Mechanical Engineering Career Training Guide

Question: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING? I want to know some things about getting a mechanical engineering degree: What is the typical degree in mechanical engineering and how much does it help to have a better one? Are there subdivisions of mechanical engineering to major in in college? How long after college does it take to get certified/info about test. What job can you get right out of college and with what pay if not certified yet? Thanks

Answer: I just graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering, so I think I can help you. The name of the major is "mechanical engineering" and there are no subdivisions (at least there weren't at my college). With the certification thing, I think you are referring to the professional engineering exam. If you want to take that, you'll probably need to go to grad school which is another two years on top of the 4-year bachelors degree. I say that because the information covered in the test is pretty advanced stuff. However, the professional engineering exam isn't necessary to get a job right out of college. I have friends who got hired right away with a starting salary around 50k per year.

Question: Mechanical engineering? I have just passed my 12'th.I want to make my career in mechanical engineering.But I don't have sufficient information about it.So can anybody give me detailed information about it...

Answer: Well I'm a recently graduated ME. School was fun though a lot of work (which i didnt get paid to do), my job is boring but it pays a lot so I put up with it. You'll make good money if you do graduate with an ME degree and its easy to find a job right out of school generally, though at least 3/4 of ME freshmen change majors or don't graduate (Too lazy or too stupid) and you need to be good at math..........

Question: mechanical engineering? I am about to start 9th grade in high school and am interested in going to collage for mechanical engineering. I was wondering what good jobs are in mechananical engineering.

Answer: Mechanical engineering is definitely a great way to go. There are plenty of jobs and plenty of money in this field. Currently the highest starting pay for recent college graduates is Petroleum Engineering, which many mechanical engineers get into easily. Some of the most common mechanical engineer fields are aerospace, automotive, oil & gas, pumps, valves, mining, defense, HVAC, and pressure vessels. But there are tons of industries that need mechanical engineers, even sports equipment and electronics manufacturers need mechanical engineers. Mechanical is great because you have so many options when you graduate, almost anything you can build requires an M.E.'s knowledge. My uncle (an electrical engineer) spoke to me about this when I was trying to decide between electrical and mechanical, and I'm so glad I chose mechanical because there are so many more options. Stick with it, 10 years from now you'll be happy you did.

Question: MEchanical engineering? What are the duties and responsibilities of Mechanical Engineers???

Answer: Mechanical engineers have a lot of responsibilities and duties in a wide variety of fields. They can serve in supervisory positions in manufacturing facilities to make sure that procedures are followed and parts are being manufactured to spec. They also do a lot of design work, from designing the various parts of cars to coming up with new elastic waistbands for diapers. In designing, they also do a lot of analysis, ensuring that parts don't fail before a specified life cycle or under certain loads. I think of all the engineering disciplines, MEs have the greatest breadth of work and responsibilites.

Question: Can a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering holder switch to a Bachelor in Petroleum Engineering degree? I did Mechanical Engineering for my diploma and want to switch to Petroleum Engineering for my degree. I wanted to know can it be done and what are the exemptions like? Need replies urgently. Thanks.

Answer: No... not unless you meet the requirements of the new degree program.. It may take an extra year of schooling - maybe more. You need to check with the Petroleum Engineering department to see what the requirements are - THEN you must look at the course offerings and see if you can take the necessary courses in a reasonable time. It may take two years to accomplish.

Question: mechanical engineering? I am sixteen and I am interested in engineering. I am great in math and I have a 4.00 GPA so I am told I could handle it. I think I would enjoy mechanical engineering but I don't have the best understanding of what exactly it is. If there are any mechanical engineers that could give me information or tell me what their normal work day entails, that would be great. Thanks!

Answer: Mechanical engineers design sdystems with moving and interacting parts. This requires knowledge in gears and other mechanical mechanisms. Usually you also need to pick up practical elements of electronic component selection (e.g., stepper motors). You will learn in detail how to perform engineering drawing and component selection and integration into equipment. You will also learn mechanical stress calculations.

