What branch of engineering should I opt for ?

[Justaphysicsnerd]

Next year, I will be going to an engineering college. And as a child, I have always dreamt of working at AMD or Nvidia or Intel designing new hardware like CPUs and GPUs. So what department of engineering should I opt for ? A few friends of mine (older than me) who are currently in colleges have picked Computer Science Engineering, because that is what I have heard my teachers say, that If you get a gud college, you should go for CSE. But I don't know anything about this kinda stuff. Nobody from my family or even my distant relatives is an engineer. So, I just wanted to ask what branch should I opt for ? electrical or electronics or some other branch. I have always thought of designing new hardware more exciting than coding. To be fair, I do know some programming languages like C++, Python  and C i.e. I am also interested in coding, but then won't a job that requires only coding a bit boring ? 

[WereCatf]

2 minutes ago, Justaphysicsnerd said:

have always dreamt of working at AMD or Nvidia or Intel designing new hardware like CPUs and GPUs. So what department of engineering should I opt for ? A few friends of mine (older than me) who are currently in colleges have picked Computer Science Engineering, because that is what I have heard my teachers say, that If you get a gud college, you should go for CSE

Computer-sciences are more about software-side of things, like programming, analytics and stuff. CPU-, GPU- etc. design is about electrical engineering. There is obviously some overlap, but not that much.

[Justaphysicsnerd]

1 minute ago, WereCatf said:

Computer-sciences are more about software-side of things, like programming, analytics and stuff. CPU-, GPU- etc. design is about electrical engineering. There is obviously some overlap, but not that much.

So...I should go for electrical then if possible ?

[Kilrah]

Looks like CSE encompasses both software and hardware now, so I guess once you get into this you'll further refine your selection towards one or the other.

 

https://www.myklassroom.com/Engineering-branches/2/Computer-Science-&-Engg.-(CSE)#:~:text=Computer Science Engineering (CSE) encompasses,engineering%2C mathematics%2C and linguistics.

[Bananasplit_00]

If you want to do chip design then electrical engineering.

 

Hope you like maaaaths

[Justaphysicsnerd]

48 minutes ago, Bananasplit_00 said:

Hope you like maaaaths

Well not to brag about myself, but I am good at it as per what my teachers say

[Bananasplit_00]

4 minutes ago, Justaphysicsnerd said:

Well not to brag about myself, but I am good at it as per what my teachers say

Just be prepared to do more maths than you have ever done before

Im in my first year of electrical engineering now and it's been more maths than all of high-school already it's great fun though, not the maths maybe but all the other courses are! Digital design(logic gates, transistors and all that) has been extremely enjoyable as you can start applying everything you know about CPUs and stuff and REALLY start to understand why and how and all that

 

[Justaphysicsnerd]

1 hour ago, CircleTech said:

But judging by your PFP, I am going to guess the United States

WAIT A MINUTE.............

Spoiler

sorry but I live in India

 

1 hour ago, CircleTech said:

Four semesters of math - Calculus 1, 2, 3, and differential equations.

I don't know, how the education works in United States. But I do know Differential Calculus and Integral Calculus and how to solve some very very basic ODEs (I know there are some ultra THICC books just on ODE, not to talk about PDEs)

 

1 hour ago, CircleTech said:

Two to three semesters of Physics - Physics 1 and 2, calculus-based. Engineers sometimes have to take take modern Physics as a required Elective.

Based on what I found on Khan Academy, yes in India we are taught more than that.

 

1 hour ago, CircleTech said:

one to Two semesters of Chemistry - Some universities require Mechanical Engineers to take Organic Chemistry. 

Yep, in India we classify chemistry into 3 parts which might sound weird, so hear me out : there is Physical Chemistry i.e. the topics that overlap between Physics and Chemistry, then Inorganic Chem and Organic Chem is a necessity (I don't like it that much though

 

1 hour ago, CircleTech said:

have you ever done anything with electronics like, at all?

I had once tried to design a remote controlled drone or something, also did some hydraulic lift stuff once.

 

1 hour ago, CircleTech said:

none of that sounds fun to you, then I have already answered your question.

THAT SOUNDS REAL FUN ! In fact, I am going to get a new PC, because my current one can't even open file explorer without taking a hot minute or two.

 

1 hour ago, CircleTech said:

Because your post makes you sound just like me.

Thanks, you sound like a real nice guy. I am an introvert so its really new experience for me talking to someone. And you as a stranger have helped me so much by your post. I do plan to give the SAT and even if I don't get selected via SAT, I can apply for US colleges as a transfer student.

 

1 hour ago, CircleTech said:

Since I was five, I had been playing around with electronics, and wanted to become an electrical engineer.

I used to take a screw drive since I was six and break apart any toy or electrical gadget my parents would get me. Once they got me a remote controlled gundam robot or something. I took it apart within a day or two (with my teeth and the screw driver) + my dad owns a Shop which sells some kinda electrical equipment used in industries so.....yeah I used to bring old stuff from the shop ( stuff which was already broken) and take it apart .

 

1 hour ago, CircleTech said:

If you think math is easy and fun now, then let's see if you can integrate this.

1 hour ago, CircleTech said:

Oh yeah, and you will see this math second-semester freshman year regardless of the engineering you choose. You probably won't see such a problem on a test however.

so...you might have figured out by now that yes these kinds of problems are quite common for me and I think College math is gonna be harder than this for sure.

[Justaphysicsnerd]

1 hour ago, CircleTech said:

There's high school good, and then there's college good. College is on a whole-nother level.

 

If you think math is easy and fun now, then let's see if you can integrate this. Because I sure can't, and a problem very similar to this one was in my calculus textbook:

 

 

Solution:

 

http://sites.science.oregonstate.edu/math/home/programs/undergrad/CalculusQuestStudyGuides/integration/integration.html

 

Oh yeah, and you will see this math second-semester freshman year regardless of the engineering you choose. You probably won't see such a problem on a test however.

Your post has inspired me, as earlier today I was a bit depressed regarding what will happen with my future, but your post had filled me with courage, confidence and enthusiasm and a lot of optimism. Man, I wish I was in the USA or Canada, student life there sounds more fun than in India where you have to study at least 10-12 hours a day, besides school to get into a good college. Hope my exams in February go real nice !