I also bailed on my EE degree after my first semester ad opted for an ET degree.
  I did this
when I realized that I knew more about electonics design going into college than
 most of the
engineers that were graduating.  They just knew all of the math and physics that
 I wasn't
interrested in.  Most of them forget the math and physics a few years after grad
uation
anyway.

Before a hundred engineers jump on me for this comment I do need to say that I h
ave respect
for anyone that makes it through an engineering degree.  The problem is that mos
t programs
spend three years teaching the "necessary" basics and a year on real job related
engineering.  This is why employers complain about the skills of new engineers a
nd the pay
is so experience related.

Fortunately, some colleges are waking up and shifting the emphasis to real engin
eering and
co-op, etc. and away from other areas.  I think that today students and employer
s would be
better served by a semester on how to apply MathCad to solve real world problems
 than 5
semesters of advanced calculus.



Matt Bonner wrote:

> Vincent Deno wrote:
> >
> > Here at U.C., it takes _only_ 5 years to get a BSEE.  IMHO, the best part of
 our
> > curriculum is our manditory co-op.  So far, I've accumulated over a year and
 a half of
> > REAL engineering work.  I agree, I started with the brute-force method.  Whi
le I was
> > able to MAKE things work, I quickly saw it was the hard way to do things. I
know now
> > when I return for my final co-op quarter, I'll be able to churn out quality
work which
> > will stand the rigors of real engineering problems.... I won't complain abou
t the
> > money there anyway.  :)
> >
> Five years?  Luxury.  ;-)
>
> In Canada, we also have the option of a technology diploma which takes 2
> years (3 in some institutions).  I originally went this route and then
> worked in electronics design for 5 years.  After a while, though, I
> found that I had to compete for jobs with you engineers <g>.  Back to
> school the co-op way (5 year degree).  From diploma start to degree
> completion: 12 years.
>
> I don't regret at all the time "wasted" getting the technology diploma,
> though: the practical experience was invaluable.  Engineering school
> just doesn't have the time to teach the basics of soldering and other
> mundane (and extremely important) tasks.  Co-op does a good job adding
> at least part of the practical experience required for a graduate
> engineer to make it in the "real world".
>
> --Matt