Question: What is a minor in mechanical engineering good for? Is there any benefits to obtaining undergraduate minors in engineering fields, especially mechanical engineering? I am studying bioengineering, and can easily get a mechanical engineering minor. Will I be able to go into the mechanical engineering field with a minor in that? Or is it not worth it to go for an engineering minor? Thanks!

Answer: i think you could, not sure you did learn it and like have some experience but not fully done. but yea its useful for minor engineering unless you can take the math down like calculus and things I know for fact though that you can get a job in that, not so sure how a minor works but i do know that you can get a job with a minor like someone who has a major in music but has a minor in like piano tuning

Question: How important is a mechanical engineering freshman's summer job to future employers? I just finished my first year of mechanical engineering at college. There's a paid graphic arts internship that I'm interested in and can easily get. Getting a mechanical engineering-related internship or job would be much harder because I live in NYC and things are competitive. How much should I worry about getting engineering-related experience in my first summer?

Answer: I am a 51-year-old mechanical engineer who had to hire, on different occasions, two experienced mechanical engineers and one right-out-of-school mechanical engineer. So I have some but not a heck of a lot of experience hiring. My two cents: Don't sweat it, take the graphic arts internship . You are too early in your studies to worry about getting an engineering summer job THIS summer. Do worry about getting an engineering summer job NEXT summer. My reasoning: 1.-No offense, but if I remember freshman year right (it's been a while) you probably haven't had the serious engineering courses that would allow you to have a serious engineering summer job freshman summer anyway. Basically, you can take the graphic arts job, be happy, not do any engineering work this summer, or you can search for a so-called engineering job, be miserable and STILL you wouldn't get to do any engineering work this summer. 2.-One common complaint from **my** students now and from **my** classmates when I was a student is that engineering summer jobs pretty much suck. You basically end up, well, carrying my briefcase. Even if the summer job is an engineering job you don't get to do real engineering work. I remember being an engineer at one of the "Big Three" automotive industry companies, and the summer students rebelling because they wanted "engineering jobs". We the engineers told the bosses "Never mind the kids! We (the engineers) want real engineer work because ALL we do all day is PAPER work". 3.-By all means, put your very best effort to get engineering experience in your next summer jobs, no question about it. However, when we (51-year-old engineers) hire right-out-of-school engineers we know you do not have experience. If we had wanted experienced engineers that's what we would've asked HR to get. In any organization you do need a mix of experienced and right-out-of-school engineers. But back to the non-engineering graphic arts job this summer. Want to get the most out of the graphic arts job? Do it well. Be dependable. Have initiative. Be resourceful at work. Impress your boss(es). Get into project or management work as much as you can (do things like organizing, assigning work, setting and controlling schedules). By any devious yet moral ways try to become a group or team leader. Do your best to get "communication" tasks, meaning tasks that forces you to develop your verbal and written communication skills. Make verbal presentations to clients. Write reports. Sound like very little engineering? All of that is what I do the most at work. And I am a design/R&D engineer. What I am trying to say is, if you get experience in what I have just told you this summer **I** will hire you myself when you graduate because all of those things I mentioned are most of what you will do in a "real" engineering job anyway. When you graduate, you tell your interviewer you did all those things I just mentioned, and you will be ahead of your classmates who were doing "engineering" summer jobs.

Question: What should I do about mechanical engineering? I am in tenth standard and i am interested in doing mechanical engineering. I need your advice about this subject. I am also interested in aeronautical engineering but I think it is too hard for me. I would gladly accept the advices of engineers.

Answer: mechanical is anything that deals with machines, machanical enginnering is very broad when compared to all the other enginnering subjects. if you like taking things apart and seeing how they work then mechanical is for you

Question: What would be a good first mechanical engineering project? What do I have to know to achieve such an engineering project (statics, etc.)? Some info about myself: I have finished a year of classes as a physics major and am thinking of making the switch over to mechanical engineering. No actual engineering class taken yet, although I am studying statics on my own during the summer.

