Computer engineering for university?

[xnoobftw]

Hello fellow LTT members!

Im currently about to graduate with a diploma in chemical engineering and was wondering what to choose for my university studies.

Since i have a love for computers will computer engineering be appropriate? Seeing as how we are slowly shifting towards an automated future kinda makes me feeling that taking this course will have both interest and financial benefits in the future.

 

Any computer engineers are able to suggest anything? Thank you

 

[straight_stewie]

2 minutes ago, xnoobftw said:

Hello fellow LTT members!

Im currently about to graduate with a diploma in chemical engineering and was wondering what to choose for my university studies.

Since i have a love for computers will computer engineering be appropriate? Seeing as how we are slowly shifting towards an automated future kinda makes me feeling that taking this course will have both interest and financial benefits in the future.

Wait a minute, how'd you get a degree in ChemE without going to uni?

[Canada EH]

1 minute ago, straight_stewie said:

Wait a minute, how'd you get a degree in ChemE without going to uni?

its called forgery!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[xnoobftw]

1 minute ago, straight_stewie said:

Wait a minute, how'd you get a degree in ChemE without going to uni?

Diploma! Singapore's education system is slightly different from yours

[straight_stewie]

1 minute ago, xnoobftw said:

Diploma! Singapore's education system is slightly different from yours

Oh. Can you please elaborate on how it works? I guess the part about getting a diploma in something so advanced before attending any university is really twisting my brain around.

[xnoobftw]

4 minutes ago, straight_stewie said:

Oh. Can you please elaborate on how it works? I guess the part about getting a diploma in something so advanced before attending any university is really twisting my brain around.

7-12 years old = primary school

13-16 years old = secondary school

From here we can branch out 3 ways but im only going to emphasise on the way i went

17-19 years old = polytechnic (diploma)

Due to Singapore's law every male has to attend national service(basically military) for 2 years

19-21 years old = national service

22-24/25yeads old = university(degree)

[straight_stewie]

34 minutes ago, xnoobftw said:

7-12 years old = primary school

13-16 years old = secondary school

From here we can branch out 3 ways but im only going to emphasise on the way i went

17-19 years old = polytechnic (diploma)

Due to Singapore's law every male has to attend national service(basically military) for 2 years

19-21 years old = national service

22-24/25yeads old = university(degree)

That's interesting. 

Anyway, to get to the point, yes. Computer engineering is a valuable degree to get. Really and truly, as far as "future-proofness" and earning power goes, you really can't go wrong with "<something> engineering"

[xnoobftw]

4 hours ago, straight_stewie said:

That's interesting. 

Anyway, to get to the point, yes. Computer engineering is a valuable degree to get. Really and truly, as far as "future-proofness" and earning power goes, you really can't go wrong with "<something> engineering"

How does it compare to chemical engineering then? I saw the statistics and business seems to be earning much more than engineers D:

 

[Nup]

3 hours ago, xnoobftw said:

How does it compare to chemical engineering then? I saw the statistics and business seems to be earning much more than engineers D:

 

Chemical engineering is rich in jobs!! The course I am doing (pharmaceutical science,drug design and development, full title of the course) has people getting job contract offering before their fourth year over. Ireland has a lot of large company there. But I'm sure that your part of the world is likely to have a good deal of industry built up too  

 

cant say I'm familiar engineering to be honest ... 

[cesrai]

7 minutes ago, Nup said:

Chemical engineering is rich in jobs!! The course I am doing (pharmaceutical science,drug design and development, full title of the course) has people getting job contract offering before their fourth year over. Ireland has a lot of large company there. But I'm sure that your part of the world is likely to have a good deal of industry built up too  

 

cant say I'm familiar engineering to be honest ... 

Isn't mechanical engineering rich in jobs as well ? 

[steffen_anywhere]

@xnoobftw Computer Engineering is definitely a good, but also demanding course. A reasonable background understanding of physics is probably recommended, though that depends on how the university structures the course (Computer Science vs. Electrical Engineering). I'm currently studying Electrical Engineering and I'd expect there to be a substantial overlap in terms of maths and computer courses.

