prerequisits to engineering

[gh0st]

in case you haven't guessed yet, I'm still in highschool, and i've decided i want to be an engineer since i'll mostly be building stuff crunching down on numbers, codes, formulas, and maintaining the stuff already built, and doing stuff that i practically already do, i think. anyways, i was wanting to get a head start in the field and was wondering which classes I should take and what college i should look forward to in order to get into this field. i hear there's a good one somewhere in Vancouver Canada and i wouldn't mind moving there, it seems more stable than here in America, I probably will want to get into mechanical and electrical engineering, maybe even aerospace engineering if I'm not regretting this decision by then.

of course i could just invent something awesome and make millions but it's hard to really call that reliable...

[Valynth]

First of all, you need to chose a college, many colleges have different reqs as to what classes qualify towards their engineering degree.  Secondly, choose the type of engineering you want to do, again many have different class reqs, but you can hold off on this till your second year the latest after you've had some of the classes.

Thirdly, there are some classes you have to take in general, but off the top of my head:

1.  Pre-calculus algebra (I skipped mine through testing)
2.  Pre-calculus Trigonometry
3.  Business calculus
4.  Pretty much every calculus class available
5.  Several art classes (yes, as an engineer you MUST draw schematics, I looked at engineering much like you did, but my horrid drawing skills made me give up on the notion.)

That's just the general sections, but again, different Universities= Different requirements(and different class names).  Also, I'd recommend that since you're going to be heavy on math, go a head and double major as math/engineering since they pretty much bleed all over each other and it makes impressive resume fluff.

[Tezkat]

Er... mechanical and electrical are two fairly different fields of engineering. Although there's a lot of overlap in the core programs, you might find it pretty challenging to study both specialties. In any event, if you like building stuff and solving problems, engineering is certainly a career you should consider.


Canada has lots of great engineering schools. Unlike the USA, they treat it as a professional degree. (Thus, there's a fair bit of standardization for accreditation purposes, and it also requires you pass ethics and professional practice type stuff.) That's important if you plan to practice engineering in Canada or other countries in which engineering is a licensed profession.

As for Vancouver... University of British Columbia does have an excellent mechanical engineering program. It's one of the best engineering schools in Canada. You may also have been thinking of Simon Fraser (which is technically in Burnaby, although that's almost Vancouver ). SFU is stronger in electronics and biomedical engineering.

University of Waterloo is often considered to be the best place in Canada to study any electronics or computer type stuff.

University of Toronto usually winds up on top when it comes to overall strength in engineering.

There are only a couple of Canadian universities with aerospace-focused programs, so your list will narrow a fair bit if that's really your thing. Carleton University (in Ottawa) has one. I think Ryerson (in Toronto) has the other. The former is a much better engineering school.


As for prerequisites to get into the good engineering programs... You want to focus on your pure and applied sciences--maths, physics, chemistry, etc.--and get really good grades.

[superluser]

If you're looking into EE, I'd suggest making sure the program has a good linear algebra course.  Depending on what type of Mech E you're looking at, it might be a good idea for that discipline, as well.

Here in the States, they don't teach linear algebra or vector analysis at all in high school.

[Tezkat]

In general, you need grade 12/senior level calculus, physics, and chemistry. You'll revisit a lot of the material in first year engineering anyway, because they won't trust you to have learned it in highschool. (And no, you generally won't get advanced credit for it either.) So working on good grades and good SAT scores will improve your chances more than taking extra courses. Due to the P.Eng accreditation requirements, first year engineering is pretty much the same across Canada. It doesn't even vary all that much across disciplines. You'll probably see...

Chemistry
Calculus (differentiation and integration)
Computer Programming (basic program design and algorithms)
English (with an emphasis on writing intelligible reports)
Linear Algebra (basic matrix and vector math)
Mechanics (statics and dynamics)
Physics (mostly electromagnetism)

There will also be some kind of general introductory engineering courses. The first semester will spend a lot of time explaining the lingo and the expectations of the profession. The second will focus on engineering design processes. Drafting is part of it. I wouldn't necessarily call that "art" per se, and how much of it you see will depend on your major. Computer engineers will spend a few weeks in first year connecting dots on graph paper and then never look at it again. Civil or mechanical engineers may spend the next few years married to their sliderules and wondering how people survived before the invention of AutoCAD.

[gh0st]

wow, ok, so if i'm hearing this right, if i want to be a mech e i need to take calculus classes until i turn senior, have to pay close enough attention to art so that i can draw designs, i'm guessing spending a weekend messing with perl doesn't count as computer programming, do they teach that in college or can i learn it in highschool? i'm already in algebra so it's just going to be a matter leveling up to the next level, i think tezkat said linear algebra,of course superluser says they don't teach that here in the states. one last thing, i don't suppose that biology is an important class to mech e,

as for colleges go, i don't mind moving to Canada, what would you guys say would be the reliability of the schools here in America compared to Canada though, i hear customs is painful in many ways. if i do go to Canada then i'm probably going to go to Toronto, i hear the squirrels there are getting complacent.

[Tezkat]

Don't worry. Calculus is usually the senior year math course for the geek stream in high school, so you just need to take whatever path will get you there. I don't know how things work at your school, but it's common for the science-directed course path to be pretty obvious. The math, the chemistry, and the physics are required. Everything else is gravy. The cutoff averages for admissions into engineering tend to be high, so marks are important.

i'm guessing spending a weekend messing with perl doesn't count as computer programming, do they teach that in college or can i learn it in highschool?

