Looking for some thoughts...

Hello members of boatdesign.net,
My names Jack, I'm a second year at BU in Mechanical Engineering. I'm just about to hit my set of finals before I head off for the winter break and I'm in a place where I wish I wasn't. By the look of it I might not be able to come back to the program this next semester and I need to figure out what to do next. I grew up working on boats and aspire to work on, maintain, and create anything in the marine industry. I just need to figure out my next steps. Can anyone give me any advice or just a story about a time when you were in a position like this?
Thank you.

 

Not sure this is what you are asking, but you may be interested to take a look at the naval architecture program at the University of New Orleans.

 

Yes just kinda anything at this point

 

Is this a financial issue or making the grades issue.
Sorry if this is too personal, but it will make a difference to the advice.

 

It was a making the grades issue. BU is a tough place and I've really worked my *** off but that still isn't enough. I appreciate the help.

 

Engineering programs in general (NA is no exception here) are tough, but it is also important to note that every endeavor requires a combination of (as my HS swimming coach would say) "that good ability, that good deeesire and that good effort" and each endeavor has a special set of talents that it requires.

Engineering is particularly demanding of study time and study skills, the latter of which can be learned, but often have not been, and it is readily possible to work hard at studying, but not work effectively. It might be worth talking to your faculty advisor regarding the latter to see if there is some source of remedial help. In particular, most engineering courses require good mathematical skill, which again can be helped.

As regards the former, do you have basically full time to devote to studies (no part time job ...)? There is a reason Webb students get free tuition and have a limited athletic program (there is a legend about a center from Webb falling asleep on the court during a basketball game).

The deeper intellectual and personal skills required in engineering are quite specific but not necessarily superior to other areas. (As we all know, the only discipline that confers all knowledge and requires god-like superiority in all ways is medicine.)

There are a lot of other things to do that don't necessarily involve engineering in the marine industry, most of which pay better such as business, marketing, law ... It might be worth looking at some of them and seeing if your particular talents and ability might be better transferred to them. It is also worth remarking that many of the marine trades can evolve into nice careers - naval architects rarely hire either shipyard owners or ship owners, but rather vice versa, and most of the latter didn't come through the ranks of engineering. It may be worth looking a some trades programs that would evolve into something you would like in the long term.

It is also worth noting that if you are interested owning boats vice designing them, the marine industry is probably not the best choice.

 

Nicely said, and it could have been talking about mechanical engineering and probably other specialties.
I had a fellow student who had the same issue, he chose another major and became an A student, with a lots more time and ladies.

 

Landing school could be an option, still cold (Maine) but........

 

A friend of mine wasn't really ready for college and instead worked trades, then drafting/design positions and so on and meanwhile studied via community college and eventually regular college (hence at a much lower cost, and with more study skills), though he wised up and ultimately went into land architecture instead. He has a very nice practice in Northern California doing sustainable building, passive solar and all sorts of neat stuff, and his trade and design/drafting experience has served him well.

As one note, he had been mostly doing HVAC design and drafting, and applied to a land firm when the marine industry slowed down once. When they asked about his experience involving fire and smoke control, he remarked that he had done some HVAC on aircraft carriers and submarines, and they hired him immediately.