 

Computer engineering will focus on algorithms, data processing and programming more than my course does, and you will also learn about thing that we don't do, such as networking and software development. Again, this depends on where you're studying and you should definitely look at what the course offers at your chosen institution. Be prepared to learn A LOT of linear algebra .

 

If math is one of your strong points, and you think you are interested enough in computing beyond shiny gaming PCs, it'll be a great course with lots of potential jobs beyond the obvious industries, such as aerospace, automotive and many more.

[Nup]

1 hour ago, cesrai said:

Isn't mechanical engineering rich in jobs as well ? 

To be frank I don't know, so I didn't want to say anything false  but it really wouldn't be surprising if it was. 

[straight_stewie]

5 hours ago, xnoobftw said:

How does it compare to chemical engineering then? I saw the statistics and business seems to be earning much more than engineers D:

So here's how it works at my university. With computer engineering you can either have a minor in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering (depending on which side of computer engineering you want to be on). The flowchart looks something like this:

Spoiler

Chemical Engineering is much more complex, offering up to four distinct degree paths, although with lots of overlap. The four paths are shown below:

 

Here's a flowchart for Chemical Engineering Research & Development:

Spoiler

As for the guys saying "I heard that <something> engineering is rich in jobs...?" I'm not sure about how it works in Singapore, but here in the states "<something> engineering" is ALWAYS a good bet if you have the mind for such things. Of course, some things are "worth" more than others in terms of earning power, but that's as dependent on getting a job that actually requires your degree as it is on the stigma that surrounds your degree path.

[TopDollar]

2 hours ago, straight_stewie said:

As for the guys saying "I heard that <something> engineering is rich in jobs...?" I'm not sure about how it works in Singapore, but here in the states "<something> engineering" is ALWAYS a good bet if you have the mind for such things. Of course, some things are "worth" more than others in terms of earning power, but that's as dependent on getting a job that actually requires your degree as it is on the stigma that surrounds your degree path.

Although I certainly agree with this, I think it's important to add that just because a degree in a certain discipline (such as engineering) has a high potential for return, that doesn't mean you are guaranteed a job upon graduation. All of the people who I graduated with (including myself) who are successful started early when it came to experience. Don't do internships/co-ops or research in the engineering field, and you won't be taken seriously by employers. I know people who have masters of engineering degrees and still can't find a job for this reason whereas I was hired straight out of college since I had previous experience in related fields. Again, not disagreeing, just adding my 2 cents.

[straight_stewie]

3 minutes ago, TopDollar said:

Although I certainly agree with this, I think it's important to add that just because a degree in a certain discipline (such as engineering) has a high potential for return, that doesn't mean you are guaranteed a job upon graduation. All of the people who I graduated with (including myself) who are successful started early when it came to experience. Don't do internships/co-ops or research in the engineering field, and you won't be taken seriously by employers. I know people who have masters of engineering degrees and still can't find a job for this reason whereas I was hired straight out of college since I had previous experience in related fields. Again, not disagreeing, just adding my 2 cents.

I'll agree with that. I went to Uni a little late in my life, but that's because I spent some time working on the other side of the field I want to be in. (mechanic vs. engineer). I feel like that decision will pay off in the long run. I've also got a coop lined up at a major international agricultural equipment company (even though I'm in ASE, long story).

[Mr.Meerkat]

13 hours ago, xnoobftw said:

7-12 years old = primary school

13-16 years old = secondary school

From here we can branch out 3 ways but im only going to emphasise on the way i went

17-19 years old = polytechnic (diploma)

Due to Singapore's law every male has to attend national service(basically military) for 2 years

19-21 years old = national service

22-24/25yeads old = university(degree)

5-12y/o Primary school

12-18y/o Secondary/high school

18+y/o University for dem masters/PHD ect. degrees

 

Scottish system for the win!  

[Mug]

8 hours ago, xnoobftw said:

How does it compare to chemical engineering then? I saw the statistics and business seems to be earning much more than engineers D:

 

I would do Chemical Engineering...

So I have a degree in Computer Science and Chemistry and I can tell you that for me this is how it went:

 

Year 1: Everyone is catching up to your standard, you learn some things but it's mostly people who didn't do IT since they were 13 catching up for the 5 missed years. With the Chemistry side, everyone was at the same standard (everyone having done A-Level Chemistry) so it was new stuff. Chemistry is the only reason that I dodn't drop out from boredom.

