Always Wanted To Be A Scientist Or Engineer? Here’s How To Pursue That Dream!

Junior year. You probably have the college jitters. In the coming year, colleges will be deciding about you, and you will be deciding about them. So what’s the most important thing you can do right now?
If you’re considering majoring in science or engineering, the answer may surprise you: dream.

Why? According to Mike Steidel, director of admission at Carnegie Mellon University, science and engineering students have far more career choices than they did 15 years ago. If you love computers, don’t automatically assume you need to major in computer science. Computers can be the focus of your education in science, engineering, the fine arts, or architecture. And just because you major in science or engineering, don’t assume your career options are limited to these fields: More and more companies value the computer and problem-solving skills of science and engineering majors. “An engineering degree will get you in the door almost anywhere,” says Kathleen Kramer, Director of Engineering Programs at the University of San Diego. “Acceptance rates for medical school, law school, and business school are excellent for students in engineering and the physical sciences. These fields prepare you to do well in just about everything.”
Even if you have a strong interest in a particular field, don’t plan on specializing right away in college. Companies are looking for students who can cross boundaries. More and more frequently, graduates who start out in one career end up in another later in life. So as you consider your choice of college, think broadly about your life and your interests.
Five steps toward the college that’s right for you. As you explore colleges, don’t focus on trying to find the “best school.” Instead, find the school that is best for you. Here’s how:
Step 1: Make yourself a good candidate.
College admissions officers offer the following advice:
In school: Take the strongest math and science programs you can. If your school offers AP classes, take them. If your school offerings are limited, just be sure you take advantage of what is offered. The most important thing is to challenge yourself. And while you’re at it, don’t neglect those English courses. Science and engineering students today are not likely to spend their lives hidden away in a lab. Being able to write well, speak well, and relate to other people are strengths college admissions staff look for in prospective science and engineering students.

Out of school: One of the best ways to explore science and engineering careers is to attend a summer program for high school students, and many colleges, museums, camps, and other organizations offer them. Some are day programs, some are residential, and some are on a college campus. They may last from one to six weeks.
Many of these programs offer some financial aid. If you or your parents are hesitant because of the cost, consider the idea as an investment: attending a summer science or engineering program is likely to give you some long-term ideas about your future—and a strong plus on your college application.
Another route is a summer job or internship (paid or unpaid) that gives you experience in your field of interest. For summer opportunities, check out these resources:

• Directory of Science Training Programs, www.sciserv.org/stp, where you can search for pre-college programs by state and by whether they offer financial aid.
• National Society of Black Engineers, www.nsbe.org. After “National Websites,” click “Pre-College,” then under “PCI Resources” click “Pre-College Engineering Programs and Resources.”

Step 2: Consider what kind of school you want.
Large vs. small: Smaller schools usually offer smaller classes, more personal attention from professors, and more opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research. A smaller school may also offer more opportunities to participate on sports teams and step into leadership roles in other student activities.
Large universities offer more academic choices and more opportunities to combine undergraduate and graduate work. Professors may be the top in their fields (although if their courses are large lecture courses, you may not get to know them personally). Large schools may also offer more diversity among the student body.
Each choice has advantages, so consider carefully. Talk to people who have attended both kinds of schools about what they liked or didn’t like. Think about what kinds of classes you enjoyed most in high school: if small discussion-based classes are where you thrive but you are considering a big university, visit some classes there to evaluate how comfortable you are with the classroom experience.
Urban vs. small town: Visiting will give you a feel for the college setting. Even colleges in one-traffic-light towns bring cultural activities and entertainment to campus, so don’t dismiss a more remote college if it offers other things you want.
Liberal arts vs. technical: Since you are thinking broadly about your life and interests, consider everything the school has to offer. Just because a school is a liberal arts school, don’t assume it doesn’t have a strong science or engineering program. And don’t underestimate the value of a liberal arts education to a career in science. Increasingly, scientists and engineers need human relations skills since they must manage other people, work in teams, and explain their work to environmental groups, politicians, and communities. Taking courses that focus on the human element improves your ability to do these things well. Even pre-med students may be philosophy majors these days.
If you are considering a specialty school in engineering, experts from a variety of fields recommend that you explore the field before applying. One way is to participate in a summer program. Another is to call up several local companies and ask if you might follow an engineer around for a day or two (it’s called “shadowing”). Don’t feel awkward: people generally love to talk about what they do.

