Switching to MET

Longtime lurker, first time poster here.

I’m an incoming transfer MT student thinking about switching to engine. When I was applying, I went back and forth between MT and MET. I ended up choosing deck because I was already coming in with 30 units and when visited the campus, a couple of cadets told me about the three-year track. The more I think about my future and talking to many alumi’s, MET is just a better route. Especially in the future once I have a family and wanting to go shoreside.

So I have a couple of questions about the major.

  1. Is it easy to switch from MT to MET? I’m thinking about emailing them before school starts about switching now but I don’t know if they’ll approve.

  2. How difficult is the MET major? I know difficulty is subjective but compared to MT, is it that more difficult? The last math I took was Pre-Cal which I got a B in and Statistics which I got an A in. I looked at the curriculum sheet and I have all the GE done except for the math and science. I’ll be averaging 15 units a semester if I complete it in 4 years.

Thanks for any help!

I’m entering my senior year as an MET.

[I]1. Is it easy to switch from MT to MET? I’m thinking about emailing them before school starts about switching now but I don’t know if they’ll approve.[/I]

It’s been done. I can’t speak to its ease. Ideally you’d spend your first semester taking classes that would end up benefitting your major, but wouldn’t be irreparably set back otherwise. There is a seven semester progression (Calc 1, Calc 2, Physics 2, Circuits, Electronics, Electromechanical, and Power Gen) that you should start no later than spring of your freshman year for an MET. Both programs are impacted. Call/email now and try. Engineering Technology faculty chair is mstrange@csum.edu. If you are unable to change your major for the fall, it’s possible you’d be able to change departments for the following semester.

[I]2. How difficult is the MET major? I know difficulty is subjective but compared to MT, is it that more difficult? The last math I took was Pre-Cal which I got a B in and Statistics which I got an A in. I looked at the curriculum sheet and I have all the GE done except for the math and science. I’ll be averaging 15 units a semester if I complete it in 4 years.[/I]

I transferred in with roughly the same units completed. Do whatever you need to do to pass both calculus classes. Some folks breeze right through, and others have 5+ year track just due to one difficult class. You’ll have an easier time, because you can study while many of your classmates are taking history and speech and other GE classes. Relative difficulty is bullshit - apples and oranges. Good luck.

Hey man. I saw your PM…but then saw your post. To answer your questions…

  1. Change if major apps must be submitted by end of November. Decisions made by January. So your first year would be as a deckie. Long run, you’d become a five year possibly.

  2. If you like math and science…go for it. I don’t know of any 3 year METs. There are 5 year ones every now and then.

If you still want I can answer your PM…let me know.

switch to MET

You have to do what interest you. If you like math science and machinery then go MET. Calculus will be some of the easier classes. Dynamics, thermodynamics, fluids, strength of materials to me were a lot harder than any of the math classes. True there will be more opportunities as an engineer but again you have to like it or you will be miserable. There are some deck opportunities ashore as well

I came to CMA as a transfer student and was able to complete MET in 3 years, but I had all my GE’s, math, and physics done and every summer was spent on ships (one cruise after graduation). It’s possible to do MET in 3 but it’s hard, you need to have all the right units, you need to fight for classes because you’ll be out of sequence, and you need to have a good advisor. All that being said if you want to be an MET, do it. Don’t worry about an extra year of college, I hear so many people say they wish they world have switched majors but we’re scared of an extra year or two. What’s an extra year or two compared to a lifetime of regret. As far as how hard the major is, that’s more up to you. I saw people breeze through it no problem and I saw people struggle. It really just depends. What I will say is be prepared to work hard and spend a lot of time on labs, in the simulators, studying, and doing homework. In the end it’s all worth it and both majors are great, you just need to think what will make you happier.