I'm halfway through my junior year in ECE and I have just about no clue what I want to do with it. I currently am in the second rotation of a co-op (substation protection & control), but I can't say that's what I want to do. I would like to try something in computer engineering, so I've been considering internships over the summer. All the internships I see are either programming or testing: writing test cases, writing automated tests. Has anyone actually had an interesting internship/co-op, especially CPE, that they can recommend?

Another thing is grad school. I hear a lot of different things. Some stats say there is like a $15k salary gap between each degree, but then people say that a master's degree will just make you overqualified. I'm not interested in teaching, but I'd hope that a master's would offer more interesting positions. Maybe industrial research. One thing I worry about is that it seems you have to know exactly what problem you want to research. I know which fields I'd be interested in, but I really don't even understand how you go about choosing specific problems and I'd need to know that now since I should be applying now, right? Would it be worth it to try undergraduate research to test the water; is it valuable for applications? I don't even want to think about recommendations. Did I miss the part where you're supposed to befriend each one of your professors in a class of 100 when you're getting along just fine?

Perhaps the biggest problem is I don't know where I want to go. I haven't taken any spec electives yet, so I hope that helps me out. I like programming. I enjoyed 306/212/206, but maybe just because I thought they were easy.

Summary:
1. Any suggestions for interesting CPE internships/co-ops?
2. Do master's/Ph.D really make a lot more?
3. How do you find out what exactly to do research on? Do you need to know this when applying?
4. Is there any benefit to a non-thesis master's, because I think maybe I just want some more course-work after undergrad.
5. Thoughts on undergrad research?
6. What am I going to do for the rest of my life?
7. Am I worrying too much?

4/4/2007 12:48:17 PM

I found website that had some interesting salaray info, but then I found this on the same site:

Quote :

"As mentioned, any CE degree has a maximum lifespan of 5 years. If you do not keep learning new languages and stay ahead of the curve, it will be difficult to keep your own job -- much less get another. "

Quote :

"What are the fellow students like (personalitywise) in it? Fellow students in CE are by and large very bright, logical thinkers who also have fragile egos, are 'needy' in relationships, and have low confidence. This is because a computer screen is not a very good proving ground for confidence and competency. Most are pale faced, unhappy and hopeful at the same time, and gutless."

so I'm not 100% on the reliability of this site.

4/4/2007 12:52:17 PM

You know Jere, you actually don't have to get an advanced degree in ECE. Just a thought.

4/4/2007 12:52:49 PM

I don't?

4/4/2007 12:53:38 PM

No. I probably won't be getting an advanced degree in chemistry. As long as you can prove to the school that you have a basic understanding of the subject matter and an ability to learn, that would help you.

Or so I've been told before in the past.

4/4/2007 1:14:41 PM

you should go to grad school and do research under Dr. Steer

4/4/2007 8:00:20 PM

haha, I almost put a steer quote in this thread:

"65% of your class will get master's degrees" or something. I'm not totally convined on that one...

also, he had this research project, which was kind of like a club, Dinosauria; so I actually went to the info meeting, emailed him telling him I was interested and everything. no response ever. I guess he dissolved the whole thing, but it's more likely he hated me.

4/4/2007 9:28:11 PM

Summary:
2. Do master's/Ph.D really make a lot more?

From what I've seen, yes. About a 10k difference between MS and BS, and nearly 15K between the MS and PhD

3. How do you find out what exactly to do research on? Do you need to know this when applying?

It helps to have a general idea. You just need to go talk to the different professors, tell them what you like, see what they do, and maybe they'll be your advisor.

4. Is there any benefit to a non-thesis master's, because I think maybe I just want some more course-work after undergrad.

Do this if you don't really care on doing a PhD afterwards or desire to do research as your profession. The advantage is that you'll get some exposure to other types of classes.

6. What am I going to do for the rest of my life?

If I had a choice, I'd sit on my ass all day, watching the Price is Right, eating Bojangles and Wendy's, drinking sweet tea and Cheerwine, and playing with my girlfriend's boobs.

7. Am I worrying too much?

No. The problem is most people don't worry enough, they have no plan for after college and just assume they'll get a job when they get out of college. The co-op is a very smart choice, especially in the power industry (which seems that is what you did for yours). Every bit of experience helps, especially if it's meaningful experience. I've interviewed a lot of candidates who did the co-op program who did nothing but secretarial responsibilities. I don't blame them entirely, but it does suck to be in their shoes.

If you have any desire to work in the power industry, take as many classes as you can in it, and possibly pursue a MS, and cross into the controls area as well. After your first job and 1-2 years of experience, you will be a highly sought out commodity, as there aren't enough power engineers to satisfy the demand. This not only means you'll be making a ton of money, but it also means that you have job security and the ability to dictate what your job essentially is (ie working for the best company, working on the projects you want, etc. They will do everything they can to keep you happy).

