Business or Engineering...can't decide

[pinoyhero]

Originally posted by dandia89
you could always do your engineering degree then do your mba, which is a mixture of both.

FTW.

[vinc456]

Think about what you want to spend the next ~4 years of your studying and what you want to get out from life. Do you value free time, money, prestige, happiness, or something else? Find where you want to go, how to go get there, and act accordingly. Don't plan too far ahead (unless you're aiming to be an astronaut or athlete, it's probably too late to start now) because your values/situation will change. I think it's far too early to start thinking about an MBA or graduate studies when you're 0% along the way of your undergrad degree.

[bjstare]

Originally posted by vinc456
Think about what you want to spend the next ~4 years of your studying and what you want to get out from life. Do you value free time, money, prestige, happiness, or something else? Find where you want to go, how to go get there, and act accordingly. Don't plan too far ahead (unless you're aiming to be an astronaut or athlete, it's probably too late to start now) because your values/situation will change. I think it's far too early to start thinking about an MBA or graduate studies when you're 0% along the way of your undergrad degree.

This is good advice, but doesn't answer his question. You can have free time, money, prestige, happiness (or other things) with both business and engineering. The aforementioned are more a result of what company/industry a person is working in, than what kind of degree they have.

The only argument to this is that your free time during school will be substantially less when you're in eng, than it would be when you're in business. I know this, because I have no free time. Ever. haha

[vinc456]

Originally posted by cjblair


This is good advice, but doesn't answer his question. You can have free time, money, prestige, happiness (or other things) with both business and engineering. The aforementioned are more a result of what company/industry a person is working in, than what kind of degree they have.

The only argument to this is that your free time during school will be substantially less when you're in eng, than it would be when you're in business. I know this, because I have no free time. Ever. haha

That's because the OP is the only person that can answer this question...

I would say the only exception to this if you manage to enter a lucrative field like dentistry. I can't imagine that anybody truly enjoys looking at bung teeth but you are really well compensated. I think my orthodontist works 4 days a week. Once I was billed 5k for 1 hour of work! (half an hour consult, half an hour surgery)

[bjstare]

I considered dentistry actually, but then I thought about how much I don't wanna stare at nasty teeth all day. I also realized I didn't love my high school bio classes, so it was off to engineering I went. Now that I'm just about finished school, and have already made good money on co-op, I'm happy with my choice.

[A|pine]

Anyone can write their CFA btw (material covered is essentially a bcomm equivalent). I know of individuals who do that on top of their P. Engg

So what dimension do you bring?

For example, an engg student can bring another dimension (technical understanding).

Within the Petroleum Industry, reservoir engineering work terms (internship program) can teach students the following: reserve booking and reservoir analysis which is crucial for evaluating an E&P Company for Divestitures and Acquisitions (engineering side)

Reserve booking deals with risk analysis (business & engineering side) and premises of proven, possible and probable reserves / resources. All of which is a staple for the SEC (USA) and the CSA (Canada) for securities reporting.

----------------------------------------

Another example, electrical engineering

Understanding of power markets (business side) and necessary equipment and infrastructure for transmission of electricity (engineering side)

-----------------------------------------

Business students will have a general understanding of the properties of a corporation but may lack in understanding of the intrinsic details that make a certain corporation successful in a particular industry. An engineering degree will help you gain that technical understanding. Mind you there are business students who undertake the task of learning these technical details but these individuals are few.

Also note that the details of understanding on how a certain industry functions can be gained through work experience and is almost always due to one's experiences outside of normal curricular activity. So if you're interested in Finance and am in Engineering, you can learn all about it, it'll be less difficult as you already have the math background and am used to abstract theories.

If you're interested in business development in the oil sands or wind energy in alberta but am a Finance student, you can learn about it. But it'll be more difficult transitioning (career wise) due to not having that technical background in physics / chemistry / calculus / thermodynamics / fluid dynamics. You will be stuck with completing risk analysis from numbers that are given to you from the technical experts.

If you're an engineer you can be the technical expert and the individual completing the risk analysis. That is the extra dimension that Engineers bring. Likewise practical understanding /application of technologies can be brought upon from work experience and does encompass some aspects that engineers deal with but not all.

Engineering is a professional practice and is not self-taught since it has its own governing body as an organization. Much like a CA, CFA or MD.

From the sounds of it you have great business understanding and am tactful when it comes to making money. If you want that extra dimension to your business mind set, do engineering or your CA, CFA or MBA. If you feel that your business intuition is good enough to where you want to get to in society, just finish the bcomm, or start your own business. Many people are successful without higher education.

