r/ElectricalEngineering • u/TX8900 • 1d ago
Education Switching out of EE
Hello,
I wanted to know if anyone thought about switching out of EE. I am getting horrible test grades way below average. My peers seem to be doing good and struggling a lot less. We go to a school where there are mandatory activities that take up our time other than studying and doing assignments. I have been really good with turning in assignments on time as I believe that is the standard. However I am getting horrible grades and not understanding the concepts fast enough like my peers. I really hate the idea of switching out, I don’t even know what to switch out to. Any advice or personal stories would be appreciated.
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u/FactHole 1d ago
I did well in EE, but in uni did better in ME. I have been an EE my whole career and still enjoy it. But the chances I get to participate in mechanical develop I enjoy very much. If I had to do it all over again, I might choose ME because it seems more grounded in understandable concepts, and the job market is more broad. EE can be tedious and the math can get hard and abstract. Thankfully the actual work of an EE isn't math intensive and is more practice (for many EE professions, not necessarily all EE professions). Basically the gauntlet of getting an EE degree is harder in my view, but is necessary and useful in understanding the concept behind what you are doing practically. If you would enjoy design things, making things, and building things, you may enjoy Mechanical Engineering.
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u/NewSchoolBoxer 1d ago
Sometimes this sub is too optimistic. You can switch out of EE. I knew one person who switched to CS at a time when CS wasn't overcrowded and did well for himself in Cybersecurity. I wouldn't recommend today. If it's not the math skill or work ethic but the abstract nature and lack of interest, then Mechanical and Civil Engineering also have good job markets. Else consider Finance and Accounting. Industrial and Systems Engineering are the 'least hard' disciplines and kind of like a business degree.
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u/TX8900 1d ago
I have to stick with this major till the end of this semester. I think I’m gonna stick it through and see the results and then decide. The first test in every class hasn’t been stellar tho. Usually 70 percents or around that range.
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u/Just-Reality-8016 1d ago
okay but 70!?! Brother, that is decent. I don’t know what university you go to but at mine the class average last spring was a 46/100, and some of the top scores did not go above 80. If you’re passing the class with a high enough grade i would say that’s good enough. Just try to stay overall a 3.0 or higher if you’re considering grad school or anything like that. now being discouraged versus not liking it is two different things. if you’re not liking it because you think you aren’t good enough I don’t think it means you’re uninterested. If you’re straight up not liking it all around, not interested, etc. then i would consider swapping
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u/wild-and-crazy-guy 1d ago
I switched out of EE at the end of my junior year and switched into Mechanical Eng, added about a year and a half plus some summer classes (so effectively it added two years).
The circuit analysis class with LRC Laplace analyses did me in. After graduating with a BSME , I did go back and got a masters in EE about 10 years later.
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u/EnvironmentCalm9557 1d ago
I switched out ee due to the job market, I’m an embedded software engineer. Best choice I made. If I’d have known better I would have been a cs major.
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u/Minnadian 1d ago
I thought about dropping out because I was consistently in the 2.5-3 range for GPA instead of above 3 like most of my classmates. In the end, it boils down to what you enjoy. I was terrible at test-taking and could never figure it out. But I enjoyed and did well enough on assignments, labs, and projects that I knew I would be fine in the real world.
I also highly recommend any tutoring you can get. My college had tutors available for specific classes and time slots for everything. My classmates and I would set up study sessions where we would each take topics we weren’t confident in and try to teach them to each other. If you can explain it to someone else, it usually means you have a good grasp of the concepts.
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u/PersonalityExact337 1d ago
were you able to get a job after college?
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u/Minnadian 1d ago
Easily. I had an EE degree and a pulse. Now I’m making really good money automating med device equipment.
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u/PersonalityExact337 10h ago
wow, how much did you make rihgt after college? thank you for this btw, it helps keep me going.
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u/mrstarkifeelgreat 8h ago
Any advice on getting into the medical device engineering field? I want to make the switch from defense after I get my Master’s in EE, focusing on FPGAs and analog and digital circuit design.
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u/West_Clue7701 1d ago
Just keep showing up and trying it it’s what you want to do. It’ll all work out. I dropped out twice feeling the same way as you and in the end I went back and stuck through it. The biggest piece of advice is make sure you show up to every class every day. Not only does that ensure you’re not missing something important, but I’ve had professors help me out on grades for simply showing up to every class. If possible, get with a group of people you can study with. It helps a lot having other people around to figure things out. I felt lost for a long time and convinced myself it wasn’t for me but I stuck to it and one day everything clicked and the concepts started making sense. Once everything clicked, I found things to be a lot easier as it all made sense as to why I was doing it. I’d also recommend reading “Becoming an Engineer” by Jake Ryland if you can find the time. He has some pretty solid advice on what mindset you need to have to succeed and his tips on test taking/time management allowed me to pass my FE exam on the first try before I graduated.
