i want to travel, thats what everyone says to me, im like... i want to do that :p

[Edited on November 15, 2005 at 12:14 AM. Reason : .]

11/15/2005 12:13:57 AM

Quote :

"eh gpa doesnt mean too much anyway from anyone ive talked to who's been in the industry a while and gets to see new hires come and go "

unless you have connections, its important to get your foot in the door....a good GPA can be the "first cut" of potential candidates. Speaking strictly from my companies view, we won't interview people under a certain GPA (3.5) unless they have something else that sets them apart from the rest (lots of experience, a specialization in something we have a dire need for, etc)

i would agree that a high GPA doesnt mean a better worker...but for getting your foot in the door, it can be important. once you're in, it doesnt mean shit anymore.

Quote :

"im going for sales engineer myself, lots more $$"

there no guarantee on that. the people i know in sales engineering started off with a much lower salary, but they can make commission...so they have the potential to do well. i personally like the security of not having my pay based on sales (which can be very up and down), but thats just me.

[Edited on November 15, 2005 at 9:59 AM. Reason : f]

11/15/2005 9:58:20 AM

yeah, cuz im under 3.5 and not co-oped im not gonna get the perfect job straight outta college , but hey wheres the fun in not being able to move up plus i have social skills which most engineers lack heavily from working retail for so damn long :\, which is why I kinda wanna do sales engineer because I hate design (unless it's networking)

[Edited on November 15, 2005 at 11:49 AM. Reason : blah blah blah, time to go take ECE 422 test 3]

11/15/2005 11:46:08 AM

people keep saying - "engineers don't have social skills" - they must weed all of those out b/c i haven't worked with one in a long time

11/15/2005 11:53:35 AM

engineers have satisfactory social skills.

if they are lacking in anything, it is the artifical and plastic warmth that salespeople are required to use in order to kiss up to anyone and everyone.

not sure if that sort of ability really qualifies as "social skills" but whateva.

[Edited on November 15, 2005 at 12:16 PM. Reason : s]

11/15/2005 12:16:13 PM

we're blunt and calculating which leads us to say exactly what we mean, and sometimes it can be a little cold or mean... which can be construed as poor social skills...

11/15/2005 1:13:02 PM

I agree with Excoriator and Dumbass

11/15/2005 3:00:05 PM

My GPA is at 3.6 but it has been in decline for the past few semesters. Luckily I have two co-op rotations behind me so I just have to work hard to keep my GPA 3.5+

11/15/2005 3:17:37 PM

I am looking to be inspired! That wasn't clicking in ECE! Perhaps, I was taking too much out of it. I dunno, I just ECE curriculum @ NC-STATE isn't built for me. I took ECE 200 and took ECE206 together. I could've done better at ece206 if it weren't for 200. Then, I was looking at book for ECE 211 and GODDAMNIT, if I had that book I would've aced the ECE 200. I learn through the book. That is always how I have been.

11/15/2005 4:54:43 PM

So what are you going to switch to Samurai?


I mean, are you getting out of it becuase you don't want all the work, or are you switching to another engineering becuase you hate ECE...?

Just wondering if it's becuase you want more free time and not have to work as hard, or becuase you don't want to design integrated circuits for a living..or both

11/15/2005 7:11:17 PM

switch to physics, it is infinitely more interesting than ECE and you can still get a job.

11/15/2005 11:02:27 PM

Is it too late to give up on ECE 3 years in?

11/15/2005 11:44:14 PM

I just want more free time yes and I want to see the result of my hardwork. That means, if I study, I want good grades not grades I want to get by with.

11/15/2005 11:55:00 PM

Quote :

"Is it too late to give up on ECE 3 years in?"

owned

11/16/2005 1:06:18 AM

Quote :

"Is it too late to give up on ECE 3 years in? "

<3

11/16/2005 8:49:53 AM

Quote :

"I just want more free time yes and I want to see the result of my hardwork. That means, if I study, I want good grades not grades I want to get by with."

welcome to engineering, the major that strives for the average. If a test average was too high, the next test will be made much harder to correct the curve. If you come out of the class with a C, the professor feels he has done his job.

You can study all day, every day, and do just as well as someone that glances over the homework. You want to know why? Because the test problems are always something you've never seen anything like.

11/16/2005 9:20:26 AM

It is amazing how that letter grade can mean so much. If you get C's when you made an effort for an A, you tend to feel inadequate, frustrated and angry.

11/16/2005 10:29:20 AM

Computer Engineering is fascinating up to an extent but I don't tend to enjoy it in a traditional teaching environment.