Answer: Create and analyze a wind-powered walking structure based on Theo Jansen's designs.

Question: How hard is a mechanical engineering degree to complete? How hard is a mechanical engineering degree to complete? Is it harder then most majors? I do not know much about engines but I am interested and want to learn?

Answer: If you are interested and want to learn, you are halfway to successfully completing a mechanical engineering degree course. To achieve your aim, you also need to master calculus as it is very important in mechanical engineering. To be sure that you know what is involved in studying and working in mechanical engineering, do a Google search for "mechanical engineering courses in the USA" and read the website entries for some of the colleges and universities that teach the program. You ought to also read the entry in Wikipedia.

Question: what is a minor in mechanical engineering good for? Is there any benefits to obtaining undergraduate minors in engineering fields, especially mechanical engineering? I am studying bioengineering, and can easily get a mechanical engineering minor. Will I be able to go into the mechanical engineering field with a minor in that? Or is it not worth it to go for an engineering minor? Thanks!

Answer: Mechanical engineers are f***in epic. They do EVERYTHING. So most companies will probably bump you up on the hire list if they see it.

Question: What is the mechanical engineering industry standard for auto-cad software? I'm a mechanical engineering undergrad student, looking to start learning autocad in my free time. If you are an engineer, what auto-cad programs do you run into most often? Autodesk? Solid Works? Thanks!

Answer: I am a mechanical engineer, and I work in product development. There are many many many programs that can be used. I look at them as 2 main kinds. There are the drafting or design programs. AutoCAD is one of these. They let you draw objects, in 2D or 3D. They are very useful for layouts - electrical, plant layouts, buildings, etc... They tend to be cheaper than the other kind. Then there are the solid modeling programs. Examples include AutoDesk Inventor, Solid Works, ProEngineer, CATIA, UG, NV4, etc... They model solid objects. Some people are going to argue that AutoCAD can do this. Not really - AutoCAD simulates this by being 3D. But deep inside, the math models are different. But whatever. Mechancial engineers that model parts or components tend to use Solid Modeling programs. Mechanical engineers that work on plant layouts, large buildings, and large scale things tend to use drafting programs. It all has to do with the way the calculations and properties are assigned. Now for the good news. If you learn how to design, the tool doesn't matter too much. If you learn to use a hammer to put a nail into wood, it doesn't matter if you use a claw hammer or a ballpene hammer. They are different hammers, and they have different uses, but they work about the same. So, anything you learn will be useful to you. But you may want to think if you want to eventually work on large spaces or parts.

Question: What would be a good way to learn mechanical engineering at home? I have taken a years worth of college physics already and I am thinking about transferring into mechanical engineering. I would first like to know what the basic foundations of mechanical engineering are (manufacturing, planning, etc.). What should I learn and what order should I learn them in? What are some good books that would help me? And finally, what would be some good first projects to get some real experience?

Answer: You can get a lot of mechanical engineering basics at this website: http://www.efunda.com/home.cfm You can explore all different facets of mechanical engineering there.

Question: What is the prospect in aerospace and mechanical engineering for research at post graduate level? What does one interested in research opt for after completing B.Tech in aerospace engineering or mechanical engineering? What are the best options for this?

Answer: well im not an academic but you still need people who can build it don't you .....even the academics ..need hands on its not that easy ..have met the odd mechanical engineer who has ist degree in engineering who didn't even know wat a spanner was used for ..sad that thankfully they were remotes ..best options be good at what you do be hands on as well as academic ..know your tools ..

Question: What is the difference between Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering? I'm talking about Aeronautical Engineering more specifically. How do they differ in the classes they take? Which one is more difficult to learn? Also, not many schools(In New York) support Aerospace Engineering; I was wondering, is Aeronautical/Aerospace like a branch of Mechanical Engineering?

