College majors in engineering... tips and advice for a girl.

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I'm an Aspie girl with severe executive functioning issues. I want to do one of two things with my life right now, either textile and biomechanical engineering for innovative clothes, such as an isokinetic workout skirt or clothes for dancers, or a civil engineer who becomes a transportation head in an important city.

I can't decide: to choose colleges, I must select my majors to look for. Do I choose civil engineering, or clothing design? And if clothing design, which to focus on: biomechanical or textile engineering? I've yet to find a small college that offers all of these options and gives me the support I need.

Speaking of support, when I told my mom that I wanted to be an engineer, she got very quiet and said that to be an engineer, I had to work hard. I asked her if she thought I couldn't do it. She said "I never said you couldn't do it", but never told me that I could.

My dad worries for me. He majored in chemical engineering, and says that the culture is "you hand it in on time". Also, so many boys take engineering, but few girls! Would all eyes be on me in class? That would probably mess up my ability to think. Thinking under pressure is a skill I have to learn.

I used to do very poorly in math, but I love my trig class now and scored quite well on a difficult test. I would like to use math to solve real-world problems, invent, and construct. But how do I get started? And how can I even get there in terms of stamina? Plz help.

I think it's a cool idea. Especially the one about designing clothes--but the transportation thing is cool, too.

You do have to do EXCELLENT in math.

You have to work hard.

You sound like an intelligent person. Go for it!

Engineering is a field that the school you go to matters a lot. It's very important to go to a school that is known for having a very good engineering program (specifically the type of engineering you're doing - so, for example, if you do civil engineering, you'd need to go to school that's well-known for its civil engineering program, not just for its mechanical engineering program). So, once you pick which type of engineering to do, make sure you research which schools are really well-known for that specific type of engineering.

As for which type of engineering to do, if you have one that you prefer, that would be a good indicator. If not, it would be good to see if you might be able to do some sort of job-shadowing to see more about the careers and which one would suit you better. If being the only girl in class (and in the future, at a workplace) is a major concern to you, I would imagine there would be more girls in clothing design than in civil engineering, but both fields are becoming constantly more diverse, so I wouldn't let the possibility of them being primarily male hold you back.

Having good mathematical ability is very important, but it sounds like you're moving forward well in that area.

My only concern would be your dad's comment, which you didn't really address. You said that he told you the culture is "you hand it in on time". Why did he point this out to you? Do you struggle to complete tasks on-time? Or do you think that would be a struggle for you in your career? Engineering is definitely a career where they expect each person to pull their own weight independently and not require others to carry their work for them, so if that will be a problem, you may want to consider how to address it. The only reason I ask about this is because your father know you better than me, obviously, and you didn't really say anything about your dad's comment, like whether you thought his concerns were reasonable or not.

You have to work hard.
do your best

My average is 83... Which is decent, especially considering my psychological state currently. However, I know that it is not my best.

The subject material is easy for me. I do have issues with depression and stamina, forgetting work, losing stuff. Yes, I know how difficult engineering would be.

I want to figure things out, generate ideas about the world, and invent. I like materials science, biomechanics, and kinesiology the most currently. I might do something lower-stress... But... I don't know what to do.

I also want to write screenplays, so I've considered becoming a science consultant on SciFi to transition. I can't be fulfilled without having had experiences as a scientist, or engineer.

You can go to college and decide which area of engineering you will focus on during your freshman year, when you have to take lots of core classes required for all areas of engineering.

Whatever path you choose, remember the only deadly sin is giving up.

As a girl who does a lot of engineering-related extracurriculars and is a physics major (the gender ratio situation is similar), I spend more time around guys. I don't think the "all eyes on you" should be a problem in class. Generally everyone's looking at the professor. If you're still worried, you could sit in front of the class, so you won't have to meet with your classmates' gazes or sit in the back so they'll be less likely to turn back to look at you.

As for using math to solve real-world problems, you can take on research or join a design team in university.