Should I transfer out of engineering?

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floriangeyer

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Hey everyone. I'm a pre-med and I'm currently majoring in engineering. I didn't think I'd do well this term but I ended up getting a 3.79 GPA.

I've been considering switching to an easier humanities major but I'm unsure now! xD Would someone be able to offer some advice? Maybe I'll be able to do well in engineering but then again, these are only the introductory classes - things are going to get hard, fast. Thanks everyone.

The classes I took were:
physics A-
chemistry A-
calc III A+
history A-
intro to engineering A-
 
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Hey everyone. I'm a pre-med and I'm currently majoring in engineering. I didn't think I'd do well this term but I ended up getting a 3.89 GPA.

I've been considering switching to an easier humanities major but I'm unsure now! xD Would someone be able to offer some advice? Maybe I'll be able to do well in engineering but then again, these are only the introductory classes - things are going to get hard, fast. Thanks everyone.

The classes I took were:
physics A-
chemistry A-
calc I A+
history A-
language A
intro to engineering A

It depends on what school you are going to. Based on your grades, you seem to "get" math and science. Engineering is much harder than most majors, and gets really tough in your junior year when you actually take engineering classes. But again, it depends on your school.
 
Hey everyone. I'm a pre-med and I'm currently majoring in engineering. I didn't think I'd do well this term but I ended up getting a 3.89 GPA.

I've been considering switching to an easier humanities major but I'm unsure now! xD Would someone be able to offer some advice? Maybe I'll be able to do well in engineering but then again, these are only the introductory classes - things are going to get hard, fast. Thanks everyone.

The classes I took were:
physics A-
chemistry A-
calc I A+
history A-
language A
intro to engineering A

Too early to tell if you'll do well in engineering. You haven't taken anything hard yet.

You should major in what you enjoy doing, not in what's easier.
 
I go to Columbia. I do agree, it is kinda too early to tell.

Columbia's engineering program is very hard. You don't really seem interested in engineering (if you are already questioning it this early), so if I was you, I would consider thinking about what major you would prefer and try to transfer to Columbia College. You should definitely make the decision by the end of this year.
 
I would say to stay in it, just because the classes you took aren't really representative of the "type" of work you'll be doing in engineering. I think the A+ in multivariable is much more telling of what is to come than the A-'s in physics and chem.

What is your engineering major? Depending on what you're studying, it might be a lot of applied math rather than straight science.
 
I was in the same boat as you freshman year. I was thinking about transferring out of engineering too because I knew it would be difficult. However I decided to stick to it and I would say this was the best decision.

In the end I loved taking the engineering classes and did well in them. I am certain if I switched to some other degree where I would have had to take some general classes which didn't interest me I would've done poorly in them. If I would've changed anything it may be doing a different type of engineering degree.
 
Switch to sociology. Cakewalk major with tons of free time to pursue EC's. Also you can use Columbia's hookups to land some nice medically related sociology research (both in NYC and abroad).

Minor in Spanish. Use Spanish skills to work as a translator in a free clinic or hospital.

GPA >>>>>>> Major/Courseload/UG reputation. You're already at an elite UG so just major in something easy to maximize your GPA and have more time to do cool EC's and research.

You'll thank me later, OP.
 
You can probably tell, everyone's advice follows the same principle: do what you think you will enjoy the most.

I will say this, engineering teaches you a lot of important principles (like teamwork and problem solving), but it is definitely more challenging than most majors (math and physics are also beasts). Unless you plan on using an engineering degree, or are very passionate about topics related to engineering, I would look elsewhere. It's very difficult to manage both premed and an engineering major.
 
I will say this, engineering teaches you a lot of important principles (like teamwork and problem solving), but it is definitely more challenging than most majors (math and physics are also beasts). Unless you plan on using an engineering degree, or are very passionate about topics related to engineering, I would look elsewhere. It's very difficult to manage both premed and an engineering major.

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This is the only thing I learned about teamwork in engineering.
 
If you're getting those grades then stick with engineering. If you know you want to do medicine, you should do biomedical engineering no question. But, like others have said, your major will not save u if your gpa is crap, so keep it high. I did my BS and am working on my MS in eng, starting med school in 2012 and trust me, no better sense of accomplishment than having that degree at this point in life. I'm not BME, but I do think it's the single best premed major.
 
Hey everyone. I'm a pre-med and I'm currently majoring in engineering. I didn't think I'd do well this term but I ended up getting a 3.79 GPA.

I've been considering switching to an easier humanities major but I'm unsure now! xD Would someone be able to offer some advice? Maybe I'll be able to do well in engineering but then again, these are only the introductory classes - things are going to get hard, fast. Thanks everyone.

The classes I took were:
physics A-
chemistry A-
calc III A+
history A-
intro to engineering A-

1) Humanities majors are NOT easier than engineering majors. I find that my humanities assignments take up more time than my memorization-based science classes simply because writing papers and engaging with texts requires a creative mindset. Moreover, studying the humanities fosters critical thinking skills that many don't get from simply doing ochem psets over and over again.
2) If you can't get straight A's in your frosh first seemster engineering coursework, you're not going to do much better in the future unless you change your study habits.
3) If you're unhappy with your academic performance, consider majoring in something you're passionate about AND are likely to do well in academically...whether that's Chemistry or Classics.
 
1) Humanities majors are NOT easier than engineering majors. I find that my humanities assignments take up more time than my memorization-based science classes simply because writing papers and engaging with texts requires a creative mindset. Moreover, studying the humanities fosters critical thinking skills that many don't get from simply doing ochem psets over and over again.
2) If you can't get straight A's in your frosh first seemster engineering coursework, you're not going to do much better in the future unless you change your study habits.
3) If you're unhappy with your academic performance, consider majoring in something you're passionate about AND are likely to do well in academically...whether that's Chemistry or Classics.

You know nothing about engineering so please don't give advice about it. OP, please ignore this post.
 
You know nothing about engineering so please don't give advice about it. OP, please ignore this post.

QFT.

OP had a relatively full semester and still got As. A 3.89 is an excellent GPA. Yes, your classes will get more difficult, but you will also work harder to do well in them, so you should be able to maintain a high GPA.

OP stick w/ engineering if it's what you enjoy. Medical schools will know recognize the difficulty of your major.
 
I wouldn't switch based on this semester (you did pretty good). Switch if you don't like it anymore, because it will get much harder when you get into the actual engineering classes.
 
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