The University of California San Diego (StudentsReview)

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Date: Jul 17 2006
Major: (This Major's Salary over time)
At UCSD I was in the Applied Mechanical and Engineering Sciences department, majoring in Control Systems (I didn't see that listed on the menu here, so I wonder if they still offer it). My major was very theoretical - lots of applied math - and although there were technical labs for physics and measurements of all kinds, we only had one design lab project that involved any hands-on work with feedback systems. I recommend getting as much technical work experience as possible before leaving school - the career center had lots of internships and from the jobs I took out of there, I learned a lot of practical skills that helped in many ways toward success in the engineering job I got when I graduated. I'm sure having some technical job experience on my resume was also useful in getting that job. I had to study a little more about antennas and explosives on the job, otherwise much of my education was somewhat underused, except for lower division physics. At UCSD I deviated somewhat from the recommended course of study and required more than 4 years to graduate. Because of that, I ran into some trouble with my department at graduation - the requirements had changed in the intervening year and if I had not anticipated this and kept careful records of of worksheets the department had issued me two years before, I would not have been able to graduate when I did. I know this is not a unique case, because my husband had his records there messed up also following a break in the standard course of study. So be sure to either keep on track, or keep careful records from the department as you go. It is a huge public university, afterall, and you have to watch out for yourself there if you choose not to follow the herd. Overall, I loved my years at UCSD. The work was hard, but most of my professors were helpful and even kind, besides being brilliant. I loved the serene mood of the campus, the beauty of the ocean which added to that serenity, and the freedom I felt at being there.

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