Year 2: You will build on Year 1 stuff in Computing and it may still be below you. I pissed about in lectures (I only just met the minimum attendance mark too) and still got 85% in the computing side. Chemistry was way more challenging but of course, I enjoy a challenge.

Year 3: Madness. Just madness. Computing gets hard and Chemistry is in a whole new world.

Year 4: I didn't do year 4 (I dropped out to go into employment) but now I'm back in university after 2 years in the big wide world. Year 4 for me is a research thingy, I'm just doing straight Chemistry though (MChem degree rather than MSc, have a BSc at the moment. Might go on to do an MTeach or an MRes depending on how I feel at the end) and btw, computing can go fuck itself.

 

Peole like us should just do Chemistry, I really enjoyed computers until I did them at uni and for a job. A degree in computer science (or computing or information systems or computer studies or ICT) is worthless because in this country, experience is more valid in programming than academia. Much better to pay yourself the amount that you were going to pay your university and instead do 3 years of self-study and build a proper portfolio, at least if you want to go down the programming route anyway. Otherwise, just do Chemistry, you won't look back I promise.

[xnoobftw]

11 hours ago, Nup said:

Chemical engineering is rich in jobs!! The course I am doing (pharmaceutical science,drug design and development, full title of the course) has people getting job contract offering before their fourth year over. Ireland has a lot of large company there. But I'm sure that your part of the world is likely to have a good deal of industry built up too  

 

cant say I'm familiar engineering to be honest ... 

 

10 hours ago, steffen_anywhere said:

@xnoobftw Computer Engineering is definitely a good, but also demanding course. A reasonable background understanding of physics is probably recommended, though that depends on how the university structures the course (Computer Science vs. Electrical Engineering). I'm currently studying Electrical Engineering and I'd expect there to be a substantial overlap in terms of maths and computer courses.

 

Computer engineering will focus on algorithms, data processing and programming more than my course does, and you will also learn about thing that we don't do, such as networking and software development. Again, this depends on where you're studying and you should definitely look at what the course offers at your chosen institution. Be prepared to learn A LOT of linear algebra .

 

If math is one of your strong points, and you think you are interested enough in computing beyond shiny gaming PCs, it'll be a great course with lots of potential jobs beyond the obvious industries, such as aerospace, automotive and many more.

 

9 hours ago, straight_stewie said:

So here's how it works at my university. With computer engineering you can either have a minor in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering (depending on which side of computer engineering you want to be on). The flowchart looks something like this:

  Hide contents

Chemical Engineering is much more complex, offering up to four distinct degree paths, although with lots of overlap. The four paths are shown below:

 

Here's a flowchart for Chemical Engineering Research & Development:

  Hide contents

As for the guys saying "I heard that <something> engineering is rich in jobs...?" I'm not sure about how it works in Singapore, but here in the states "<something> engineering" is ALWAYS a good bet if you have the mind for such things. Of course, some things are "worth" more than others in terms of earning power, but that's as dependent on getting a job that actually requires your degree as it is on the stigma that surrounds your degree path.

 

6 hours ago, Mug said:

I would do Chemical Engineering...

So I have a degree in Computer Science and Chemistry and I can tell you that for me this is how it went:

 

Year 1: Everyone is catching up to your standard, you learn some things but it's mostly people who didn't do IT since they were 13 catching up for the 5 missed years. With the Chemistry side, everyone was at the same standard (everyone having done A-Level Chemistry) so it was new stuff. Chemistry is the only reason that I dodn't drop out from boredom.

Year 2: You will build on Year 1 stuff in Computing and it may still be below you. I pissed about in lectures (I only just met the minimum attendance mark too) and still got 85% in the computing side. Chemistry was way more challenging but of course, I enjoy a challenge.

Year 3: Madness. Just madness. Computing gets hard and Chemistry is in a whole new world.

