Old Content:

COEN Answer

November 16, 2007 by Kyle Brady
Tags: Education, School
As required by the FTC, a Full Disclosure is available - this piece adheres to the Code of Ethics

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I got a question from someone at my former highschool, Loyola Blakefield, about what COEN is like, so here's my answer:

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Well, COEN is alot like a grenade... they just give a bunch of information to you, and wait for you to explode. And I'm not kidding... what I'll describe isn't just me, but friends from other schools in similar programs as well.

It involves a very broad study of science in general:

• physics
  
  
  
  • general
  
  
  • thermodynamics
  
  
  • electromagnetism
  
  
  
  


• chemistry
  
  
  
  • general
  
  
  
  

Alot of math classes:

• calculus
  
  
  
  • I through IV
  
  
  
  


• discrete mathematics


• differential equations


• etc.

And then there's the COEN classes:

• programming [usually in C]
  
  
  
  • Intro
  
  
  • Advanced
  
  
  • Data Structures
  
  
  • Embedded Systems
  
  
  • ...and alot more...
  
  
  
  


• hardware
  
  
  
  • circuit design
    
    
    
    • intro
    
    
    • basic
    
    
    • advanced
    
    
    
    
  
  
  
  

And those are just classes I took in my first two years. I'm sure you've looked at course overviews, so I'll be a little more personal...

It's hard. Very very hard. I never had any problems in school (didn't even really study) until college, and then I quickly found out that I really am only good at programming. That comes natural to me, and everything else is pretty much an exercise in trying not to drown.

My first COEN requirement was a general chemistry class, only alloted to people in engineering. There were three sections of the class, but in my section we started at at about 200 students, and ended with around 80. The schools will try to weed out people who are "unintelligent" (read: stupid) and those who aren't dedicated, so they throw it to you fast and hard.

That being said, it's very interesting and exciting. I've had a pretty rough time for reasons other than my studies (I've had alot of "drama" with other things that carried over), so I'm not your typical engineering student, but I've enjoyed it. You have to push through the things you hate (like physics and chemistry) in order to do some of the things you love (like being awesome in your programming classes). You meet alot of very very smart people who may frustrate you in the beginning, but end up being your friends, or at least your study-buddies because you know they get the A's.

As for jobs... Pretty much anything. That's the beauty of an engineering degree, people hear the word "engineering" and it's like a key turns. Everyone I mention this to always responds "oh wow, you must be very smart" (or something similar). The same goes in the job field... you can run a business, work for NASA, or be a hobo. It really doesn't matter what you do, as long as it doesn't require an extra certification (like if you want to be an accountant or something).

I have friends that have already intern'd at places like NASA, Ebay/PayPal, and our school's IT department. But I, personally, have the intention to graduate and never need to apply my degree. I've been programming since middle school, and recently started my own legitimate business, with the intent to grow it big enough by graduation that I won't have to get a "real job". Another one of my friends, as a Civil Engineer, is going to work for his dad's structural design firm after graduation.

Like I said, you can pretty much do whatever you want.

So, I'll close this up for you, since it was alot. If you want to do anything computer related in the future, COEN sounds like a good fit for you (CS is ok, but it's alot easier and doesn't have that "wow" factor). It really doesn't matter if you know how to program or not, because they teach you. You just have to be an "engineering mind" that likes to figure out how things work, tinker, and doesn't give up easily.

The three physics classes I had to go through were some of the hardest things I've done in my entire life. Ever. But you know what? We all went through it, most of us hated it. Now we joke about it, and even though we hated it, when we read something in a newspaper, technical journal, or hear someone speak that involves detailed physics things... we understand it.

And that's exactly what engineering is about. They throw all this at you so that you don't necessarily use it... but that you understand it, and will be able to figure things out when you need to. In my experience, Loyola was a good step before going into an engineering program, because some of the kids coming from public schools had a harder time than the private schools...

All that money being used, eh?

Let me know what you think, and if you have any more questions. Or if I didn't make any sense at all.

--Kyle

Old Content posts are leftovers from a less structured, less civilzed era that are kept for posterity.
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