Lots of schools offer programming courses, so see what yours has available if that interests you. And, sure, messing around with Perl counts. Many of the geeks going into engineering already have coding experience. The thing is... pre-college programming tends not to emphasize good coding habits, so they will start you over from scratch in college anyway. I've been coding since I was like eight years old, and I was bored out of my skull with the programming courses below third year, but they did improve my coding techniques. See... in industry, your boss would rather you deliver buggy code that's well documented and easy to fix than working spaghetti code that can't be maintained, because the latter costs them a lot more in the long run. (Of course, they'd much prefer clean code that actually works, but you can't always get everything you want, eh? )

one last thing, i don't suppose that biology is an important class to mech e,

A background in biology isn't necessary for mechanical engineering. Take it if you're interested, though. It's good to keep your options open. Disciplines have a habit of crossing over in interesting ways, and those with a broader knowledge base are best positioned to take advantage of it. (I might add that there's a ridiculous amount of investment dollars flowing into interdisciplinary fields like biomedical engineering at the moment.)

as for colleges go, i don't mind moving to Canada, what would you guys say would be the reliability of the schools here in America compared to Canada though

It depends on what you mean by "reliability"...

Canada has stronger regulatory bodies governing engineering, so the university programs are explicitly geared towards professional certification. That's not usually the case in America, where each state has different requirements for engineering licenses, and in many cases you can practice engineering or even call yourself an engineer without actually being a licensed PE. Nonetheless, America has some of the best engineering schools on the planet.

It all depends on what you're looking for in a school, where you'd like to live, and how much you can afford to pay.

i hear customs is painful in many ways.

Meh... Canadian customs will let almost anyone in. It's pretty easy to get a student visa. The country wants your business, after all. A work visa (say, for a co-op program) requires a bit more paperwork, but it's not hard to get.

if i do go to Canada then i'm probably going to go to Toronto, i hear the squirrels there are getting complacent.

Ontario has mostly black squirrels, which are inherently cooler than the generic grey ones.

[superluser]

i'm already in algebra so it's just going to be a matter leveling up to the next level, i think tezkat said linear algebra,of course superluser says they don't teach that here in the states.

Linear algebra is very different from regular algebra.

e.g. http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Mathematics/18-06Spring-2005/VideoLectures/detail/lecture01.htm

When I was studying physics, the curriculum didn't even include linear algebra or vector analysis, which made E&M very interesting... (and thus is why I suggest you make sure it's part of the course outline)

[gh0st]

well i don't care where i live, I can afford to pay almost anything i mean I'm not rich but i do know how to keep a good job. i eventually do want to obtain citizenship in Canada at some point in the future, so maybe i could do both at the same time and possibly not get overwhelmed...... i just hope the states don't suddenly go to war with Canada...

as for linear algebra, I home school so while dodging that bullet, it seems from the video that linear algebra isn't too far off what the program i use has been teaching me. either way i need to go to public school for that one...

[superluser]

I home school

Ah...

That could limit your choices.  Here's a list that I trust is accurate and fairly complete, because I got it from these guys.

I know a few of these people pretty well, and if you're interested in engineering, these are definitely the people to talk to--and if you're interested in engineering from homeschooling, these are *definitely* the people you want to talk to.

If you want, I can forward your message on to them and see if any of them would be interested in chatting with you personally.

[Tezkat]

well i don't care where i live, I can afford to pay almost anything i mean I'm not rich but i do know how to keep a good job.

Undergraduate engineering is easily double the workload of a regular arts degree, so working part time during the school year may negatively impact your grades and/or your sanity. (Also, you won't be able to get an off-campus work permit until you've done two semesters.) Without scholarships/financial aid, expect to pay at least USD 30k a year for school and living expenses as an international student in Canada (which is admittedly comparable to studying out of state in the USA). Yay for student debt!

i eventually do want to obtain citizenship in Canada at some point in the future, so maybe i could do both at the same time and possibly not get overwhelmed......

You will be able to get permanent resident status very easily as an engineer, regardless of whether you graduated in the USA or Canada. (I wouldn't apply until you get your degree.) From there, it's a fairly straightforward path to citizenship. Coming in as a student will just give you the opportunity to put down roots a bit earlier.

i just hope the states don't suddenly go to war with Canada...

Meh. The last US invasion of Canada ended with no territorial gains and the White House in flames. They haven't tried again since.

as for linear algebra, I home school so while dodging that bullet, it seems from the video that linear algebra isn't too far off what the program i use has been teaching me. either way i need to go to public school for that one...

Linear algebra is post-secondary level math, and you will see it as an engineering student. It's actually not all that different from regular algebra--mostly just a convenient way of handling multivariable equations and polynomials.

Most Canadian universities will admit homeschoolers on a case by case basis. You'll need really good SAT scores (including Subject Tests in Math, Physics, and Chemistry).

[rt]

Since you said your planning moving and looks like you are not in the Canadian system  I'd recommend popping on the University web sites and looking what the university requirements for the program. (For Engineering, Math and Science as everyone keeps telling you). They'll have info for both Canadians, out of Province, and International students. Most of the universities will happly send out applications packages with plenty of info. You may want to ask for specific info for home schooled.

And if your not Canadian be sure to look at the correct tuition column. Tezkat is right, visa students pay *alot* more. (Or really Canadian students get government funding). Toronto/York university might be one of the more expensive universities.

Since the difference is not as much in some places, it is worth mentioning that in Canada college vs university is two different levels of schooling. A university will get you "your degree" (B.Sc Eng.), a college deal more in the "skilled trades".

[Vidar]

Imagination is more important than knowledge. You only need the knowledge to realise your imagination.

[superluser]

Oh, I forgot to mention.

Calculus Unlimited.  The title's pretty self-explanatory: it teaches the calculus without limits.  Not great for a primary textbook, but fun as a supplement.