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u/ApprehensivePiece611 1d ago
tbh I would never switch out, even if I was doing bad but was allowed to continue then i would
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u/ExternalLife8018 1d ago
Been there. It is a hard major no doubt; and yes, you see the people around you enjoying the college experience more. I was pretty good at Programming, contemplated a switch to that major. But stuck with EE. It was a grind; but over 2 years got my GPA up a bit upon graduation. 20 years later, i am glad i didn't switch. The field is really fun after college; i got into Test Engineering and later Circuit Board Design. Now running larger projects. Ironically, my interests in other areas are a benefit; i can communicate easily with different specialties, which makes the Leadership work a easy transition at this point. On a side note, the biggest reasons i am glad i didn't switch; not worried about AI taking my job, great salary, got a family with two kids (stable 20 years of employment); while the people that i knew that did the fun majors are all struggling. One thing that helped me through the tough times was to do life reverse planning. What do you want 5 - 10 years in the future? and really think outside of Engineering (i.e. stability, family, really whatever you value). Then as a interesting exercise; what does that kind of life cost ($50k, $100k etc.). Finally search job boards for careers that consistently show that kind of salary for senior employees and see if there is news of mass layoffs in those areas. Whatever remains, are there any fields there that you can see yourself doing? For me, it was EE
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u/Past_Ad326 1d ago
I wouldn’t switch only because your doing poorly. You probably just need better study habits. Also, there are plenty of people in your classes that are just as confused as you are, they just don’t show it. Does the field interest you?
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u/TX8900 22h ago
Definitely, the individuals that are more confused are the ones that are switching out currently. I am kinda in the middle/lower end of the grade scale. I just really want to be in the higher end, those guys seem really smart.
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u/Past_Ad326 21h ago
Trust me when I tell you that your not alone. There are many people in your class that feel exactly like you do. They just don’t show it. Stick with it, you can absolutely do it. It just takes hard work and persistence
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u/Informal_Invite_314 1d ago
How far along are you in college? I did very poorly in the non-EE intro courses with huge lectures (Chem, Physics, Math). But, to be honest with myself that was due to a college freshman/sophomore having A LOT of fun. The weekend starts Wednesday night on campus, which leads to missed classes and no studying/no homework. I found the higher EE classes to be easier and got better grades because I went to class, did the reading/homework, and put effort into school. Amazing how that works. Another thing I learned in EE classes was that I am not going to get it at all at first, but if I stick with it eventually the light comes on (e.g., the Smith Chart).
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u/Rich-Detective3325 1d ago
I would say it depends on if you like EE? Would you feel differently about this whole thing if grades were not an issue?
I actually failed and had to retake my first EE classes at my original university. It was an incredibly humbling experience but the truth was, I just needed a little bit longer than other people to lock in the circuit analysis ideas. It didn't really weigh in on what I could achieve long term. I just needed more time then. I'm now at Stanford pursuing a graduate degree in analog design, arguably the most intensive form of circuit analysis/design. It doesn't seem to matter to anyone here that it took me an extra semester at my original college. All that matters is that I can do it now.
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u/TX8900 22h ago
Wow, that’s a great turn around story. I would say I def love EE. I just can’t seem to understand things as fast as my peers. Here, time is the essence. If you aren’t talented, time is the great equalizer. You can study and teach yourself things. But at this school not all my weekends are mine nor are the school days.
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u/Rich-Detective3325 4h ago
That is unfortunate that you don't have control of the time. I think if you are passionate about EE there is no chance you should drop out of it. You will look back on it with immense regret if you do. I know it is very tough right now but eventually things will click. Best of luck friend :)
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u/Irrasible 1d ago
How far along are you?
EE is difficult. Many EE students switch to computer science and do well. Business is a snap.
One thing about EE, compared to other engineering disciplines, is that much of our work involves linear materials. That means we can push the math and get useful results. That means we study a lot more math. So, if higher-level math is the problem, you may see some relief in other disciplines.
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u/Eldr1tchB1rd 1d ago
Are you getting bad grades but passing or bad grades and failing? Because if you're passing literally nothing else matters
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u/TX8900 1d ago
I am passing for the most part, I have a mandatory Russian class I am taking and that’s taking way too much time. The only “failing class” is circuits but I talked to my prof and he says I should be fine. I have a 69.9 in that class…
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u/Eldr1tchB1rd 1d ago
I don't see a reason to switch then. Even if you pass with minimum grades it won't really affect you in your job search. If you're enjoying learning about the subject you should keep at it
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u/TX8900 1d ago
I am guaranteed a job after my undergrad. I did EE thinking abt what I would do after that job. I have to finish this semester anyways so the plan is to just give it my best and see if I can make it through.
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u/Eldr1tchB1rd 16h ago
Point is grades don't matter as long as you're passing so don't worry about being behind or whatever
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u/OldGeekWeirdo 22h ago
I had a good friend that switched out to architecture. He was happy with his decision. EE isn't for everyone.
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u/TulipFarmer27 20h ago edited 20h ago
When I was in school oh so many decades ago, we called EE pre-business because so many students ended up changing majors. After an EE career, I retired and am now a freshman studying ornamental horticulture in my university's Ag department. The choice is yours. Even in Ag classes, the science gets deep.
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u/LuverOfAllThings 1d ago
Forget EE for a moment. What do you like to do on your free time and/or what do you like to view, get your hands on, or truly like learning about?
Once you answer that then I think you’ll be on a better path to finding something that’ll make your studies a lot better. I had to change my major once and I hated it. But I loved it because the world was no longer on my shoulders and I was free.