Simply put, I need advice. I have only have 2 years remaining in the Army and I want to go back to school when I get out. Having just finished my AA, I want a BS in Engineering but I am torn between which school to attend. Currently stationed in Texas, I have the Univeristy of Texas - Austin an hour away which is a great school in a state with many job opportunities, but my wife hates Texas and I'm not extremely fond of it myself. As a North Carolina native, I have NC State University as a possibility. NCSU is in a great area, family near-by, and it's cost-effective; however, jobs are hard to come by and I'm a UNC fan . I have also looked at the Univeristy of Tennessee - Knoxville, the University of Wisconsin - Madison, the University of Illinois - Urbana, and a few others based on their Engineering programs, cost, location, and rankings. If anyone has attended any of these schools or lived near them, I would greatly appreciate any guidance you can give. Also, any other recommendations are most welcome. Thanks
Come to Canada : ). *I kid* In the end if you are interesting in an Engineering program, take a close look at every university for what they offer and how they offer it. The Engineering program can differ heavily between schools with some offering general first years(standard courses everyone take) then into your discipline of choice. Most of all if you know what discipline you are interested in, do some research about that. As an example, my B.S. will be in computer engineering with a nanoscale design focus meaning that I had the chance to work on nanoscale devices/circuits. That is an option that is only available at select universities with a nano lab. And in the end, I don't know what your living situation is at the moment but jobs can be a lot to worry about at the same time. Depending on your status, it is often a good idea to focus on your first year without the added workload of a job. Thought I hear University in the states cost an arm, leg, and the left side of your torso.
Well I won't be working at all while attending school. I have my housing costs covered by the military as well as tuition up to a BS. This means I can go most anywhere.
In the end it doesn't matter what college you attend. As long as you have the degree in the area you want it. Even then a job now days is just looking for a degree then you work on your connections in whatever and work your way into the field you want. So don't worry so much as to which school you should attend. Just want is the best area for you and your wife because you will most likely move once you graduate.
I like Massachusetts. University of Massachusetts / Boston College / Boston University / MIT (HA $$$) / you get the idea..
I've come to the conclusion that I'll be content most anywhere, but with so many options I don't know where to go. Today I actually visited the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor in Belton, TX just because it's local and I'm looking to move there once my lease is up; it's closer to where I work on base. I found out my GI Bill covers Private Schools too which is awesome. I am considering attending UMHB for 1 class per semester until I get out of the Army and transfer elsewhere; I can at least finish my math there. I guess what I'm really looking for is a great campus with things to do near-by, a solid education, and a 60/40 female to male ratio =P I don't want to live in a big metropolis, I enjoy rural/suburban life. Somewhere with green scenery is preferred - the drought and dead foliage here have become tiresome. Thanks for the input so far.
Do your research and find out what school has the best program. Also, make sure you and your wife talk everything over if the best school for you ends up being somewhere she doesn't like. The key here is that it is temporary. You aren't chosing where to live for the rest of your life, just where to go to school for a few years. Therefore, how close you are to family shouldn't be top priority. It's great if the best engineering school is also the closest to your family, but if not, go where you need to go. Once again, its only for a few years. Once you have the degree and are looking for a job then you can perhaps pick and chose where to live, depending on the economy and your industry at the time. Also, really study the field. Find out the specific jobs there are - which ones are more in demand and what is the average salary for each. Also, where are most of those jobs? Big in the north but not so much in the south? What states have the most engineering jobs? Which have the least? This might help you decide which specific classes to take or which area you want to specialize in. If your instrucutors in college end up being people who still work in the field or who left the field not too long ago, ask them questions. Start networking in school. Show them you are the one that deserves to be hired in the field and they might go to you with any job offers they hear of. Last of all, and along the same lines as researching the field, find out if there are any types of licenses or certifications that are good to have and your future resume. Schools might not provide them, so you might need to find out what they are and how to get them. A good example are ITs. If you are an IT right out of school with a degree and nothing more you are one of a billion ITs. You might get a job but not one that pays a lot. Yet for those that take the time to get MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), A+ certified, or other similar qualifications (CISCO and NOVELL I think both offer certifications as well and are big name companies in the IT world) then your resume might stand out and get moved to or towards the top of the stack, which means you get an interview and Mr. Nothingbutthedegree has his resume tossed in the trash. Don't underestimate this. I got my bachelors in graphic design. The first job I got an interview too (ended up being my first job) the owner/my boss said he liked the way my resume looked, that I put effort into it. In my field that is what it takes, but for you it could very well be certifications or something similar. Get yourself into a really good school first of all. The better the shool, the more likely they will actually help you out in everything I listed above. - Zuldaris 80 d/d elementalist Alts: Zulyr, Kuldaris, Fizilkrank, Sallvitor
The best advice I can give has already been said, check out the current job market and average salaries. You may not be spending your own money on the degree, but you also don't want to waste it. Nothing worse than finding out that the average salary is only 10k more than minimum wage! I can't recommend schools, but for sure, do the job research before you attempt to get the degree that's for sure.
It honestly does depends where in Texas you are. I live in Sugar Land (you can all stfu right now) and it's actually pretty nice, though Houston (~20 minutes away) is pretty awful. Anyway, UT@A is an amazing school. I know you may not enjoy Texas, but Austin is a great city too. On the flip side, University of Houston is also a really good school. UH Downtown and UH Main Campus are where the majority of my friends have gone.
go to Iowa State University Thats where I went, good engineering program. depends which type you want though.