Step 3: Develop a list of schools.
Make a list of schools with strong science or engineering programs, using this magazine in combination with your school counselor, any of the well-known college guides, or any of several comprehensive sites on the Internet. Investigate each school’s strength in your particular field of interest.
Step 4: Visit.
Remember, you’re signing up for four years at college, so if at all possible, pay a visit. The college as it appears in a glossy view-book may look very different when you see it in person. The reverse also can be true: the school your parents have to drag you to might turn out to be much better than you had imagined. Visit the college when it’s in session. Many schools hold a special on-campus program in the spring for accepted students—a great opportunity to evaluate a school as well as the area around it. During your visit, scope out three major areas: the academics, the students, and the extracurriculars.
Academics: Take an active approach when planning your visit to a college—and during the interview, too. If you’re feeling like a fish on a hook during your interview, it can be hard to remember that you are interviewing the college as much as its representative is interviewing you. So make up a list of questions for your interviewer. Here are some questions you might ask:

• Are the faculty professionally active in their fields?
• Is teaching emphasized, or is research the faculty’s major focus?
• Do graduate students teach courses, or are they used primarily as lab instructors and graders?
• What opportunities are there for students to participate in real research?
• What kind of research is the school involved in?
• What percentage of students go on to receive graduate degrees, and what is the acceptance rate at graduate and medical schools?
• What lab facilities are offered?

Neither high school guidance counselors nor college admissions officers are likely to have a scientific background, so as a prospective science or engineering major you will get a better feel for the school if you can talk with some professors in your area of interest. Colleges will arrange that for you. Ask the admissions office for a professor’s contact information and see if you can meet briefly during your visit. You might visit his or her class and chat afterward. If calling a professor out of the blue feels uncomfortable, remember, this is part of your process of interviewing the college.
The other students: Arrange to stay overnight in a dorm, if possible, with a student majoring in your field of interest. Meet your host’s friends, walk around campus, attend classes, or go to a social event. Ask yourself: is this an environment I’ll feel comfortable in socially?
Outside activities: College is a great time to try out something you’ve never done before: hosting a radio program, acting in a play, doing field research, studying abroad, learning tae kwon do. It’s also a time to continue doing the things you enjoy: playing a sport or an instrument, participating in student government or a political organization, or volunteering in the community. Find out what sports, clubs, and activities are available on campus, and don’t give up outside interests and activities when you get to college.
Step 5: Look at research opportunities offered by the school.
A school with a big reputation may have appeal, but reputation isn’t the whole story. Getting hands-on experience is increasingly valued by employers. Ask about opportunities, including:
On-campus research: Find out how many students actually do research and whether opportunities are open to undergraduates, including freshmen and sophomores. Ask about summer research, including paid research positions.
Hands-on projects for engineering students: Find out if you’ll actually get to work on engineering projects, rather than just study theory, during your first and second years.
Co-op jobs: Co-op programs involve working a certain number of semesters. Although this means completing college in five years, co-op jobs are typically in your field of interest, provide valuable hands-on experience (and significant income), and may help you develop connections for a permanent job.
If you’ve already decided what field interests you…
Don’t be too sure too soon. Carnegie Mellon University’s Steidel says that many students come to college wanting to specialize right away. But the work world, he says, is going in the opposite direction, leaning more and more toward multidisciplinary talents. “The walls surrounding disciplines are starting to come tumbling down,” he says.
Consider choosing a college that will challenge you not just in science or engineering but in the liberal arts and even the fine arts. These fields help develop the communication and human relations skills that scientists and engineers need in today’s world.
“If you can’t communicate, no matter how technically competent you are, you aren’t going to be very successful,” says Steidel.

If you’re not yet sure what field you want to pursue…
Look for a college that will provide you with flexibility to switch between science and engineering and other majors if you change your mind—which lots of students do. Switching to a liberal arts major even after your sophomore year usually isn’t difficult, since most science classes can be counted toward distribution requirements. Remember, if you do stick with science or engineering, you’ll still have lots of options after you graduate, since an education in science or engineering is increasingly an excellent preparation for many different careers.

Article by Deborah Knight and courtesy of www.careersandcolleges.com