Any Automotive Engineers ?

Muscle Master · 07-28-2009, 01:18 AM

I'm wondering is there any automotive engineers on Camaro5, I'm asking because I'm too is on the road to become one, I just want to ask how did you accomplish your goals, what types of experience you have ...etc I'm very interested to hear

right know I'm working on my associates for automotive technology at Lincoln tech and will finish the program Oct. of 2010, and when I'm done, still haven't decided whether to go straight to college for my BA in engineering, (my top three choices are MIT, Villanova, and Penn state) or go ahead and get some experience in the field and get my ASE Master tech status and others, and go to college part time

don't know what to do, but next year is a long way off so I hope I'll figure it out

FenwickHockey65 · 07-28-2009, 01:22 AM

Methinks Number 3 might be able to advise you.

JHart · 07-28-2009, 03:56 AM

i wanna go into automotive technology after high school. what do i have to be in order to become a automotive technician like the main guy who walks around with a computer in his hands telling the mechanics what to do??? that's what i wanna do. lol.

Metal Gear SS · 07-28-2009, 03:59 AM

I'd like to see what Number3 and other OGs have to say about this topic.

Muscle Master · 07-28-2009, 12:50 PM

Bump

Muscle Master · 07-28-2009, 03:19 PM

You mean to tell me that there no engineers here ?

UCF w00t · 07-28-2009, 03:28 PM

Hate to tell ya but you might as well scratch MIT off your list. Being that you're going to a tech school and not a community college, I'm not sure how much luck you'll have getting accepted to the other two either. They both have acceptance rates in the 50% ball park.

Your best course of action, if that's what you want to do, would be to go to a more traditional community college and get your AS degree and then get your BS in whatever type of engineering you want (mechanical, industrial, computer, electrical) and probably even MS at a university.

Muscle Master · 07-28-2009, 03:37 PM

I'm pretty sure I will be accepted ether villanova or penn state, I have great sat and act scores and my high school grades are impeccable, just chose to hold of on college for a bit

UCF w00t · 07-28-2009, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muscle Master

I'm pretty sure I will be accepted ether villanova or penn state, I have great sat and act scores and my high school grades are impeccable, just chose to hold of on college for a bit

Gotcha. Just make sure you're prepared for lots of studying and lots of math and science. What sort of engineering do you want to do? Pretty much any of the fields have applications in the automotive industry. You just need to find your niche and figure out what's most interesting.

Muscle Master · 07-28-2009, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UCF w00t

Gotcha. Just make sure you're prepared for lots of studying and lots of math and science. What sort of engineering do you want to do? Pretty much any of the fields have applications in the automotive industry. You just need to find your niche and figure out what's most interesting.

I guess I'll just start out with mechanical engineering, ehhhh I'm ready for it but. I hate math ...... Give me the low-down, how difficult is the math ?

Vash · 07-28-2009, 04:00 PM

Engineering is math.... in one way or another.

So of course it's not gonna be cakewalk. You should have a career plan first so you don't waste time in classes you don't need. Good luck.

UCF w00t · 07-28-2009, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muscle Master

I guess I'll just start out with mechanical engineering, ehhhh I'm ready for it but. I hate math ...... Give me the low-down, how difficult is the math ?

Did you take pre-calc and/or calc in high school? Are you at least are familiar with what calculus is? And you say you had a good GPA and what not in high school... was that in regular classes or honors/AP? I would suggest you do some research. "I guess I'll just start out with mechanical engineering" is a recipe for disaster.

For undergrad, Engineering, in general, is probably harder than any other degree and more people switch out of engineering than anything else.

Number 3 · 07-28-2009, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muscle Master

I'm wondering is there any automotive engineers on Camaro5, I'm asking because I'm too is on the road to become one, I just want to ask how did you accomplish your goals, what types of experience you have ...etc I'm very interested to hear

right know I'm working on my associates for automotive technology at Lincoln tech and will finish the program Oct. of 2010, and when I'm done, still haven't decided whether to go straight to college for my BA in engineering, (my top three choices are MIT, Villanova, and Penn state) or go ahead and get some experience in the field and get my ASE Master tech status and others, and go to college part time

don't know what to do, but next year is a long way off so I hope I'll figure it out

Well there is a huge difference between getting a ASE Master Tech certification and an Engineering Degree.

You haven't really stated what you hope to do for a career. If you aspire to be an engineer, you will find it very difficult to land that job with an associates degree or certification.

Also, most 2 year associates degrees that would get you a technicians job (hydraulics, electronics) are likely missing the core engineering coursework you will need for engineering.

For example, Laurence Tech in Michigan offers a 4 year Engineering Technologies degree. Some places do not recognize this as an Engineering degree as the math and science requirements are less.

So if you truly want to be an Automotive Engineer, you will need to get into the full bore Calculus through Differential Equations, as well as University Level Physics. College Level Physics does not require Calculus.

And I would also suggest if you truly want to be an Engineer in the Automotive Industry, look at Kettering University (FKA GMI) in Flint, Michigan.

