16 replies to this topic

[Snoop Doggy doge]

I'm doing research for colleges, and I want to be a mechanical engineer, because I like working with tools. Anyway, I'm doing research, and I'm wondering what Colleges have master majors in Mechanical Engineering and have nerfers on campus. I know Athens is a start but I would like to hear a few more in the U.S. Thanks guys!

Edited by Snoop Doggy doge, 02 December 2014 - 04:01 PM.

[roboman]

I'll go ahead and plug RPI. It's kind of really expensive, but you're pretty much guaranteed a well-paying job once you graduate. Average starting salaries for mechanical engineering graduates is $55-65K/yr right out of college with a bachelor's degree. I like it here, but it's a very rigorous program, and the professors actively fight GPA inflation, so expect your GPA to be somewhat lower than it would be if you went to another school. I am, as it turns out, really bad at math, specifically differential equations, and my grades are currently reflecting that.

A side note - you won't be working with tools as a mechanical engineer (for the most part). You'll be doing lots of CAD and math, but generally very little on the manufacturing side of things. The people who work with tools generally get paid less (especially when they're just starting out) and have significantly lower educational requirements for their jobs (not saying they're stupid, just that they went a different route - typically a voc. tech. program at a community college or tradeschool). It's important to know how things are made if you're going to be designing things to be made, but a lot of schools (RPI included) seem to gloss over that. If you learn these things on your own and can demonstrate your knowledge through extracurriculars and personal projects, you'll be a much more attractive candidate for internships, co-ops, and actual jobs. Hasbro wants me to go on co-op with them for a semester once I fix my GPA - they want a project manager for the 2016 Nerf line (and they really like hiring RPI students, apparently).

[ExAlpha]

Stony Brook University for in-state college. Tuition is about 4 thousand dollars. It is an hour and half from the city by train and a little more than half an hour by car. We have a HvZ club along with a smaller Nerf group. Also, keep roboman's side note in mind because it is very true about mechanical engineers.

[Snoop Doggy doge]

I will take that into consideration but I still do like mechanical engineering. I have safeties, and thanks for the inputs. I'm still open because I'm a freshmen, but I'm supposed to keep this in mind.

[Icysushi]

Roboman, whats it like in troy, I'm trying to decide if I should apply to RPI or not. I heard its a dangerous area, what are your thoughts?

[roboman]

Roboman, whats it like in troy, I'm trying to decide if I should apply to RPI or not. I heard its a dangerous area, what are your thoughts?

Like most places, it's dangerous if you're out alone at night in bad areas and make yourself look like a target. If you stay around campus or downtown, it's fine. I've never had any issues (though there's usually a mugging or two each year, but that kind of a thing can happen pretty much anywhere). North Troy can be kinda sketchy, but there's really no reason for you to be over there unless you live there (it's entirely residential). Here's an album of some of my pictures of a few parts of campus and a little bit of downtown. I like to walk around downtown and shoot pictures every now and then, and I've never felt unsafe. There's not a huge amount of stuff to do off-campus, but there are plenty of events at RPI to keep you busy. I'm active in the Photo Club and Archery Club, and I usually go out to frat parties on the weekends.

You should apply, visit, and see if it's a place you want to go to. It wasn't my first choice, and I honestly didn't intend to go here when I was going through the application process, but they gave me a free application and waived the essay requirement, so I said fuck it, applied, and wound up going (showed up on the first day of orientation on my own without ever having set foot on campus, too). After 3 semesters, I don't think I'd be happier anywhere else.

[Draconis]

...and I usually go out to frat parties on the weekends.

It is nice to see that Lambda Lambda Lambda is hosting more events.

ON TOPIC: I'll be attending Oregon Tech next year, excellent engineering program. Historically picked clean by Intel, Xerox/Tektronix, HP, and Microsoft. The other alternative is Oregon State University, which is a more diverse program, but costs more. OSU also hosts an HvZ game every term.

[Spud Spudoni]

Now I'm not an engineering major, but I know Auburn University has a great engineering program (I want to say we were the 15th best engineering school in the nation last year). Great facilities, all relatively new buildings, and the school itself is regarded highly by those hiring in the workforce (as it is also one of the harder schools to graduate from). I did see in the library earlier this year that we host HvZ, but I'm not sure the numbers of the community. Still a place to look into for sure man, this is a great campus.

[SlightlySane813]

I'm currently studying to be a Mechanical Engineer at Penn State. Definitely a strong engineering program here with a very high job placement rate out of college. The campus is probably one of the biggest reasons I chose to attend (it's super nice and clean). The ridiculous amounts of school organized clubs and the large amount of parties is just a plus.

I haven't bothered to check out the HvZ scene here because of academics but I know it does exist and is pretty active.

[SolarFusion]

Hasbro wants me to go on co-op with them for a semester once I fix my GPA - they want a project manager for the 2016 Nerf line (and they really like hiring RPI students, apparently).

If you get in, would you be so kind as to give sneak peaks? Lol, just messin' with ya'. XD

[Snoop Doggy doge]

@Roboman, I do not mean to be intruding, but how good do you believe your job is, and are all peers graduating with a job? Also a comparison of GPA from HS and GPA now? (if you do not wish to answer than do not) Also, is there HVZ? Kinda looking forward to keep nerf close in college.

[roboman]

@Roboman, I do not mean to be intruding, but how good do you believe your job is, and are all peers graduating with a job? Also a comparison of GPA from HS and GPA now? (if you do not wish to answer than do not) Also, is there HVZ? Kinda looking forward to keep nerf close in college.

I don't have the job yet, it'll more likely be next year. Co-ops pay very well. I want the co-op position at Hasbro because I want the work experience in an engineering field, and it's a huge bonus that it happens to be in an area directly related to one of my hobbies. I don't plan on working for Hasbro after college, because I'd much rather start my own company, and I've been slowly building up to that over the past couple years.

Here's the annual report for the C/O 2013 regarding employment and plans after graduation. I'd like to note that if you can't get hired after graduating, the school will hire you (at least from what I've been told), though some people don't want to go that route. If your GPA is above a 3.0 (sometimes 2.5, depending on the company), you're going to be able to get a job if you want one. Engineering companies know about RPI, and they know that in general, we produce competent engineers. HS GPA was 3.86 (unweighted; my school didn't weight grades). Current GPA is...significantly less than that.

We have an HvZ group. I usually go to at least one of their events each semester, but they have stuff pretty much every weekend, weather permitting, and a multiday game each semester. I have run singled pumpbows and 2Ks at their events with elite darts and they were fine with it as long as I wasn't being a dick.

[Craftsman]

I'm going to plug Millersville for Applied Engineering. It is essentially a cross between machining and mechanical engineering. This would be good if you want to use tools...

[Snoop Doggy doge]

Thanks for the input Craftsman, I like the idea. I'll look into it.

[TheNerfingFlamingo]

Purdue University-West Lafayette has HvZ, but the GPA requirements are a bit high (3.8)

[durka durka]

The University of Delaware has HvZ. They meet frequently and have Z-week once a semester.
At UD they have mechanical engineers complete design projects every spring. The course load is heavy with a lot of dry math and science courses, so they do this to add some hands-on experience to the major.

They also have what's called a 4+1 plan in which you earn both a bachelor's and master's degree in 5 years.

It's kinda expensive if you're coming from out of state, though you might do well with financial aid and scholarships.