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January 9, 2004
A: FROM MENTOR BRENDA WOLFE
IN CO
I have chatted with an engineer who is heavily into cars.
We both agree that most automotive engineers are mechanical
engineers with a specialty. It was his suggestion to take
mechanical engineering and then do as many special projects
with cars as you can - ie, two colleges in Colorado have a
race car design club that designs, builds and races solar
cars, local SAE chapters, etc. You could also design a car
for your senior project.
I also went to www.a2zcolleges.com
and asked for schools in the US offering automotive engineering
and got a list of over 20. You may want to check it out.
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A: FROM MENTOR CAROL TOMAN
IN IL
I think the best major for you would be mechanical engineering.
They
study materials, structures (like building balsa wood bridges),
and
construction methods. I remember that my mechanical-engineer
brother
took a 3 semester series on joining methods (1 semester on
glues, 1
semester on mechanical fasteners like screws and rivets, and
the last
semester on all the other joining methods). He got his degree
from
Iowa State in Ames, Iowa, which was one of the best mechanical
engineering schools at that time. He's now working on tank
engines.
You might also consider looking for a job at an auto shop
(or a
motorcycle or lawnmower shop since the basics are the same
but the
pieces are smaller and lighter) during high school. You can
get
familiar with the parts of a car, with the tools used, and
with the
weaknesses of existing designs. A valid complaint against
engineers
is that they don't appreciate the realities faced by the users
of
their designs. I'd also recommend that you purchase something
with an
engine that needs repair and take it apart and re-assemble
it. A lawn
mower, snowblower, or go-kart (fun!) would be cheap to buy.
What you
really need is a mentor that will work with you through a
project and
share his/her expertise. Actively look for such a person by
talking
about your interest at the local auto shop, parts store, etc.
Beware
that you'll probably meet with some resistence from small-minded
people; wear a thick skin and remember that the problem is
their's,
not yours.
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