Originally Posted by NE_Pilot
But those people who got hired right out of college have new degrees, and have up-to-date training in that field. They are fresh out of college, the information is fresh and its all industry standard. If you have an engineering degree and try to use it 8 years down the line, it won't get you anywhere because you will have the expeirence in the field of someone right out of college, but you will not be up-to-date education.
Oh ya, because orbital mechanics have changed so much in the last ten years. Get a clue. They have been the same for more than 4 BILLION years. What makes you think this could be "out of date."
F will always equal (G*M*m)/r^2
Kinetic Energy will always equal (1/2)*m*v^2
Air drag will always equal (1/4)*a*v^2
Bernouli's principle will always cause airplanes to fly. (Well actually scientists have rencently discovered it is not Bernouli's principle that makes airplanes fly, it is MONEY that makes airplanes fly...)
I'm getting off subject here, but you get the point. Engineering is all about mathematics and problem solving. All the answers to the universe are out there! They are written in the language of mathematics!!! That is what an engineering degree will teach you. And a language never gets "out of date." It is the same math since Isaac Newton "invented" calculus, and guys like Leonhard Euler and Frederick Gauss turned calculus into a powerful tool. As for problem solving, this is very crucial part of education in engineering. I did massive design projects ALL 4 YEARS I was in college. The design process is kind of like CRM (Crew Resource Management) to pilots, but on an entirely different level. You can theoretically fly a CRJ with one pilot. But you can't build a Pegasis rocket, or an A-700 VLJ with one person. Teamwork, and the design process are crucial. This is the other MAJOR thing you will learn that cannot get "out of date."
Very little of what I learned in my four years getting an Aerospace Engineering degree can go "out of date."
Calculus
Differential Equations
Chemistry
Physics
Thermodynamics
Statics and Structures
Aerodynamics
Orbital Mechanics
These laws have been in place since our universe was created, and will not change in a few years.
With all that said, let me reitterate that I believe you should get a 4 year degree. There are many good reasons, but one is definately that it can be used as a backup incase your flying career goes under. You can be assured that your degree WILL NOT go "out of date."