MS.EARamsey wrote:
> Hello,
Hello! You went on the INTERNET to ask advice about your life career
choices?
Oh Brother! Well, here goes!
> I want to return to college to study Electrical Engineering, EE. I
graduated
> from Kent State University back in 1987, a non-prestigious college, with
a
> Bachelor of Science/Software Programming and Design.
Come on! it's FAMOUS! FOUR DEAD IN OH...Hi...OH!!!!!!
> My academic performance
> was poor though, 2.9GPA. However, I feel that now I am more mature and
well
> grounded and that I will be academically successful. However, what I
feel is
> irrelevant because I need to convince the college admission board of
this.
> How do I convince them of this?
Hey what's wrong with 2.9? That's almost the "Gentleman's 'B'"! Of
course you are no gentleman. But my view always was if I was getting
an "A" in a course it meant that either
1. I was working too hard and needed to back off.
2. I was sucking up to the professor too much and not questioning all
the wrong crap out of
his/her piehole. A 4.0 average is almost a sure sign of someone who
spent so much time taking down what the prof said like the word of God
that they'll NEVER be able to do any practical engineering! (unless
of course they got the grade and never went to class except for the
first day, midterm and final)
> Also, if by chance I am accepted, I am
> concerned that I have been out of school for about 20 years. So, can
anyone
> please recommend books or other resources that I can use to get my
English
> skills up to par? Also, I would like to brush up on my trig, calculus,
and
> linear algebra so I would appreciate references to review materials for
> these subjects as well. I have never taken Statistics or Physics before
> either and I would like sources to get a basic introduction.
Plenty of review crap over at the nearest college bookstore. Even
better is to figure out what courses you are going to be forced to
take and grab the text books the school you are going to uses!
> I think that I will have to enroll as an undergrad because I have been
out
> of school a very long time and I don't possess an undergraduate degree
in
> EE. However, again if accepted, I plan to continue on and get a MSEE
because
> my goal is to go into research.
You may or may not have to enroll as an undergrad, but you WILL have
to take undergrad courses! And MSEE enrollment is going to have a
whole pot load of things you neglected to take before (Like physics
etc.) and you WILL have to make those up. It's best if you can get
into the MSEE degree program on provisional basis and then start
taking the stuff you need as entrance requirements. However, if you
are experiencing any resistance to them letting you in, remember that
in most state schools and in OHIO schools for sure ANYTHING can be
accomplished with politics! If necessary you can back way up to
lesser schools that have courses which the school you are trying to
enter will accept as credits for requirements and then pull a TRANSFER
which is much easier than a direct entrance! Schmooze people in the
department you want to enter, it makes the difference between congrats
and goodbye! The fact you are female is a HUGE plus! Most schools
are dying to increase female enrollment in engineering. (most females
hate engineering and aren't good at it)
I was interested in the application of EE to
> medical technology, more specifically, 'Biomedical Electronic
Engineering'.
> However, I'm not sure if that is exactly the area that I would like to
> enter. What exactly does a Biomedical Electronic Engineer do?
A biomedical engineer deals with the application of EE to medicine.
You had better be ready to develop a thick skin to gross things if
medicine is your interest. I highly recommend the "Gross Anatomy
Coloring Book" as a good introduction to these things. (I'm NOT
kidding!) However, if you were REALLY interested in "research" in this
field it almost certainly requires an MD degree as well or allowed
patient interactions will be nearly nil.
> Alternatively,
> I was also considering specializing in either Bionics, Human Machine
> Interface, maybe Nano Technology or somehow work with geneticists to
help
> solve problems; using EE of course -
HMI, Nano T, OK. Could do that. But Bionics or Genetics (as above)
will require a HUGE amount of courses in related areas, You could
take longer to do the entrance requirements than to get the degree!!!
> but nothing that uses animals as
> subjects because I have a profound love for them!
How about a "profound love" of humans? yeah, if you aren't ready to
do disgusting things to BOTH animals and humans, you had better just
forget all these medical ideas completely!
> I live in the state of Illinois/USA and I have no desire to move to
another
> state in order to attend school, consequently, I was considering either
> Northwestern University McCormick School of Engineering or perhaps
> University of Illinois at Chicago School of Engineering.
Sure, sounds great. Remember what I said about politics! It IS
important. And oh yeah, one more thing. you'll find that at your age
when you are taking that physics class/lab with a bunch of wild-ass
undergrads, that after 20 years you are going to have a MUCH lower
bullshit threshold than they do. Both from their antics as well as the
staff teaching the classes! Learn quickly to deal with it!
> Please be honest with me; I'm an adult and I can handle it.
"Handle it" isn't the problem!
The problem is that you won't believe me until it's much too late!
Good Luck
Benj
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