Become a Chemical Engineer
Have you ever wondered who designs complex machines and pipes in a refinery? Chemical engineers, of course! It's a fun and profitable profession. You will be able to invent new processes and materials.
Steps
- Save yourself a lot of time effort and investigate this field before investing so much in an area that requires so much learning. Chemical engineers have to learn how to use in combination: applied math, physics, chemistry, mechanics, process design, engineering economics, technical writing, and many more courses that can be found in a university guide.
- Learn how to ask questions and start interviewing engineers. Your goal in interviewing will be to ask chemical engineers about their experiences. Find out what they like and do not. They create everyday items including deodorants, glues, paints, plastics, and anything you can imagine that has atoms...everything!! Chemical engineers can be great cooks because if you think about it, cooking combines chemistry and processes.
- Learn on your own. This is how you really learn. Learn to find information. Read books and magazines. Do experiments. Visit plants, talk to engineers in other fields (mechanical, electrical, civil, survey, etc), do an internship. Read patents about chemical technology.
- Find a school you like. If you think it's too expensive, get a scholarship or move to a country where you don't pay tuition. Believe it or not, there are good schools in these places as well.
- Take the classes, do the problems, pass the exams, etc. This is a necessary step to get the degree. This gives you an overview of the topics and gets you to develop some skills. This is not how you learn engineering, though.
- Know that after graduation, you will have a degree AND have experienced how to solve many problems. You will have learned how to approach any new problem, how to think, and how to organize your time. What will make you a good engineer will be the field experiences and office work. These experiences will include anything that is cross-training. Cross-training will involve experiences and learning ideas that are outside of theory.
Tips
- Don't think you can't do it. It's more a matter of discipline and remembering why you are studying and working so hard to learn more about this fascinating field. Eventually chemical engineers begin to understand nature and can see chemical processes around them in other everyday events.
- Many times you will have to do many things at once. Learn how to manage your time from time management books that you may not find in your engineering classes.
- Most guys say they don't study because they don't feel the interest.You may also feel the same,but never mind, with practice of curiosity and a little determination you will gradually breathe in the passion of this game-chemical engineering.
- Try not to make earning a good salary the main goal of your career. You're more likely to enjoy your courses,degree and job if you like the stuff your learning and you're not doing something you don't like just so you can earn lots of money.
- Some classes are kind of tough. This is not your fault, it's because they use recently discovered concepts (from the 20th century as opposed to the 19th century) or because the course is poorly designed. Be grateful for the new technologies. Learn how to deal with difficult subjects. Other students have done it. Learn how.
- You will need to develop your social skills. So have other hobbies (sports, volunteer work, musical instrument/band, dancing, organizing community events, etc.)
Warnings
- Learn about WHMIS and the MSDS. The chemicals which you do understand you will not fear and consequently you will learn how to protect yourself, work areas, and society. For example, you will learn how to recognize chemicals that can cause explosions, burning, and which ones are toxic or poisonous. Be safety conscious and learn how to reduce risks at the workplace. Know how to act during an emergency. When you're done you will make a lot of money.
Things You'll Need
- The intelligence, initiative, and time necessary to get a college degree in the subject.
- A keen interest and talent in relevant areas of mathematics, chemistry, physics and engineering.
