Look at us! High school is almost over and I along with my engineering classmates are about to embark on the bright futures we have ahead of us.
Next school year I’ll happily be attending the university of my dreams, Carnegie Mellon (CMU). It was a tough decision between CMU and UC Berkeley but I believe I’ve made the right decision given that not going to CMU makes me what to cry (literally I had a breakdown, but that’s beside the point).
As of right now, I’ll be studying Chemical Engineering. However, CMU has an engineering curriculum that forces its students to try at least two different degree options. This tailors to my indecisiveness because I know my biggest fear in college would be that I’m studying the wrong major or I’m not following my passion. Because of this program, I will be dabbling in material science, and biomedical engineering.
I originally chose Chemical Engineering (ChemE) as my major because of my love for chemistry. What started in tenth grade grew during my junior year in AP Chemistry. I had always loved engineering prior to high school so combining the two just seemed like the right decision. However, after some weeks of researching ChemE no longer sounds like the engineering and chemistry hybrid I dreamed of. Thankfully, the engineering program at CMU will give me the freedom to switch majors sophomore year.
With the various majors I’ve chosen there is also a variety of careers I could pursue. For example, if I studied ChemE, I could work with medicine and other drugs to help better the health care industry. Next, if I studied Material Science I could dedicate my time to developing products with materials that are biodegradable and less harmful to the environment. This could range from cosmetic containers to one-use water bottles. Alternately, if I pursued Biomedical Engineering I could be employed to produce prosthetics or medical machines. Overall, I would like to work in a lab no matter what career I pursue before I get a Ph.D.
Despite my uncertainty, I’m looking forward to my next steps in education. I’m very passionate about engineering so hopefully, my love for creating leads me down the correct path.