Have you ever dreamed of discovering the next breakthrough in the study of quantum physics? Of creating the space vehicle that will make flying large numbers of people to the moon and back a reality? Of designing facilities to provide atomic power for an entire country? Of developing a car that can drive, fly, and float? Perhaps you’re interesting in finding a college with an excellent physics program or a top-rated engineering school.
First off, you want to think about how interested you are in studying science in depth. Maybe you’re just casually interested in science when you study it in school. Or maybe you check out stacks of books from the library on quantum mechanics and aeronautical engineering, reading them in many hours of your free time. If you’re going to study physics at college, you want to make sure you enjoy studying that topic and won’t be stuck finding that you want out of the classes as soon as you can get out.
Talk to your teachers and school and see if they can picture you studying a field of science on a college level. Maybe your physics teacher is impressed with the experiments you develop on your own and can see you as a great researcher in that area. Also, you could look at electives you can take in high school to prepare for college courses in science. Many high schools offer classes in engineering or other hands-on classes that go deeper into applying the sciences. You can get your feet wet without actually paying for a college course yet.
Examine your grades that you get in classes now. Do you consistently get A’s in science courses? You don’t necessarily have straight A’s to pursue further study in a field, but you should question what to study if you’re failing all your science courses and making constant A’s on your English papers. Perhaps you’d be better off majoring in journalism in college in that case.
Contact colleges and ask about their programs in engineering, physics, and related fields. Many schools let you set up a visit as a prospective students so you can talk with teachers, see the facilities, and get a feel for how the program will be. You want to make sure the school has a solid program of engineering science or whatever field you want to study. Maybe you can even talk with graduates of a particular college to see what they thought of their education.
Take a look at your interests and abilities now, and think about how you can put those to good use in the future. You’ll be able to find just the right college to study engineering and just might develop the next great method of space flight!