Answer: Aerospace Engineering: branch of engineering behind the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. Mechanical Engineering: branch of engineering that deals with the design and construction and operation of machinery. First two years of Aerospace and Mechanical engineering are about the same classes. After that it becomes different. For example, cal 1, 2, 3, and differential equations (both need it) Statics, Dynamics, Solids. But Aerospace Engineering, you take Thermal Engineering (includes thermo 1, thermo 2 and heat transfer) and for Mechanical Engineering you need (Thermo 1, 2, and Heat transfer) Three different courses. Aerospace engineering you will deal more with fluids, incompressibles compressibles, anything that moves through any type of fluid etc. Mechanical engineering you are more worried about controls, the operation of machinery and design etc. Aerospace engineering is more narrow, but with a Mechanical engineering degree you can work at a vast majority of places, since you learn it more broadly. Aerospace you concentrate on one side. But Aerospace engineers gets paid more and you can refer to yourself as "rocket science major" haha. Hope this helps. If you are checking in to Universities for Mechanical and Aero, Look in to University of Texas at Arlington, or UT Austin, Texas A&M, MIT, etc. Aerospace engineering junior.

Question: What is the equivalent to Electro-mechanical Engineering Technology at a 4 year school? Im looking at going to a community college from this 4 year school that im at (for various reasons) and im considering majoring in Electro-mechanical engineering technology. What is its equivalent, normally? (I mean is it electrical or mechanical engineering or what)

Answer: The program will include both mentioned areas of engineering. However, it may not approach them from an academic point of view. Make sure that this is a university track program if you plan to return to a four-year school. Often at community colleges "technology" in the name of a major means that it is not university track program with transferable credits, but is a terminal vocational program whose credits will not be accepted by universities.

Question: How to persue a degree in Mechanical Engineering? What courses/classes/degrees would you have to take in community college to prepare? Mechanical Engineering Technology? And would you have time for family as a Mechanical Engineer? Stressful or no? Salary in the bay area?

Answer: Before you take courses at a community college, you should have an idea on where you plan to go for the bachelors degree. Make sure that your courses will transfer to that school completely, otherwise you will have to retake them. Also be sure that the classes will apply to your major. A lot of times classes will transfer, but they may not actually fulfill requirements, but just count as extra credits. Talk with both a counselor at the community college and the college(s) you are considering attending in the future. That is the best way to ensure a smooth transition. Generally you will need physics (most likely calculus based physics), a chemistry class (sometimes they are picky on which one too), math classes including calculus I, calculus II, possibly calculus III (depending on the school), and differential equations. Usually what ever is the basic freshman english class required. Engineering classes such as statics are useful. You can also complete classes that will fulfill the general education requirements for your degree which may include a foreign language requirement, humanities or social science requirements, non-western culture classes, or other non-engineering related requirements for obtaining your degree. I have found that I have time for a family as a mechanical engineer. A lot depends on the company you work for. Some companies are just not family friendly no matter what you do and some are. It can be stressful depending on if you are racing against a deadline to submit a proposal or having problems with a design, but so can any job. It also can feel very rewarding. Not sure about the salary since I work in the midwest.

Question: What will a mechanical engineering internship be like? I am currently a freshman in college and i plan on pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering. My adviser has told me that I should start looking for an internship as soon as possible. I was wondering what i should expect when doing a first time internship? I would like answers from people that have done one. And also if companies offer pay to an intern??...... Being a college student means that that extra pay would be quite beneficial ;]. THANKS.

Answer: education.mypressonline.com - I found such internship info here. It has lots of internships, job openings and scolarships for college students.

Question: What courses are needed for Mechanical Engineering? What are the required courses for going into mechanical engineering? what should i take to prepare for it? Im planning on taking my basics for my first few years then starting in mecahnical engineering. ANy help for this? Ay advice?

Answer: Unless you excel in math and very few female do, don't go into engineering. In high school you should complete college algebra and trigonometry and it would be good to have taken chemistry and physics.