Year 4: I didn't do year 4 (I dropped out to go into employment) but now I'm back in university after 2 years in the big wide world. Year 4 for me is a research thingy, I'm just doing straight Chemistry though (MChem degree rather than MSc, have a BSc at the moment. Might go on to do an MTeach or an MRes depending on how I feel at the end) and btw, computing can go fuck itself.

 

Peole like us should just do Chemistry, I really enjoyed computers until I did them at uni and for a job. A degree in computer science (or computing or information systems or computer studies or ICT) is worthless because in this country, experience is more valid in programming than academia. Much better to pay yourself the amount that you were going to pay your university and instead do 3 years of self-study and build a proper portfolio, at least if you want to go down the programming route anyway. Otherwise, just do Chemistry, you won't look back I promise.

 

 

 

It seems like sticking to chemical engineering sounds like the ideal choice for me.. guess shiny new pcs are just a tiny part of the computer world.. thanks guys I'll decide to go into chemE

Btw the starting pay of a chemical engineer in my country is 3300SGD whereas a computer engineer is 4000sgd... D: 

[Canada EH]

Thats per month I assume?

 

3,300 SGD =

2,415.79 USD

[xnoobftw]

2 hours ago, Canada EH said:

Thats per month I assume?

 

3,300 SGD =

2,415.79 USD

Yeap! Is that even a good pay?

[straight_stewie]

22 minutes ago, xnoobftw said:

Yeap! Is that even a good pay?

"good pay" is a relative term. What does your government say is average pay across the board in your area? What is the average cost of living?

[Canada EH]

Good pay is determined by your inflation.

If it costs $5usd for one liter of milk, or $2.25 per liter of gas, or $4 for a loaf of bread. Then it would be pretty low.

Also how much is rent or mortgage?

Different regions have different rates. I know the scummy parts of town will be a little cheaper.

[xnoobftw]

53 minutes ago, straight_stewie said:

"good pay" is a relative term. What does your government say is average pay across the board in your area? What is the average cost of living?

 

22 minutes ago, Canada EH said:

Good pay is determined by your inflation.

If it costs $5usd for one liter of milk, or $2.25 per liter of gas, or $4 for a loaf of bread. Then it would be pretty low.

Also how much is rent or mortgage?

Different regions have different rates. I know the scummy parts of town will be a little cheaper.

For starters a 4 room flat (size of like 3 studios-ish) cost about 400-500k sgd... and that's if you choose an area shoved to the side of the country... it can go up to a million for the same flat in a centralised are.. yeah... the flats here are 99% single floor "rooms" in very tall buildings shared by many others. You can google singapore HDB for images it'll get you a better idea

I would say avg per person should cost about 30sgd to get by in a day (working adult) on food

 

[cesrai]

21 hours ago, straight_stewie said:

snip

How is mechanical engineering at your uni ?

[Adyn]

On 03/10/2016 at 1:19 PM, steffen_anywhere said:

@xnoobftw Computer Engineering is definitely a good, but also demanding course. A reasonable background understanding of physics is probably recommended, though that depends on how the university structures the course (Computer Science vs. Electrical Engineering). I'm currently studying Electrical Engineering and I'd expect there to be a substantial overlap in terms of maths and computer courses.

 

Computer engineering will focus on algorithms, data processing and programming more than my course does, and you will also learn about thing that we don't do, such as networking and software development. Again, this depends on where you're studying and you should definitely look at what the course offers at your chosen institution. Be prepared to learn A LOT of linear algebra .

 

If math is one of your strong points, and you think you are interested enough in computing beyond shiny gaming PCs, it'll be a great course with lots of potential jobs beyond the obvious industries, such as aerospace, automotive and many more.

I can second this I studied Computer Systems Engineering and the course was identical to the Electrical Engineering course for the first two years and yes there was a lot of maths. It is very very different to Computer Science although the two often get confused.

 

Computer Systems Engineering starts at the electron and works up where as in some cases Computer Science only has a basic introduction into how things work. I would look at what you want to with the content of the course and make a decision based on that.

 

I would say however that at my university we had a crazy high (think upwards of 80%) who either dropped out or moved to Computer Science and while I work in IT I have never met another degree educated Computer Systems Engineer and to be honest would question its benefit if not working with hardware over Computer Science.