NCSU unfortunately has a small number of power courses, and I don't even know if Grainger is teaching there anymore. When I approached him and told him that I wanted to learn more about power, he got me accepted into the PhD program at NCSU, which later dropped my funding and I got picked up by Georgia Tech in a work-research consortium between energy companies in the south (I now work for Georgia Power. I was working with Progress, but they dropped out of the consortium, and hence I lost my NCSU funding).

If Power doesn't interest you, though, then don't do it. It's totally worth doing something that you'll enjoy doing. As for what you should do, that's up to you.

Good luck.

4/4/2007 10:07:48 PM

Summary:

Quote :

"1. Any suggestions for interesting CPE internships/co-ops?"

It seems you're doing electric utility internship now...EE is one of the most diverse fields. I did an internship at Progress Energy one summer, but it was more into researching how to optimize feeder loading based on real-time environmental conditions.

Quote :

"2. Do master's/Ph.D really make a lot more?"

The consensus I've heard is that the Master's degree gives you the most "bang-for-buck". But again, it largely depends on the type of work or industry you want to go into. You want to go into circuit or microprocessor design? Strongly consider a Master's degree then. Ph.D is the one that i've heard the "over-qualified" fears. You'll get a feel for this more as you get higher up in the curriculum.

Quote :

"3. How do you find out what exactly to do research on? Do you need to know this when applying?"

http://www.ece.ncsu.edu/research/ugrad/

You don't have to know. Shoot Dr. Mehmet Ozturk an email and say you're interested in doing undergraduate research and would like to know more about the opportunities available. You'll visit his office, tell him what you like and dislike so far in your ECE studies, what topics you're interested in, etc. He'll help you find a project that is suited to you.

Quote :

"4. Is there any benefit to a non-thesis master's, because I think maybe I just want some more course-work after undergrad."

Sure, I know people who have done this. Not a bad way to get a jump-start on your position going into industry.

Quote :

"5. Thoughts on undergrad research?"

Yes, do it! I applied for a NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in EE and spent a summer at the University of Maryland, College Park. I got to see a different department, new people. They had a project outlined and we started to explore it, had a good experience, got to present a poster. Undergraduate research will help you see what is coming down the pipeline, especially since you haven't taken your upper-level electives yet. You'll be able to put those classes into better context. You can use this experience to get to know faculty members and interact with other upper-level of graduate students and learn from them. Looks great on a resume too.

Quote :

"6. What am I going to do for the rest of my life?"

Don't worry about it now. A lot can happen in the next few years.

Quote :

"7. Am I worrying too much?"

No, it's good that you're trying to get feedback now instead of doing nothing.

4/4/2007 10:09:36 PM

Quote :

"1. Any suggestions for interesting CPE internships/co-ops?"

Go talk to Leslie Rand-Pickett. She can be of some help.

Quote :

"2. Do master's/Ph.D really make a lot more?"

If I remember the data collected from the past few years, you get about $10K more starting off with a MS over a BS degree. From chatting with those graduating soon with their BSEE's compared to the offers I got with a MSEE, that seems pretty much in line. Of course that's an average.

Quote :

"3. How do you find out what exactly to do research on? Do you need to know this when applying?"

Popular methods include a dart board, a replica Price is Right wheel, etc. ... Okay I'm just kidding. It's trial and error - you might get lucky and stumble onto something you enjoy working on or you get involved with a project and realize you don't like it that much.

Quote :

"4. Is there any benefit to a non-thesis master's, because I think maybe I just want some more course-work after undergrad."

There's benefits for sure. If you want funding as a non-thesis masters student you won't get it from NCSU since all the TA positions go to PhD and thesis MS students. I did non-thesis because I didn't want to get graded for research but wanted to do it on the side. Typically non-thesis students graduate before thesis students. Dr. Steer tried to convince me to do a thesis because according to him, "...a MS degree is pointless without one." I completely disagree with him but he has a never-ending need for US citizens interested in RF and microwave.

Quote :

"5. Thoughts on undergrad research?"

Can't hurt - helps you narrow down what you might want to do in grad school. And if you stumble into something you enjoy, you could probably more than likely continue that research as a grad student.

Quote :

"6. What am I going to do for the rest of my life?"

^Said it best. Depends where you go and what you do.

Quote :

"7. Am I worrying too much?"

Nope.

Steer is also still doing that Dinosauria project to my knowledge...he has a tendency to sometimes lose e-mails.

4/5/2007 12:49:25 AM

if you get a phd in ece you will over-qualify yourself for most jobs. Depends on if you want to do research and teach or work in a real industry

4/5/2007 1:50:58 PM