11/16/2005 10:30:56 AM

yea i wish someone told me it was either ece or social life......because i def found out the hard way fucking bitches and drinking wont really help an ece degree

11/16/2005 10:37:45 AM

Quote :

"i wish someone told me it was either ece or social life"

why? its not true.

11/16/2005 12:11:13 PM

yes it is, unless classes get easier after ece200

11/16/2005 2:20:31 PM

you get used to it

Cs get degrees

11/16/2005 2:22:34 PM

there's a social life - not as much of one as a psychology major, but you should still be able to enjoy weekends as long as you study hard during the week.

in answer to your question, the classes don't get easier after ece 200. good try tho

Quote :

"the test problems are always something you've never seen anything like."

welcome to college, friend, where learning concepts and their application is given priority over formula sheets and plug-chug problems.

[Edited on November 16, 2005 at 2:30 PM. Reason : s]

11/16/2005 2:28:29 PM

200 isnt too bad

11/16/2005 2:28:48 PM

If I retake it it won't be and if I use ECE211 book

11/16/2005 2:40:24 PM

ece200 is the 3rd easiest major course i've had (behind only 212 and 407...which is not completed yet). i guess 200 is hard if you want to fully understand the material...but i was content with getting an A and doing limited amounts of work

11/16/2005 2:53:32 PM

Really, I only worked hard through the 200's. I put effort in the 300's, and I don't really do anything in the 400's.

As far as social life goes, live it up! You should be out every Friday and Saturday night. I like to squeeze the occasional weekday in.

11/16/2005 5:21:28 PM

I'm not saying that the content of ECE200 is difficult. Hell, I got a 107 on the first test.

I am saying the course is ridiculously time consuming. Weekly homeworks take between 4-6 hours. 15 page lab reports take 6-8 hours every week. Labs take 3 hours even though this typically was not enough time for us to finish. So we had to attempt to come to other sections, but they were all full. And once you got done with your lab(after showing up to other sections), you could try to start working on the hardware project, which had its own reports. Finally, not going to class is a death wish. So, do I think this class is time consuming? Yea.

How about this: do the classes get less time consuming?

I'm guessing no.

11/16/2005 6:23:47 PM

Quote :

"You can study all day, every day, and do just as well as someone that glances over the homework. You want to know why? Because the test problems are always something you've never seen anything like."

That is not how ECE is.

You have bad study habbits.

11/16/2005 7:16:12 PM

Quote :

"I am saying the course is ridiculously time consuming. Weekly homeworks take between 4-6 hours. 15 page lab reports take 6-8 hours every week. Labs take 3 hours even though this typically was not enough time for us to finish. So we had to attempt to come to other sections, but they were all full. And once you got done with your lab(after showing up to other sections), you could try to start working on the hardware project, which had its own reports. Finally, not going to class is a death wish. So, do I think this class is time consuming? Yea. "

Damn I'm so glad I graduated.


It's becuase of this engineers are cocky. Anyone who majored in anything else took the easy way out.

My 2nd semester Junior year nearly killed me... literally. About 4 hours of sleep 5 nights a week can get to you.

11/16/2005 7:26:00 PM

Quote :

"How about this: do the classes get less time consuming? I'm guessing no."

If someone in a 400 level class puts forth the same effort they put into a 200 level class, their grade will be higher in the 400 level class than it will be in a class like ECE200. Don't judge ECE based on your experience with ECE200 or ECE220. It gets much better later on.

11/16/2005 7:31:35 PM

that's good to know

11/16/2005 8:44:19 PM

Quote :

"My 2nd semester Junior year nearly killed me... literally. About 4 hours of sleep 5 nights a week can get to you."

what the fuck man

you get all As or something?

if the homework looks like it is going to take 5 hours, dont do it

study for the test

1% v 25%

lets see

hmmmmm

engineers and their logical reasoning skills

11/16/2005 8:56:41 PM

I am going to try different classes, if it works out better. If it doesn't, then I will do what I can for ECE

11/16/2005 9:11:16 PM

^

No shame man, no shame

best of luck

ps : dont shit talk chass majors next time



[Edited on November 16, 2005 at 9:19 PM. Reason : its just not going to help]

11/16/2005 9:19:18 PM

Quote :

"what the fuck man you get all As or something? if the homework looks like it is going to take 5 hours, dont do it study for the test 1% v 25% lets see hmmmmm engineers and their logical reasoning skills "

Well... i was working about 20 hours a week. Plus, I was taking Hydrology, Reinforced Concrete Design, Structural Steel Design, Structural Analysis 2, and Traffic Engineering (With Hummer... the class is easy if you don't have Hummer). Those are all design courses and require a semester project... and Concrete, Steel, and Struct. Analysis II are notoriously hard... much less taking them together

Anywho, I actually did really terrible that semester... got my first and only D ever in Reinforced Concrete Design (Which is probably the hardest undergrad class in C.E. if you take it with certain teachers). I studied my ass off... still did terrible.