Question: Is mechanical engineering a good field to get into? I have had trouble finding people in this field so I resorted to using yahoo answers. I'm considering mechanical engineering as my major but I have a few questions What kind of jobs do people with this major have? Are there any colleges that offer internships to potential employers? Are the classes ridiculously hard? And can I major in mechanical engineering while minoring in mechanotics?

Answer: Yes - I am a chemist but work with mech engineers. Classes are moderately hard Good employmnent opportunites

Question: How to be a Aircraft Designer after Mechanical Engineering? Hi, I am a Mechanical Engineer. My passion is to be an Aircraft Designer. Can anyone tell me how to be an Aircraft Designer after getting degree in Mechanical Engineering ? I would really appreciate any answer but I would prefer the opinion of someone already working in the industry.

Answer: learn following softwares catia v5/v6 Ansys or any good cfa gain some experience and become proficient in it then apply to companies like boeing

Question: Best undergrad school for mechanical engineering in the United States? I'm planning on getting a bachelor in mechanical engineering then an MBA in Finance and Management. What are some good schools for both? Florida? Purdue? Michigan?

Answer: Rose-Hulman Engineers should not get an MBA unless they want to leave Engineering. They should get either an MEngMgt/MEM (Engineering Management) or MSTM (Technology Management).

Question: What are the various branches in the field of mechanical engineering? I have a forum called national engineering forum (www.enforum.org) I want to add more categories in Mechanical engineering. Can you suggest me a few major categories?

Answer: The major divisions of mechanical engineering are designs and controls, thermo-science and fluids, engineering mechanics, and manufacturing. Depending on the colleges and the universities, some mechanical engineering programs offer more specialized programs, such as mechatronics, robotics, transport and logistics, cryogenics, and biomechanics, if a separate department does not exist for these subjects

Question: Should I get a bachelors in mechanical engineering and then a masters in aerospace engineering? I want to go to Norwich University but they don't offer the major I want. However they do offer mechanical engineering. Since ME is such a broad subject would it be a good idea or even possible to get a BA is ME and a masters in Aerospace?

Answer: I think that is the best plan for you. Good thinking. . .

Question: I will be attending cal poly pomona for mechanical engineering. Is a Dell Inspiron 15 good enough for me? I am having trouble figuring out what kind of specs I will need for a laptop that I will be getting. In order to do all of my coursework and satisfy the requirements of the classes(Mechanical Engineering), do you think that a Dell Inspiron 15 will be good enough?

Answer: I am useing a dell inspiron 15 and it is blue it works great ive downloaded many many programs and its still running fast. it also has alot of ram making it go fast the harddrive alot of space enough to download my friend also bought one and he uses it for somthing mechanical with cars he uses astrochart witch is a diagram of all the cars made into a program its like 5gb+ and it runs fast it showes where all the parts are on each car. In my opinion i think it would be a great good like iwth mechanical engineering

Question: What is the difference between an electrical and mechanical engineering course? which is better? I want to study a 4-year course. I want to know the highlights of each course and I prefer the electrical and mechanical engineering course.

Answer: If you prefer electrical, then that's what you should do. Both are 4 year courses, for a BSE. http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Electrical_Engineer/Salary http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Mechanical_Engineer/Salary The pay gradient for Electrical engineers is a little better as well, but if you preferred mechanical engineering, that would be the gig to go with. Neither do badly.

Question: What are the employment prospects in Mechanical Engineering? Given the fiscal turmoil, what will the employment prospects be like for Mechanical Engineers in 2012? I also intend to graduate with a 3.7+ if that helps. How about Electrical Engineering? I just want to know now because it would suck to spend tens of thousands only to be left jobless. Thank you for your time.

Answer: Nobody's going to be able to predict the state of the economy in 2012. But good mechanical and electrical engineers are *always* in demand. If the economy is still sour when you graduate, you might not find your dream job, but you'll find something. I actually think it's a good time to go to school when the economy is bad, assuming you can afford it and you're pretty sure you're going to like engineering. What are your other alternatives? Finding a job right now without a college degree? Majoring in something else that might not have the same job prospects? And who knows, *maybe* the economy will turn around by 2012. That's what happened when I went to school in the early 90's.

