Beatrice AddedWednesday, March 1, 2017 at 4:02 PM Do I have to be as full fledged as others? I'm in the second year of my aerospace degree and despite doing well in my courses and enjoying and understanding the material, I feel like I'm not good enough to be a good engineer. Being the only girl in my class I feel doubtful when i see so many other students knowing exactly what they want to do and where and why, while I don't even know a lot about what I'm going to do with my degree... Help? Related to Aeronautical/Aerospace , Opportunities/Challenges for Women, Self Doubt Reset Sort By Default Anne Spence , Baylor University Answered Monday, May 15, 2017 at 12:44 PM My dear, Beatrice. It is not unusual for you to feel this way. Trust me when I say that very few of the guys in your class have these feelings and they are most likely getting much poorer grades than you are! As women, we often must fight against the feeling that we are not good enough - it is simply a feeling that is not supported by the data (good grades, enjoying and understanding the material). Working in industry will be much different than taking classes as an undergraduate. I really had very little idea about exactly what I wanted to do. I figured that my first job would help me to sift through my options. Your first job will be about learning to work on much larger teams, working with people with much different backgrounds (more electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, technicians, etc.). You will be able to identify the things that you like and the things that you don't like. You will figure out how to learn things on the job. There will be opportunities to seek out mentors who can help to guide you on your path. Make friends with the technicians and others who have extensive experience in the company. They can teach you a lot. Take some time to imagine yourself in different roles with different companies. What does it look like each day? How do you interact with others on the job? Envision what you like and don't like. Don't give up! You are full fledged! You belong in this major and in this industry! I can't wait to hear about your first job! Good luck! Anne Spence, PhD