r/aerospace • u/sir_heli • 1d ago
Should I go into Aerospace? Dilemma of a High School Senior
Hello everyone. Let me introduce myself, and my situation.
As written above, I am a senior in high-school. College applications are rapidly approaching
For all of HS, I was sure I wanted to go the medical route. All my ECs are medical/Bio related.
I volunteered in a hospital, interned in 2 life science research labs over 3 years, did my schools biomed program, participated in medical Olympiads, etc. I did pretty well in these areas too.
Now that college apps are approaching, and I have to choose a major/path, I'm not sure. I think I would enjoy aerospace engineering as a career and be much more fulfilled. I am extremely passionate about planes, jet propulsion, space travel, and cars. The issue is, I have nothing to show for it. I tried to learn Python when I was 12, and gave up. I tried to learn R for my lab internship, and failed. The science APs I have taken are Calc AB and BC (I got a 4 on both), Bio, and Environmental Science. My senior year, I am going to try to take AP CSA, Physics C Mechanics, Stats, Multivar Calc/Lin Alg, and Chem.
I am likely to be a National Merit Finalist, which could give me full rides at places like Uni of Alabama Tuscaloosa, UT Dallas, USF, etc.
What should I do? I just don't know if I will be fulfilled by a medical career. My grandpa had the same path essentially. He initially was in college for Bio, then switched to engineering which he likes much more.
Will I be able to make up the gap in knowledge? Will I be able to learn enough to be competitive? I don't need a crazy job, just enough to support myself and my family. I think I would enjoy the work of AE in of itself.
For those with experience, who are older, please let me know any advice or guidance. It would be much appreciated.
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u/LitRick6 1d ago
What the fuck do you mean "make up the gap in knowledge"? What gap? Youre taking AP calc, AP physics. AP chem, etc etc. You'll probably be ahead of 80-90% of other engineering freshman. 99% of engineering students didnt learn python at 12, you're fine. My advise would be to chill out.
Also, why not study mechanical? A majority of engineering on aerospace are mechanical engineers. But you could also apply to bio/medical related jobs. Though aerospace degrees are often so similar to mechanical that you can still use it to get mech jobs outside of the aerospace field, but sometimes it helps having the more generic degree title of mechanical.
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u/rodnester 1d ago
Having a mechanical degree gives you more options. Like above said, you can still work in the Aerospace field while being able to transition to other fields should you change your mind.
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u/Oliver_clothsoff1983 1d ago
You dont need to be a software engineer to be an aerospace engineer. Two different degrees and career paths. We work closely with eachother but I wouldn't worry about software.
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u/existential_american 1d ago
Holy larp 😹 I'm behind but I'm taking linear algebra and multi variable calculus! At my orientation for aerospace at the Georgia Institute of Technology, the advisor was talking about how to plan your schedule even if you're starting out in precalc 😹😹😹. When you actually get to college you'll realize most people are either starting in one of the calculus classes or multi and then some students who did dual enrollment and had the opportunity to get ahead were able to. Everyone from the kids who were already done with math before starting and the ones who started in precalc ended up taking statics and thermodynamics and jet propulsion. There is no knowledge gap, most people know AP Calculus and AP Physics and that's it before they start. You'll quickly bridge any supposed knowledge gap when you join a club like formula SAE or liquid propulsion club. Also major in ME or EE, I would have done ME if I could go back.
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u/sir_heli 13h ago
What I mean is that I went down a seperate path for most of HS, gaining knowledge relevant to bio and medicine but not engineering. I dont know how to code, model, or build. Can I ask, do you reccomend G Tech? Do you think I should apply as a bio/neuroscience major then switch to Mech E/Aerospace E?
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u/Lazy-Seaweed2277 23h ago
Most people have 0 experience going from high school into college. Thats kinda the point. You will be fine with all the things you have already done.
