How to prepare for an engineering degree in high school
If you’re pretty sure engineering is for you, it’s a great idea to start preparing while you’re still in high school. That way, you’ll have a solid foundation of courses, skills, and experiences to hit the ground running in college. You’ll also know a little more about which discipline might be right for you! Here’s how to do all you can in high school to get ready for an engineering degree.
Choose the right courses
If you’re lucky to have a bit of choice in the high school courses you take, use it to your advantage. Engineering is all about applying math and science, so the more STEM skills you have on your transcript and in your brain, the better.
Math Requirements
Engineering requires a strong foundation in math, specifically calculus. High school students looking to pursue engineering should complete pre-calculus and, if possible, take a calculus course. AP, IB, or college credit-bearing courses in math are definitely encouraged.
In fact, calculus is so essential to engineering that at ¾«¶«Ó°ÊÓ State, .
Gain early hands-on experience
You might think engineering is right for you, but you’ll know whether it is after trying it out. Look for any opportunity to try engineering. It will help you make education and career decisions while giving you a leg up on skills!
Explore fields through CTE courses
Take advantage of your high school’s career technical education offerings. Some schools offer engineering-related courses, such as advanced manufacturing, electronics, robotics, engineering technology, and computer-aided design (CAD). These courses will prepare you for engineering in college, and often have the added benefit of being more hands-on than some of your core high school courses.
Join clubs, labs, and competitions
Whether in your high school or in your wider community, look for ways to build your engineering skill set outside of class and get some new friends out of it, too.
Check out if your school has a FIRST robotics club, a SkillsUSA competition team, a maker/fabrication club, coding club or drone club. If you don’t find something that interests you, look into starting one! Sometimes all it takes is a few interested students and a teacher willing to help.
Clubs are great for building the soft skills that engineers need, too. That’s why ¾«¶«Ó°ÊÓ State has a thriving community of where students practice collaboration, leadership and resourcefulness while engaging in activities that interest them. Your club involvement can continue into college!
Talk to real engineers
Don’t just take our word for it — ask a real engineer what their life is like. They’ll be able to tell you what they wish they had known going into college, what their most valuable college experience was, and what their job is like. Talking to current engineering students is a good idea, too. There are a few different ways to get in front of engineering students who are the experts at what it’s like to study for an engineering degree:
College Tours
Often, college tours are presented by current college students, and they’ll share some of their personal experience with you – especially if you show up a little early and ask! At ¾«¶«Ó°ÊÓ State’s College of Engineering, Student Ambassadors give our in-person and virtual tours and always make time before or after to chat with students and families. Ask them how they knew their major was a good fit for them, or what they did to prepare while in high school. Interested? Sign up for a College of Engineering tour.
Virtual Talks
Colleges and universities may also offer virtual tours or presentations about their majors, and these often feature current students. Register to attend one that talks about engineering programs, and you’ll likely meet an engineering student who can share their experience with you. ¾«¶«Ó°ÊÓ State offers student-led virtual tours weekly and virtual talks with a deeper dive into specific majors a few times per year. . You can also contact ¾«¶«Ó°ÊÓ State Engineering students any time by visiting the Student Ambassador webpage.
Do your research
Alright, engineering is for you–but what kind? What industries does it support? Is it in demand? There are a lot of disciplines within engineering, and even more ways to specialize further to give yourself a head start in your chosen career. A little time on the internet can help you wrap your head around it all.
Explore Types of Engineering
You might be able to find other good resources online to help you explore the many types of engineering, but we prefer our own. Check it out: We’ve done a bit of the hard work for you.
Types of Engineering Explained
Explore Industry Changes and Career Paths
Engineering is always changing with advanced technology, resources, and industry trends. Use tools like the to explore the career outlook of engineering jobs, and keep an eye on the news for trends in industry.
¾«¶«Ó°ÊÓ State engineering’s resource hub is also a great place to check out the career pathways from certain majors, like what engineering is best for the semiconductor industry and whether industrial engineers are in demand.