5 Reasons Why I Decided to Study Civil Engineering

When I tell people I'm studying Civil Engineering, they make a face like "Wow!" to which I then reply, "Do you know what that is?" "No."  This is why I decided to write about this subject.

 

First, what is a Civil Engineer?

     According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), "Civil engineers design, construct, supervise, operate, and maintain large construction projects and systems, including roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, dams, bridges, and systems for water supply and sewage treatment."  Overall, Civil Engineers are typically responsible to the construction of any structure that is used by the public.

5. Leadership--"I want to be that guy"

     After graduating from high school, I started working as an electrician, since my dad had been in this profession for a long time.  Growing up in a big city  (Houston, Tx.), I started to become fascinated by the construction of new tall buildings and the expansion of freeways, but I had no idea what career was involved with these projects.  Until one hot and humid summer day, working on the construction of an elementary school as an electrician, I happened to walk into the Construction Manager's office and look at the blueprints of the project.  As the guy was siting on a nice reclineable office chair, next to the full-blowing A/C, I said to myself "I want to be that guy." I realized that I was in the wrong profession.  Later I found out that the blueprints were drawn by an architect, but the calculations to make everything work was done by a Civil Engineer. 

4. Solving Problems

     After serving a two-year LDS mission, I had perfected my social and salesman skills (although we were not really selling religion, going door to door gave me a lot of experience dealing with new people).  As I was registering for my first classes as a freshman, I though that business was a logical career because of my newly acquired skills.  I only lasted 2 days in business 101 and realized that it wasn't for me.  I had loved math and physics since high school.  I decided to take a Career Exploration course where I discovered what I wanted to pursue, Civil Engineering.  As I continued with my studies, from taking physics, to chemistry (which I am not a fan of), to math, and other engineering courses,  I realized that they had one thing in common: solving problems.  I then realized that I had developed a love for finding solutions to problems and developing innovative approaches to a problem.  Since then I have loved learning and discovering new ways to improve the world around me, one bride at a time.

3. No Cubicle All Day, Please

     Although Civil Engineers spend time in an office setting, working on the plans, making calculations, and specifications for a project,  they must also spend a majority of their time supervising the construction.  I mean, who wants to be in an office in front of the computer all day?  Well, I don't (although some people probably don't mind).  This is exactly the environment that I wanted.

2. Job Security

     According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), "employment of civil engineers is projected to grow 20 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations."  This job outlook was actually unknown to me while I was deciding on a major during my freshman year.  The comfort of job security is hard to find in this economy.  However, as the population continues to increase, we will need new buildings, bigger or new highways, or even innovative ways of transportation.  Which in turns leads to more jobs for Civil Engineers.

1.  Make a Dent in the World

     As I drive pass tall buildings or beautiful bridges, I always look up the engineer in charge.  I then find that they were people like me, with dreams and goals to change the world.  With a desire to make life easier for people.  Perhaps a less congested route to work, a safe and comfortable building, a bridge that will save travel time or even innovative ideas to save energy.  I want to be someone.  I want to be able to drive by that building or bridge and say "I was part of that."  This career will allow me to to just that: make a dent in the world.

Currently, I am a graduate student at Texas A&M emphasizing in Geotechnical Engineering, which is a branch of Civil Engineering that involves making sure that foundations are safe.  

Thanks for visiting my blog.  I hope you learned something new.  If you have any more questions about what a Civil Engineer does, you can comment below.  You can also subscribe to receive post updates.  As always...¡Gracias!

Question for you: Why did YOU decide to do what you do?

 

Please SHARE if you liked this post!

Posted in career, civil engineering