I think/heard rage2 is a self taught entrepreneur, Ralph Klein is a self taught politician / business man and Bud McCaig (Brought the Flames to Calgary) is also a self taught business man.

Doc Seaman - an engineer who started his own O&G company was also a very successful business man (He also brought the flames to Calgary from Atlanta). Obviously an O&G company requires technical expertise and therefore will require engineers.

[princeaidin]

had to post this because it solves the problem

Now Simple Solution:

Question: Do you understand why its funny?

Yes Then go to engg
No Then go to bussiness

Cheesy but had to post it.

[princeaidin]

^ I should learn how to spell business

[HiTempguy1]

It seems this thread comes up every year! I can not tell you what you should do, but I can explain what I did, and some of my thoughts.

I graduated high school in spring 2006. Basically since grade 10, I knew I was going into engineering. I was smart, worked hard, got good grades, liked science and mathmatics. Physics was also very interesting.

I started having doubts about engineering in grade 12. I only got ~80% in Math 31 (high school calculus). Since I had an obscene amount of spares the second semester (even after taking Chem 30 and Physics 30) I retook Math 31, skipping half the classes due to a GF (only Math 31, I did not and to this day do not skip ANY classes) and wound up with an 87%. I was also running into a lot of problems with physics. It wasn't that I didn't understand it, but it was really fast paced. I ended up with ~85% in that course (because of something like a 90+% on the provincials for it). I had a 85% average when I graduated.

So, I was accepted to both U of A and RDC (1 year transfer program) in engineering. GF was going to go the RDC transfer route (which was also the 5 year co-op path for U of A) and thats what I had wanted to do as well before I met her. Things didn't work out so hot for me. I was used to having freedom to work on cars, play with toys, do what I want. I studied hard, and I did buckle down and study LOTS. But it didn't matter. Somebody mentioned something about a 1.93GPA; nobody had any answers for me when I asked what to do with my abysmal marks (around a 2.2 when I withdrew before finals of the 2nd term). If I could retake courses etc etc. So, spring 2007 I withdrew from the program.

I spent 1.5 years doing stuff. Life didn't go sideways, in fact, it grew tremendously. I started racing cars. I went and partied. I worked as a plumber's assistant and then as residential HVAC guy. I busted my ass, made money, put money away with the hope of eventually going back to school. The gf at the time (now the ex) was great at convincing me that I needed to go back to school. I then enrolled as an Instrumentation Technologist at NAIT.

Which brings me to where I am now. 1 month away from my diploma. Is Instrumentation challenging? No (programming is interesting as hell though, I loves it!), but I've realized that sometimes there is more to life than being challenged at school. Especially the insanity that comes from engg. I still look back and think 4+ years of that? That would be rough. I know a buddy from high school who went and got his electrical technologist diploma straight out of high school at SAIT. He just bought a house last month. What I'd give to be in his position!

So think wisely. If you haven't lived, or experienced the world (even just Canada and the USofA), maybe explore. I personally feel I would have been MUCH more suited (responsibility wise) for engg if I had taken that year. Not that I am a party animal, but it was just more school in my eyes.

Hope this helps, and hopefully you make the decision that is best for you!

[aram1000]

I did the Engineering route through school, and now am working towards a CFA designation. I like business, but more interested in finance, hence this decision. through your undergrad, they are different though. Business is where all the "cool" kids go, well they make it look that way anyway. Typicaly, business grads are far more social, not to say engineers are not. As for salaries, it depends on industry, in my graduating class, anyone who went to Alberta to work in Energy or anyone who got on with a crown corp (Sask) did pretty good. Admin grads who got into a crown seem to do decent for salary. Others (myself included) it really depends. I ended up working in software for 4.5 years, got paid shit and was treated like a slave. Work at a power utility now as an Engineer, pay is good, though I do want to get into the energy trading and business side, where pay is also very good. If you want to be technical, but have the option of doing business later, then doing an Engg degree may not be bad. There are lots of guys i went to school with who are now doing MBA's, some doing CFA, etc. Also, i know when i wrote the CFA level 1 exam in calgary, there were a lot of engineering grads who were writing as well. If you go the business route, it would be best long term speaking to get a profesional designation after (CFA, CA, CGA) or do an MBA after. As for you marks in sciences and what not right now, don't let that guide you, as high school is meaningless once you are in university. As for social aspect, always had time to have fun, had to work hard at times, but thats undergrad for ya. Hope this helps, and take your time, no rush to make a decision.