, this comes when you are facing a challenging problem or situation. What I have learned in times like this, is that it ...

Yes, I do feel that way sometimes. When I get overwhelmed I try to put things into perspective. First, I think about past successes or failures and acknowledge that everything turned out better than I had anticipated. Second, I look around me and think ...

All the time!!!

But if I give up I give up on myself, what I am working for and towards!  

One step at a time. . . front, back, side to side.  Always move, learn from your mistake, don't be afraid to ask for HELP!  

Also offer HELP!!

Yes, it’s completely normal to feel lost. A lot of engineering curriculums are very rigorous, tough, and just stretch you to your mental and emotional limits. It’s easy to forget that school will be over as quickly as it started.

Once I began my career, ...

Yes, it is very common to feel lost at some point during college studying engineering, especially as a female student. For me, it was about 2 ½ years in that I was incredibly lost and discouraged. Others seemed to be finding their groove while I was ...

Everyone has a different experience with school and work, and I recommend that you do not let someone else’s experience dictate your path. You should look closely at the schools you are considering. Many have programs built around STEM degrees like ...

Hey there! Absolutely, you can pursue an engineering major even if you've only taken pre-calculus in high school. It's totally possible, and honestly, it's something I experienced myself!

I actually started my undergraduate studies in a different field ...

Of course you can still be an engineer if you haven’t had the opportunity to take calculus in high school. It sounds like you’ve got a solid plan to take pre-calculus your senior year and this will give you a great foundation. When I was a senior in high ...

Yes, absolutely! I actually think it's better to take calculus right before starting college as it will be more fresh in your mind. I highly recommend taking it at a community college in the summer so you can take your time and really understand it. I ...

I would start with asking them questions. What is the reason they feel engineering isn’t a good field for women? What are their concerns? Based on that answer, the conversation could change significantly. If it’s the fact that you will be in a male ...

My parents did not have to be convinced, but my mother has said numerous times, “When you were growing up, I never imagined you being an engineer.” OR “I can’t believe you are an engineer handling things like this.” It may be that your parents are just ...

It is very sad that parents would be so controlling about your career. Of course you do not want to disrespect your parents, however, it is important to keep in mind if you do not make a stand, you are disrespecting yourself.

There are two ways to handle ...

 Explain to your family the benefits of a STEM career and how engineering impacts society and everyday life. Share stories of women in engineering and their contributions. Demonstrate your seriousness about becoming an engineer through your actions and ...

You’re right, you can’t force your family to be proud of you. But your career choice is just that - your choice. The benefits of choosing a STEM career far outweigh the risks of your family’s lack of understanding. If you do want to try to convince them, ...

This question really came at the right time and resonated with me. I am 59 years old, and I have been working in the field of computer science, networking, and now telecommunications engineering for 30+ years. I did an interview for the National Academy ...