Like someone said... that's just the way it is in engineering. They beat you down continuously.. I guess I just never let it get the best of me. Going to get my masters next year

[Edited on November 16, 2005 at 10:12 PM. Reason : sdfs]

11/16/2005 10:09:40 PM

^

I apolgize. I thought you were talking about ECE. I can not relate to a CE's course load.

11/16/2005 11:30:56 PM

There are two main types of people in ECE classes:

1) The vocal, cocky minority. These people in fact are very smart and therefore can get by in ECE classes without doing much work. All of the people posting in this thread saying ECE classes are "easy" or anything of the sort are those types of people. You have to remember that they represent a very small portion of the ECE department and you can safely ignore anything they say.

2) The rest of the class. Everyone else realizes that ECE is in fact a HARD major. It requires a ton of work and studying. Most of the people I know in the major are constantly stressed out and depressed. Homeworks can often take up to 8-10 hours depending on the class. Studying for a test can be long and extensive. Most of these people have to go to office hours and spend much of their time buried in the book just to stay up with class.

One of the most popular things to do I see students doing is talking about how easy a class is once they manage to pass it. When you are in ECE211 or ECE220, ECE200 was a joke. When you are in ECE301, ECE211/ECE220 was so easy. In fact, that is not true.

Is ECE200 hard at the time? Yes. 200 and 206 are supposed to be weed out courses after all with the second round being mainly 220. Of courses a junior or senior in ECE will say ECE200 is a really easy course ... to them now. There is no reason to be ashamed of struggling in entry level ECEs, most people did.

[Edited on November 17, 2005 at 11:56 AM. Reason : .]

11/17/2005 11:50:41 AM

Quote :

"One of the most popular things to do I see students doing is talking about how easy a class is once they manage to pass it. When you are in ECE211 or ECE220, ECE200 was a joke. When you are in ECE301, ECE211/ECE220 was so easy. In fact, that is not true."

I notice that too in CE.

After I looked back on classes like Statics, Dynamics, Mechanics of Solids, etc. It's easy to say "Damn, those classes were such a joke". But at the time, I struggled like hell through them too.

Most classes are equally hard at the time (I mean, there's always going to be some tougher classes than others)

Point being, if you're a CE, for instance, don't listen to the idiots that say "You had a hard time with statics? Drop out now". Doesn't work that way. I had just as much of a hellacious time with Statics at the time I took it that I did with 400 level classes like Structural Steel Design.

[Edited on November 17, 2005 at 12:46 PM. Reason : sdfsd]

11/17/2005 12:46:06 PM

Quote :

"Structural Steel Design. "

sounds so much leeter then power systems

11/17/2005 1:07:45 PM

Quote :

"One of the most popular things to do I see students doing is talking about how easy a class is once they manage to pass it. When you are in ECE211 or ECE220, ECE200 was a joke. When you are in ECE301, ECE211/ECE220 was so easy. In fact, that is not true."

Yeah, in retrospect they all seem easy but that is because you've had the concepts engrained in your head. For example, if you take ECE420 you will have had the fundemental concepts taught in 220, 301, and 402. Of course looking back at 220 then, it will seem easy.

11/17/2005 1:25:14 PM

ECE is by far one of the best majors at State. My partner and I just finishing building this collision avoidance RC car. http://tripp.smugmug.com/photos/44706886-M.jpg ECE really does start off hard, especially in 200 and 206. They really try to weed out people since there's an enormous flood of incoming ECE students. You gotta seperate the good from the bad.

11/17/2005 9:01:43 PM

ECE rolls have dropped 15% this semester, guess that weeding out works huh?

11/17/2005 10:29:25 PM

It's kind of hard to accept such classes as weeding per se when they don't get any easier. ppl are just most likely to drop with those classes, b/c by the time they realize it's not getting easier, they know they're already capable of it anyway...

I was going for an EE degree myself, but as a dual major with nuclear, and with hopes of graduating soon, it just got dropped. I understand where most everyone in this thread are comming from, there are very different learning styles from person to person. But after 206, 220, and 211 I had a GPA of about 3.5 in EE. My NE major GPA is about 2.8, and I find those numbers to be dead accurate in showing the relitive difficulity for me. ECE is hard enough to keep even the naturals entertained at the least, but for those people, it's definitley not a life or death matter to pass. But then I've talked to countless people who are just like "I can't do it, it just doesn't work for me".

The labs were tedious, and by that I mean 200 labs.