Also, you will have to decide what discipline you want to focus on. I am a Mechanical Engineer with a Masters Degree in the same. However so much of the future in the Auto Industry is Electronics based, it might be worth a real close look at an Electrical Engineering Degree. With Battery Technologies and Electric Propulsion on the forefront, it would be a safe bet. Not to mention the possibilties in Infotainment, Safety Sensing and Systems......

Now if you want to do Body or Chassis or do Ride and Handling Development, then a degree in Mechanical Engineering would likely suit you best.

As far as getting experience in the field, experience is always a good thing. Plus depending on your financial situation, working may help there as well. But if you want to be an Engineer, don't slow down. You will run the risk of building a life down a different path and it will be harder to get back to school.

And yes, MIT is hard to get into. The most brilliant individual I know went there for a dual Masters Degree from the Sloan School of Business and the Engineering School. He aced his ACT, SAT and board exams. But if it's what you want and you've got the grades do not be disuaded by the effort...........or the tuition bill.

I have had a very rewarding career at GM and have had the opportunity to do some really fun stuff. I've had my hand in our trucks and cars and can say almost everybody panel on the C6 except the side doors was done by my group, one of the best bunch of guys I've had the good fortune to work with. I will retire someday and know I had a career very much in line with my passion for cars.

If you really would like more answers or advice, please PM me and I would be happy to help you with your questions.

UCF w00t · 07-30-2009, 02:18 PM

So this is unrelated but the math/physics talk reminded me.

In college I thought I'd never use any of it. I was wrong, sorta.

I'm working on an app for Windows Mobile phones to do 0-60times, etc. All the ones out now suck. The accelerometer gives it's output in m/s2 acceleration. GPS isn't accurate enough to use for speed. So I was in the shower and it hit me... the area under the curve!!! Just take a derivative stupid! That should, in theory, give me the current velocity and I could even take another derivative to get the current position. Obviously in practice it's not actually taking a derivative as I'm not exactly given an equation but that's the principle it's using. Now I just need to figure out if the accelerometer's error will be small enough and I can get it accurate enough. Might have to do some interesting math to get an average or something and interpolate it.

So to all you kids out there, you might actually use this stuff one day

07-28-2009, 01:22 AM	#2
FenwickHockey65 General Motors Aficionado Drives: 2023 GMC Canyon, 2023 Expedition Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 37,375 View My Garage	Methinks Number 3 might be able to advise you. __________________ 2023 GMC Canyon Elevation 2023 Ford Expedition SSV (State-Issued)

07-28-2009, 03:56 AM	#3
JHart I haz camaro again :) Drives: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 1SS Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Union, South Carolina Posts: 660	i wanna go into automotive technology after high school. what do i have to be in order to become a automotive technician like the main guy who walks around with a computer in his hands telling the mechanics what to do??? that's what i wanna do. lol. __________________ 2010 Camaro 1SS(back in a camaro again, yessssss!) 2010 silverado z71 ccsb(sold, old dd) 2010 camaro1ss(sold, missed, will have another someday)

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07-28-2009, 03:59 AM	#4
Metal Gear SS Drives: 1987 Chevrolet Corvette Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: O'ahu, Hawaii Posts: 381	I'd like to see what Number3 and other OGs have to say about this topic.

07-28-2009, 03:28 PM	#7
UCF w00t Geek Drives: IOM 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Orlando Posts: 4,451	Hate to tell ya but you might as well scratch MIT off your list. Being that you're going to a tech school and not a community college, I'm not sure how much luck you'll have getting accepted to the other two either. They both have acceptance rates in the 50% ball park. Your best course of action, if that's what you want to do, would be to go to a more traditional community college and get your AS degree and then get your BS in whatever type of engineering you want (mechanical, industrial, computer, electrical) and probably even MS at a university.

07-28-2009, 04:00 PM	#11
Vash Drives: 00 Blazer Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 5,100	Engineering is math.... in one way or another. So of course it's not gonna be cakewalk. You should have a career plan first so you don't waste time in classes you don't need. Good luck.

07-30-2009, 02:18 PM	#14
UCF w00t Geek Drives: IOM 2010 Camaro 2SS Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Orlando Posts: 4,451	So this is unrelated but the math/physics talk reminded me. In college I thought I'd never use any of it. I was wrong, sorta. I'm working on an app for Windows Mobile phones to do 0-60times, etc. All the ones out now suck. The accelerometer gives it's output in m/s2 acceleration. GPS isn't accurate enough to use for speed. So I was in the shower and it hit me... the area under the curve!!! Just take a derivative stupid! That should, in theory, give me the current velocity and I could even take another derivative to get the current position. Obviously in practice it's not actually taking a derivative as I'm not exactly given an equation but that's the principle it's using. Now I just need to figure out if the accelerometer's error will be small enough and I can get it accurate enough. Might have to do some interesting math to get an average or something and interpolate it. So to all you kids out there, you might actually use this stuff one day