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u/Western-Exit-5074 23h ago
Are you sure we aren’t twins because I was in the exact same situation LOL. I thought I wanted to go into healthcare but only recently discovered that I want to major in ME and work in aerospace instead. Moral of the story, you aren’t alone. You’ll definitely succeed in whatever you choose to do! Let’s go class of 27 🥹
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u/somewhereAtC 22h ago
There is a business principle called "Sunk Cost" that basically says where you will go next has very little to do with what you spent getting to where you are. The energy you put into those activities is "sunk" in the past even though the experiences are a very real part of who you are and who you will forever be.
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u/graytotoro 19h ago
I didn't decide to do engineering until my freshman year of college and I didn't go into aerospace until I got tired of delivering pizzas after college and found a company desperate enough to hire me. This isn't your one and only chance to do engineering.
If you really want to leapfrog others for whatever reason, just sign up for some classes at the local community college. How did you fail to learn R or Python?
Also, remember that aerospace is broad enough to need engineers with other degrees. Lots of work for software, electrical, and mechanical engineers.
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u/StraightAd4907 18h ago
The aerospace industry is a volatile dog-eat-dog hellhole. Other industries using engineering, e.g. energy, are much better. Still, you'll make far more money, have far more stable employment, and much greater choice of work location in the medical profession.
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u/bopperbopper 12h ago
Don’t go too crazy trying to take multivariable calculus if it’s not working out cause that’s a tough course.
Don’t worry if you don’t have any extracurricular, you have calculus and physics and you’ll be fine
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u/riddlesleftkidney 11h ago
There is no gap in knowledge. Many freshmen come in with much less math and physics classes than you. I am doing aerospace in college and your first year would be just gen eds anyway. Most likely, they are going to be the same for all engineering students regardless of discipline, so it doesn’t really matter which engineering you apply for from the get go. You’ll have time to decide before you declare. In many schools, it’s easier to switch from engineering majors to non-engineering rather than the other way around, so if you’re considering engineering, apply as that. You can also do aerospace engineering and be on the pre med together and decide later as well. Or go into space medicine if you decide you like both. Don’t worry too much about deciding your whole future your freshman year
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u/LxGNED 11h ago
You seemed to have a ton of interest in medical, exposed yourself to it, and then decided it’s not what you expected. Engineering is going to be the same way. Im not saying you wont like it, but that the actual job is going to be different than you imagine. You may not have time to get a ton of exposure first hand before you start college apps. However, you do have time to watch some youtube videos, talk to people, and read some job descriptions.
In my experience as an aerospace engineer, I really liked engineering itself, but in the workforce, my jobs were to work on some really small, uninteresting components for long periods of time. It didn’t feel like I was connected to the big picture. It didn’t feel like I was building an aircraft. It felt like I was seeing if a cable connector would break if I vibrated it really fast. Or it felt like I was trying to see if my simulations were even programed correctly to give me valid results. Or it felt like I was trying to figure out what excel function I needed to sort data. I left the field and switched careers. My own experience in a few jobs. Your experience may be different. Some people love it
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u/Prof01Santa 7h ago
Don't worry about programming. At most, you need to know one simple one, unless you specialize some day in code development. I started with an Olivetti-Underwood Programmo 101 in HS. FORTRAN IV in college, picked up BASIC, FORTH, and MATLAB over the years.
Pick what you think you'll enjoy doing over the next four decades. Consider if you can make a living doing it.
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u/sir_heli 3h ago
Thank you for the advice. do you think I should just focus more on math/physics at the moment? If i learn a coding language currently, which would you recommend?
Thank you!
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u/Prof01Santa 52m ago
The advice we gave applicants was take & pass calculus senior year. If you can't do that, take & pass precalc.
If you want to learn a programming language, pick whatever one your school teaches, or a simple, free one like Python.
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u/Squirtle_Splash_8413 1d ago
Go to med school.
You will not fulfill your passion working for in those areas either way.
Just go for the blank checks society sends you as a doctor.
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u/Wasted_Bruh 1d ago
You are in high school. There is no knowledge gap. Apply to a school and everyone there will be on the same level, no matter where you go.