Question: How much is mechanical engineering about physics? I want to do a course in mechanical engineering, but how much is it about physics and maths? I was interested in doing motorsport engineering, but what do you actually do at university? Do you sit at a desk and do complicated calculations and look at the theory, or do you do a lot of practicle work? Also is there any design work in it?

Answer: Mechanical engineering is basically all math and physics. There is no getting around that. To answer the second part of your question, you do both. Usually you will go through the whole process. You will sit down and do the calulations and the theory and the planning, and design. Then you will put your design into application. Its usually the whole process. However you won't get past stage 1 without math and physics.

Question: Is mechanical engineering a safe major for the undecided? I don't know what I want to major in. I just know I want to become an engineer. Mechanical engineering seems like it would apply to all engineering fields. Could I major in mechanical engineering for my BS and then specialize into something else (like aerospace or biomedical) for my masters or Ph.D.?

Answer: Yes and no. Getting your undergraduate degree in Mech and an MS in aero or biomed is doable. I know people who've gone those routes. Getting an MS in chemical, electrical, or computer engineering (for example) is less doable. Getting an MS in a field that isn't the same as your BS is easier if you decide you want to do this at least a year or two before you get the BS so you can use all your technical electives on undergrad classes in that other field. Otherwise there's a lot of backtracking. Now with a PhD, its less about classes and more about research, so if you've been taking a ton of classes and maybe did a masters thesis in fluids for example, you could probably get your phd in chemE pretty easily, though I don't know why you'd want to. At that point you are so specialized that your potential employer will care about what your research was and not whether your diploma says ME, CE, EE, whatever. I guess the bottom line is that the fields tend to overlap and there are MEs in industry doing things you might normally think an EE would do and vice versa. You should probably have some idea of what you want to do, even if its vague, and then pick a major that will allow you to do that, and then specialize (by taking the right electives) as you get a better idea what you want to do. ME is not a wildcard for all engineering. It is one of the more broad fields of engineering, and more industrial firms hire ME's than probably any other major except maybe EE, so you have a big choice of companies to work for (if the economy is good when you graduate) but you'll be doing ME work in those jobs. Nobody is going to hire you to write software with an ME degree (though you may write some as a minor aspect of your job). For that matter you'd have a hard time making certain lateral moves within ME years after you graduate because though the field is broad, it has many specialties. Again, its not a wildcard.

Question: can i start ME in environmental engineering after my bachelor of mechanical engineering? Hi friends, I have been completed partime degree in mechanical engineering. Further i want to do master degree in environmental engineering. can i do? If yes which college offering and details please.Give me the guidelines please?

Answer: yes environmental engineering graduate schools...are open to students in engineering and sciences engineers with backgrounds in chemical mechanical civil really they take in any engineering major....above is what they prefer Scientist with backgrounds in physics chemistry biology environmental science Many colleges offer it....go to graduateschool.com Im in the washington DC area so Im going to give you schools in this area Howard UMBC UMD John Hopkins to name a few

Question: What kind of things can i do with a joint mechanical engineering and MBA degree? My background is in finance and strategy but id like to try and broaden my experience with an MBA. I would also love to get some expertise in engineering so I can be effective in my career. I am considering looking into clean tech companies. Also, any dual MBA mechanical engineering degrees from good schools?

Answer: MBA is useless with some real world job experience after you get your bachelors. Expertise in Engineering??? how would expertise in engineering help you with a finance background and an MBAa/ That would require a BS in Engineering, plus engineering job experience - at least 2+ more yrs beyond a finance degree sue to all the advanced math courses required- but you say your background is in finance and (strategy?) - you're all over the place. Do you currently have ANY college degree?

