Mechanical Engineering -- anyone know about it?

[Trulen]

So yeah, me, a silly little 16 year old (17 now) had no idea of what career to pursue. More importantly, no ideas of what college major to go after, pretty much wasting college (coming out of college without a specialized degree, phooey!). So I began thinking of what I enjoy. I WAS planning to be a computer programmer to make video games (havn't we all thought of that?) ... But.. I went to a job shadowing thing, and realized that programmer work late late hours in front of a screen... Which really didn't seem very enjoyable to me.

But then I remembered something that brought me joy, yo. Tinkertoys. And then it all came to me o:
I enjoy flat out building things. Rigging things. Creating things, yo!

So I looked into it, and I think mechanical engineering is about the closest thing I can get to building things. But I'm not entirely sure.

I kinda wanna take physics next year for my senior year so I can get a head-start, because I think physics is a part of mechanical engineering.


But, any mechanical engineers out there can tell me what EXACTLY is mechanical engineering?

 

[Gaz]

Mechanical Engineering is about designing and building things such as engines, if you want to build buildings, you should go into civil engineering, but physics is probably the best subject you can study to get your self a head start.

 

[Wii17]

hmm i dont know what to go after and have nothing planned, 17 now and no idea what to do, but it think Computer Systems Hardware Engineer is my best bet, doing stage 2 in I.T. next year so that will be my second certificate, then i will go to tafe and get my Cert 4, Diploma and Advanced Diploma i reckon. don't mean to jack your thread just thought i'd express my opinion, and oh yer you get to build things 99% of the time it's pc's though lol

 

[Trulen]

Hmmm..

You've caused me to look into that Civil engineering thing there.
Seems nice.. As you can branch out into more specific engineering things or something if you take that up.

Industrial Engineering caught my eye too.

I may have to see if I can talk to the school's career person.

 

[Timo]

I am in mechanical engineering. Career wise I can't say much, since I am essentially a professional academic, but the studies themselves are interesting.

It is undisputably the broadest field of engineering. You could end up working from a materials perspective; iron refining, steel production, manufactring, or you could specialize in machine design; anything from latches and casings to combustion engines and turbomachinery. You could take the thermodynamics and heat transfer route, or take interest in pure dynamics.

I have sort of branched off into dynamics and fluid machinery.

If you are still learning in highschool, math (calculus!) and physics are the most important. You'll have to take plenty of calculus classes if you study engineering.