Electronic Design Software

Electrical or Mechanical Engineering for hands on people?

I don't really want to be stuck in an office 8 hours a day and would prefer a mixture of computer/office time and on site/lab work. I have an interest in the electronics we work with today, but I'm also interested in vehicles like planes and automobiles. Additionally, I even have an interest in alternative energy. Which of these two engineering disciplines would better suit me?

Public Comments

1. I would definitely do mechanical. You do a lot of theorywork in both, but mechanical more often than not gives you more opportunities for hands-on work.
2. Both can be extremely hands-on. It depends on who you end up working for. If the company you work for manufactures products directly, you can bet there will be a lot of prototype building & troubleshooting, maybe even frequent work in the field or on the factory floor. But you will spend much of your time in an office, staring at a computer screen. That's what engineering is these days.
3. If you're doing hands-on, you want mechanical. Hands-on electrical is too dangerous...but you won't find that shocking. Do you need to decide BEFORE you start classes? In my school, we took common core classes the first year or two while we decided which track we ended up taking. But, from your descriptions, either path would work out well for you. You might be interested in human factors engineering where you can work on the human to machine interfaces for electrical and mechanical systems. (Joysticks, displays, input devices, ergonomics, automation, etc.)