Article: Go online and read the field descriptions offered by engineering schools. Buy, or borrow online, a few introductory books on engineering. As you continue your research, start to narrow down your focus to one particular subset of engineering, such as electrical or chemical. Electrical engineers specialize in working with electricity and electronic devices in order to improve human life. It is always helpful to speak with an actual engineer as well. You can always look up a university's engineering faculty list online and then reach out to one of the professors via email. You might write, "Hello, I'm currently a student at Xavier High School. I'm very interested in pursuing engineering in college and was hoping that you could provide some advice." Go to the U.S. Department of Labor's website and look at the profile for electrical engineering. You will see statistics regarding job growth potential. The site also shows information on various career options for engineers. The median pay for electrical engineers in 2015 was $95,230. The job growth profile for electrical engineers in 2015 is holding steady with neither growth nor decrease. Electrical engineers find jobs at all sorts of companies from Boeing to Nashville Electric. They also work in a number of fields, including manufacturing and consulting. Enroll in as many advanced math and science classes as possible. Physics courses, in particular, will prove useful to you later on. Do your best in these classes as your final grades will be closely scrutinized by college admissions committees. It may be helpful to take a few art classes to assess if you have a skill for drafting and design. Either at the high school level, or later on in college, make sure to take at least one general communication or business communication class. This will teach you how to effectively interact with your future clients. Of course, it is a good idea to become involved in any clubs that are of interest to you. However, if you are considering becoming an electrical engineer, it would be particularly helpful to participate in a robotics or technology group. Some of these clubs complete at the local, state, or national levels as well. If you are invited, you should participate in a club recognizing academic excellence, such as the National Honor Society. This can make your college admission application stand out from the crowd by showing your strong academic potential. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) is responsible for assessing and choosing those university departments that adhere to the highest standards of the field. Going to an accredited school sets you on the right path to learn the latest technologies and to pass licensing exams later on in your career. If you are unsure as to whether or not a program is ABET-accredited, look closely at the department's website. Most departments will proudly display their accreditation status and some will even offer additional details, such as the date of the last ABET visit. It is not enough to get into a solid engineering program, you must get excellent grades as you move through the coursework. As an electrical engineering student, you will most likely follow a predetermined curriculum (heavy on math and science) with only a few elective courses mixed in. It is important to note that engineering exams require an application of what you've learned and will be more advanced than the assignments. It's critical to study old exams. Your major field classes will range from introductory surveys to more advanced courses focusing on circuits and other specific topics or projects. It is sometimes necessary to get a particular grade at the survey level before you are allowed to enroll in an advanced class. As you reach your junior and senior years, you should start to seriously consider the particular electrical engineering specialties that appeal to you. Professional electrical engineers can specialize in networking systems, neuroengineering, or many other areas. It may be helpful to talk with your professors. They can present you with all of your available options and help you to weigh the pros and cons of each. For example, some specialties, such as neuroengineering, are areas of strong job growth. As you near your college graduation, you may want to investigate enrolling in a M.S. or Ph.D. program for electrical engineering. Getting an advanced degree can allow you to teach at the university level. It is also a good idea for anyone interested in conducting advanced electrical research. By some estimates, around 30% of undergraduate electrical engineering students go on to pursue an advanced degree in the field.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Research the field. Investigate the job outlook. Choose your high school coursework carefully. Join the right school clubs. Enroll in an ABET-accredited engineering college program. Do well in your engineering courses. Choose an electrical engineering sub-field. Consider pursuing an advanced degree.