What to do with my life?

Ok so I am facing a tough decision! I need to figure out what I want to do with my life. Now that I am a junior in engineering, I have learned it may not be what I want to do. I have always wanted to work in intelligence and I am highly considering finishing my Arabic training then joining MI. Truthfully I am interested in engineering, more nuclear than mechanical (I am majoring in mechanical and getting a minor in nuclear). I would have been a forestry or fisheries major if I wasn't smart. Moreover I would love to be a soldier, but again I am smart and feel like I can contribute more than a pair of boots on the ground to my country. I realize how conceited that sounds, but right now feels like a good time to be honest.

But I am not sure if I should switch majors, take the semester off to get my reserve training done, then finish engineering, or i really can't decide what to do.

Maybe I just needed to vent because this decision is stressing me out insanely, and I am hoping just venting will somehow help.

 

man, you are too far in to switch majors. It will put you a year behind at least, and thats if you switch to another engineering major. If i were you, i'd try and find a mechanical engineering internship this summer. I was starting to question my major as well, but then i did the co-op program at my school where i work a semester, then school a semester. After all has said and done , i will have worked for 3 semesters (a full year). After working my first semester, i learned that i really like my major. I co-oped for a company that does defense contracting and i got to work on all sorts of cool vehicles. It was really reassuring.

 

Ya its just tough because I have always wanted to serve in the military, and I have always wanted to work in intelligence. I can't even know what my brother does for work now, but he told me over half of his friends at work were in MI. He also told me he is regretting not serving. My dad was a LEO all his life and I have always felt a pull to the military. I guess I know what I want to do, but its just hard to pull the trigger on actually going it and getting my parent to accept the fact I might get deployed and not come back

 

you can always complete your training over the summer, join ROTC and then graduate with a degree and go into the military then as an officer! don't drop out without a degree. You're almost done, with the end in sight.
My buddy dropped out and he complains everytime I see him when hes off duty that he should have stayed in college and finished his degree. and all he talks about is going back to college when he gets out of the military.

 

From what I remember, mechanical engineering is a discipline that is so varied that you can go into practically any engineering field with a ME degree.

But, honestly, I went through the same thing. I was an Architecture major for two years and suddenly decided that it wasn't for me. I went through a period where I had no major for a semester but then eventually switched to IT. I still am unsure of what I want to do. It's a matter of actually experiencing the field and finding out what you like.

Long story short, I'd say just finish out the degree so you can get out there and start trying out different things to find what you REALLY like. College is a bubble and it's really hard to determine where you want to be through some classes, you know?

 

Yes this is definitely a factor. I am in very far, but I don't really see myself enjoying a job in engineering as much as I would using arabic in the military.

The worst part of this is I will feel like I have wasted my parents money up to this point. However if I join as a reserve in MI they will give me four years to finish school after I take a semester off, so I could always finish engineering or switch completely. And it wont cost me of my parents a dime

 

Ya I mean engineering fascinates me, especially nuclear, but the classes...they aren't so much hard as I find myself uninterested in them. I have been planning on going to egypt next summer to study arabic and maybe become fluent. but I would also like to get an intenship at one of the nuclear plants on the east coast to see if I would enjoy a civilian job in nuclear engineering.

 

only you can make the final decision man, and that's a big one you're looking at. If you're planning on getting out in four years anyways, i'd just stick with the game plan you have now. There is no simple way to define what a mechanical engineer will do. It's such a broad field to work in. What about finishing your mechanical degree, getting your minor in nuclear(have no idea how you're going to do that) and join the navy working on the aircraft carriers. If push comes to shove, you could always finish what you are doing now, and come back and finish your nuclear degree later. Two engineering degrees and work experience will make you highly competitive in the job market.

 

I truly understand the lack of interest. The same thing happened to me. I don't do well with theory and books. I'd much rather be out there *experiencing* - that's how I learn.

It's becoming increasingly apparent that it doesn't matter what your degree is in, as long as you have a degree. You could finish it out and then decide to do something different. Or get a Masters. The choice is up to you but you're so far in already... You may as well just finish it out.

 

One program I considered was the navy nuclear propulsion officer candidate program. Basically they would pay me A LOT to finish my ME degree.

And engineering here is 142 credits to graduate, 18 being technical electives which define what focus you choose within your major. Conveniently enough, the nuclear engineering minor is 18 credits that all count as tech electives, so I technically don't have to take any extra credits to get the minor.

But my main issue is that I have always wanted to use arabic with the intelligence field, which is very unrelated to engineering. My brother found out senior year he hated the jobs in his aerospace field, so he switched gears and got his masters in GIS which he loves. He recently turned down a job with the secret service because he loves what he does.

 

So martie and lso, you think it would still pay off to finish the ME degree even if I don't necisarily use it?

 

I think so but ultimately the decision is up to you. To start fresh at this point would be expensive and time consuming - and I don't think it'd be worth it. I think that you can still do what you want to do but life experience is going to dictate what that will be.

 

When i was interviewing for jobs, i was amazed at how many fields i could have worked in

Manufacturing:
Michelin, working on automation processes in a production line
ACIPCO (Alabama Cast Iron Pipe Company)- working automation in pipe manufacturing (nothing like pvc, underground pip stuff, where the piping was about 15 ft in diameter)

Prototype integration:
Govt says hey, we need this component in this vehicle to work like this. You have 2 months to make it do that. GO! (i chose this job because it was fast paced and challenging and very hands on)

Construction:
Interviewed with a company that makes condos on beaches. I would have worked with the project supervisors basically being an assistant manager. Turned that offer down asap.

Design and drafting:
Interviewed with Raytheon and SAIC for jobs where i would basically be designing components for vehicles from scratch. Was hoping for a job here too but both companys are huge and could afford to be extremely picky. They didn't seem enthused when i told them i dislike matlab.

Aviation work:
Interviewed with a company that remanufactured airplane components. Basically if something broke, it would have been my responsibility to redraft the part so it could be reproduced in a machine shop. Seemed to monotonous so I turned down the offer.

 

What about if i took a semester off to get started with MI. I would spend next spring in basic then in arizona for AIT. Then in the fall I can go back to school and get paid to do so (and can spend another 36 months enrolled in school which is 4 acedemic years)

 

Yeah... I just quit my job and I'm starting a new one on Monday. I just want to pay down some debt first and in a couple of years (hopefully) start an accelerated program to go into Nursing.