Question: Is a mechanical engineering degree mostly the same anywhere you go? Will a mechanical engineering degree be looked at the same by potential employers from schools like UConn, UVM, and U of Utah? Or will a degree from UConn looks slightly better than the U of U degree since UConn is a slightly better school? Obviously top notch school degrees will be looked at differently, so I'm not really wondering about that. Danke

Answer: So long as the Mechanical Engineering degree is ABET-accredited, one school's degree is pretty much as good as another (except for the elite schools which tend to be much more analytical and difficult).

Question: what are good birmingham based mechanical engineering companies to get work experience from? i am a student in year 12 and im looking for a work experience placement in mechanical engineering in birmingham. can someone suggest some companies that do work experience placements.

Answer: try Dowding and Mills engineering. there main office is in birmingham.

Question: Is there mechanical engineering involved in the equestrian world? I am currently studying Mechanical Engineering and am very interested in the frangible pins now used in some cross country jumps. I love riding horses and am trying to find a way to combine mechanical engineering with horses. I know there must be some mechanical engineering involved in the design of jumps and other such things. I am interested in the safety of both horse and rider in jumping and eventing. How can I get involved and on the right track?

Answer: First, take a course in equine physiology. Then, study the general principles of physical kinetics and dynamics. A combination of these bodies of knowledge will give you a skill-set that will suggest solutions to horesriding problems and horseriding projects and products-design.

Question: Which university is the best for mechanical engineering in London? I want to study mechanical engineering but I dont know which University is gonna be the best for that subject. I applied for some univerisities like ucl, kcl, qmcl, But i dont know in which uni should i go to study mechanical engineering. Can anybody help me?

Answer: 2 of my friends are doing electronic engineering at Imperial, I think they do mechanical too. You can ask your teachers at school as well about which universities are good.

Question: How much is chemistry involved in Mechanical Engineering? Going to start mechanical engineering end of september. I like math and physics, but i hate chemistry, and I'm pretty bad at it. How much is chemistry involved overall?

Answer: I was required to take two chemistry courses as an undergrad. The first was your basic introductory college chemistry course. The second course was organic chemistry which was more difficult. Other than that I never had to take any other "Chemistry Courses" although there are some courses like Materials Science that may use some of the things you learned in chemistry. Other than that you really wont have a lot of chemistry as a mechanical engineer so you really should not worry about it.

Question: Would I be able to transfer into a mechanical engineering major if i initially apply as undecided? I want to apply to the university of illinois at urbana champaign as an undecided major because i hear it's easier to get in that way. However, i want to transfer after a year or two at the university to a mechanical engineering major. My only concern is that i won't get in. UIUC is number 4 in the nation for engineering, so i wonder if it would be even remotely possible for me to transfer after 2 years.

Answer: Yes, you will be able to transfer. Be sure to find out what classes the engineering students are taking, and take as many of them as possible. Some will be closed to non-majors, but not too many of the first year classes. Do well in these classes and you will be welcomed as a major. Many of the majors will be long gone by then and the engineering departments will be looking for good transfer students.

Question: What career opportunities can a BA in Mechanical Engineering provide? This question is for people who have a BA in Mechanical Engineering... what do you do for a living?

Answer: There is no such thing as a BA in Mechanical Engineering. That would be a BS in Mechanical Engineering, or BSME. Or it could be a BS in Engineering (BSE) with a mechanical engineering focus. Google mechanical engineering for the answers to your question.

Question: What other classes should I take for Mechanical Engineering? I am a freshman in high school and I'm aiming for mechanical engineering. I am already in AP Algebra 2 and I am planning on taking AP Trig. and AP Calculates. What else should I plan for?

Answer: All the physics they offer and calculus. It may help to take some circuits and shop type classes if they offer them at your high school as hands on experience is sometimes hard to come by. Don't forget to have some fun, you can pickup all the things your learning in AP classes in the first year of college even if you stopped after high school geometry. I would also not rush to be mechanical right away, as they offer several good mixes between mechanical, electrical, and computer science as majors now a days. Depends on how your interests develop.