The HWs I didn't think were that bad. Sure, they can take 4-8 hours (i say this b/c it would have taken me like 4, would have taken some people less but you know), but for 211 they had a whole problem session for you to do your HW, now that's not bad, that's the administration actually responding to the frustration and difficulity encountered by the students, a luxury that you should thank your lucky stars for. But even 8 hours can't shake a stick at some of the stuff I've gotten from Nuclear. For a major that really means something, you should be prepared to treat your courseload like a job. One with terrible hours, requiring constant overtime, you can have as much of life as what's left. This isn't a liberal arts school. I hope you wouldn't go through a graduate program regreting that every other day you can't spend drinking and socializing to your hearts content. And a lot of that same mentality has to reflect on the upperclassmen side of the undergraduate programs.

You can't say that ECE is a bad, or even hard program from what you hear from people in it. That mostly comes from the fact that it's popular. I've met quite a few people in this school who failed out of it taking the classes that I got A+s in, and I'm struggling to get the fuck by in a lot of my workload now. if you're a popular program, you're gona get those people. ECE in particular also gets a lot that just don't have a brain that works for the stuff.

there are more difficult programs that ECE. In particular I give hats off to Materials S&E and boimedical engineering. I think my brain doesn't work well for those areas, in nuclear the difficulity feels like EE, only with a blindfold on and a hand tied behind my back. we have to have fairly advanced computing methods at times, and we don't have a 220 class to teach them, only a teacher who gets a question and says "itterate!".


people have started to piss me off who talk about "people who graduate with this get this" and "this hard work is gona pay off at this time". if the work gets easier, i expect that something went wrong. find a specification within your field that you like and chase it. I'm sure you'll get a paycheck at the end of the day.

11/18/2005 3:20:16 AM

Thanks frog, I have realized that I have strengths which most Engineers would say there weaknesses are in. Thus, I am going to try out different courses to see if it is really the major that is not clicking or is it just me.

11/18/2005 12:27:44 PM

^ ECE200 basically introduces you to the fundamentals of any possible specialization within EE. You are not supposed to be an expert on any of it. Everything that you didn't understand from the class, you will learn over the next couple of years. If there are at least 3 topics in ECE200 that you found interesting (even if you didn't fully understand them because you didn't spend enough time on it) and you want to learn more about, stick with it! After the 300 level classes, you get to pick classes you are most interested in. If you are truely interested in the material, you won't mind the workload later on.

11/18/2005 2:27:03 PM

Quote :

"If you are truely interested in the material, you won't mind the workload later on. "

very true. senior design probably took the most work out of any of my classes, but it was also by far my favorite. i looked forward to going to the lab every day and working on my electronics.

i think the entry level courses are the toughest to get through..not because of the material being any harder, but just because its all theory, without a lot of hands on work or "real world" applications. ece200 is an exception, but it touches so briefly on so many things, thats i can understand people getting overwhelmed by it.

11/18/2005 2:35:02 PM

Thank you for the support JTRabb, I guess when I was going in, I didn't know what I was getting into.

11/18/2005 8:09:48 PM

Quote :

"very true. senior design probably took the most work out of any of my classes, but it was also by far my favorite. "

Same here.

11/18/2005 8:49:53 PM

I agree with the frog. ECE isn't impossible, or even that hard for everybody.
I took circuits and digital when I first came to NCSU as an undergrad. I was genuinely interested in ECE, and in the course of one semester they managed to convince it wasn't for me. I had a 2-yr degree in electronics from before I got to NCSU and I was shocked to find out my lowly community college had much better lab equiptment than NCSU ! (I'm sure they have better by now and doubtless the higher level labs have nice toys, I hope).

However, it wasn't the lame labs in the 200-level courses that chased me off. It was the general attitude of the students and professors. Anytime my class got a little down the professor would try to cheer them up by giving some short speach about the introductory salaries of NCSU grads. Maybe I'm to idealistic but it about made me want to puke. I began to wonder if any of my classmates were at all interested in anything except making money or fufilling their parents expectations. I on the other hand was genuinely interested in learning, gee what a concept going to college to learn stuff.

During that same semester I was attending modern physics with Dr. Reynolds. There could not be more contrast. In physics I had a professor that was genuinely interested in answering my questions. And my classmates were generally interested in the course because they actually wanted to learn the subject matter. Ok, truth be told I've always been a math-physicsist at heart. But the engineering department would do better for itself to try to challange people like me into staying in their program. I got A's in the courses I took, and all my ECE friends were like why are you leaving? The answer is simple. I want to learn, not just jump thru hoops to make $$$.

I've taken this philosophy to it extreme but logical conclusion. I'm a math student and I make about
1/2 as much as I could be making with my 2yr electronics degree. I don't regret it, teaching is fun and research is great!

11/18/2005 9:51:06 PM