The Big C Word...

[Occhidiangela]

The reason I went into biomedical engineering is actually quite simple: I did lots of reading (Scientific American, etc.) my junior and senior years of highschool, and that is the field that really, really lit a fire underneath me. Picking something that you enjoy is absolutely critical to your success... 10 hour study days and 4 hours sleep on bad nights will absolutely crush you if you don't enjoy what you're doing.

Also though, realize that what major you choose to put on your college entry form your senior year of highschool does not straitjacket you *at all*. It is a common thing for people to change their major after their freshman year and the universities are quite supportive of it. Almost all the classes you'll be taking your first year are just pre-req stuff anyways, common to many different majors. Even if you change majors and end up taking a class you didn't have to, at worst you'll have a couple credits you can't use (which isn't a big deal) and at best you'll be able to write the class off as a "technical elective" (or whatever) and still gain some benefit from it.

That doesn't mean you can just dick around though :) One of my best friends was in mechanical engineering, took one class, hated it, and switched out (which is, like I said before, completely fine in and of itself). But now though he's "exploring" with a 12 credit class load of introductory psych, roman sports and games, and a botany class. The moral of the story? Be decisive, stick with your decisions, but if it turns out to be the wrong decision then pick up something else that you think you'd love quickly. You can't spend forever in college, so make the most of your years.

On a side note: take a class or two at your local community college the summer before your freshman year in some classes that give transfer credit to the university you're going to (check your college's website, it should have a very comprehensive list of transfer credit accepted from other college's). If you go into your university with a college-level class or two under your belt and a couple of APs, you will be a god among lost children. Also, I would recommend to take only the minimum number of years of a language that your highschool requires if you plan on going into engineering and instead taking some AP classes in their stead (in the University of Michigan's engineering program, there is no foreign language requirement - only a general requirement of 16 credits of humanities/social sciences outside of the engineering program - and my experience with individuals from other schools seems to validate this as a national norm). My four years of language allowed me to test out of French 1 and French 2, but I don't plan on taking a 300-level course (as French 3 would be) to get 4 of my 16 "non-engineering" credits when I can just as easily take a 100-level class. And I don't even like French. AP Bio, Programming, Chem, Calc, Physics, etc. allow you to skip past the boring introductory classes and get to the fun classes... well, hopefully they're fun if you picked your major right :)

I went in with a decent amount of AP credit, but could have avoided taking three of my least favorite classes at the university (calc 2, intro to biology, and physics 1) if I had taken two more AP classes (AP Bio and AP Physics) instead of two extra years of French (god what a waste that was - I'm going to tackle my counselors if I ever see them on the street for recommending four years of a language instead of the two minimum and two APs) and then taken calc 2 (AP'd out of 1) at one of the local community colleges in the summer. In case I'm not being overt enough, the intro non-major classes are generally boring and not fun or interesting. Try to avoid taking as many as possible IMHO :wacko: Also, you might want to familiarize yourself with what tests your university administers after you enroll (I believe that most universities give some). U of M provided a foreign language, chem, and math tests IIRC. Because I did well on the chem exam they provided, I tested out of intro chemistry which was the exact same effect as the AP Chem exam... so if you're confident in your testing-taking abilities, you may save yourself from having to take an AP class or two, allowing you to clear room for other APs (as long as you college provides a test of its own). This path has its risks, of course, so I would recommend relying on the university-administered tests only if you're clearing room for other APs you need/want to take.

Reading back, I hope I'm not overhwleming you here :( My intent is anything but that. Basically, just be prepared and plan ahead. Know what the requirements are for your major. Take as many AP classes as you can get your grimy little fingers on. Know who gives transfer credit and for what. And so on.

And of course, best of luck in your blooming college hunt :)
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Mith: Four years of language is far, far, better than two. Your counsellor did you a favor, one you probably won't see until about 10 years from now.

The one thing I would advocate most is to get started on a foreign language early. And stick with it. It expands the mind.

My Engineering curriculum had a total of three electives outside of engineering in four years. Mech Eng. That did not allow for taking Language to follow on to my two years of Spanish from HS. Given what my future would entail, I consider that a crime. (The Naval Academy graduates and commissions officers who will be all over the world.)

Some folks look at language as "a requirement." It is something far better than that: it is a different way to experience the world, a window into culture.

Granted, until you start writing in a language, and using it, it may remein dormant, but with even modest practice, it opens up a whole new world to you.

Occhi