Women in Engineering

[Hush]

Sounds like an old topic? Perhaps, kinda controversial? Or sexist?

Well, I have to bring out this topic as I am really under great pressure. Ermm.....not that great though...still manageable... :D

Ok, get back to the serious matter. I just completed my A-Level and going on to university. In all my university applications, I put Engineering as my first choice. And, most probably, I may end up choosing Civil Engineering in my second year (that is if I really get full offer from the uni that I applied to). As a female, I do not think it is a problem or something. But, too bad, people around me keep telling me that I have made a very wrong choice.....not just once, mind you.... they say the same thing all over again whenever they see me......imagine if you were in my shoes....

They said that engineering would never suit me because of many reasons. One of those was I have to work under the sun and go to construction sites often, which means, I would be exposed to dangers. Dangers? I wonder what kind of dangers I would face. Falling from the highest floor? I thought there ought to be a risk in every profession.

Besides, they seemed to be very sure that I would end up on the street if I were to become an engineer. I would be jobless.....and the list goes on. Sigh..... They really put me down when they said that the prospect of engineering is very poor and engineers would be of no use. Can they really see the future that lies far ahead? How would the world be without engineers?

Things change a lot with time, but not their mindset. I dare say almost everyone has that kind of mindset. They still think that other fields such as Medicine, Law, Biotech, Pharmacy, Accountancy and such are far better than Engineering. Most parents do not like their children to study engineering. Well, I could be wrong, but I said this based on what my classmates' parents think. They do not want them to study engineering. Weird......

I was made to believe that ultimately, it is My Career. I have to choose for myself. Yup, I comprehend that, but I am still kinda depressed.

I am now having a break while waiting for replies from the universities that I applied to. I thought I could rest for a while, but I am so "mad" that I wish to prepare some kind of "presentation" to convince all these people....to convince them that women can be good engineers. Well, I am not trying to be sexist or something. Besides that, I also wish to see a fair view for engineering field.

So, I appeal to those who are studying engineering, regardless of genders, to express their views and opinions on this topic. Don't worry, just be frank with yourselves. In the end, I still have to choose for myself.

Thank you very much.

[Hush]

Sounds like an old topic? Perhaps, kinda controversial? Or sexist?

Well, I have to bring out this topic as I am really under great pressure. Ermm.....not that great though...still manageable... :D

Ok, get back to the serious matter. I just completed my A-Level and going on to university. In all my university applications, I put Engineering as my first choice. And, most probably, I may end up choosing Civil Engineering in my second year (that is if I really get full offer from the uni that I applied to). As a female, I do not think it is a problem or something. But, too bad, people around me keep telling me that I have made a very wrong choice.....not just once, mind you.... they say the same thing all over again whenever they see me......imagine if you were in my shoes....

They said that engineering would never suit me because of many reasons. One of those was I have to work under the sun and go to construction sites often, which means, I would be exposed to dangers. Dangers? I wonder what kind of dangers I would face. Falling from the highest floor? I thought there ought to be a risk in every profession.

Besides, they seemed to be very sure that I would end up on the street if I were to become an engineer. I would be jobless.....and the list goes on. Sigh..... They really put me down when they said that the prospect of engineering is very poor and engineers would be of no use. Can they really see the future that lies far ahead? How would the world be without engineers?

Things change a lot with time, but not their mindset. I dare say almost everyone has that kind of mindset. They still think that other fields such as Medicine, Law, Biotech, Pharmacy, Accountancy and such are far better than Engineering. Most parents do not like their children to study engineering. Well, I could be wrong, but I said this based on what my classmates' parents think. They do not want them to study engineering. Weird......

I was made to believe that ultimately, it is My Career. I have to choose for myself. Yup, I comprehend that, but I am still kinda depressed.

I am now having a break while waiting for replies from the universities that I applied to. I thought I could rest for a while, but I am so "mad" that I wish to prepare some kind of "presentation" to convince all these people....to convince them that women can be good engineers. Well, I am not trying to be sexist or something. Besides that, I also wish to see a fair view for engineering field.

So, I appeal to those who are studying engineering, regardless of genders, to express their views and opinions on this topic. Don't worry, just be frank with yourselves. In the end, I still have to choose for myself.

Thank you very much.

[topdog]

i don't see anything wrong with girls doing civil engineering. you should go for it if that's your dream. tell those who're giving you grief about your choice to get out of the 19th century.

[topdog]

i don't see anything wrong with girls doing civil engineering. you should go for it if that's your dream. tell those who're giving you grief about your choice to get out of the 19th century.

[dinna_g]

don't let other people pull you down.. if civil eng is your dream career, go for it! plus, civil engineering is not just going to sites and do hard work. it's more than that, am i right? these people just don't know what engineering is. they're just making generalization on what they think they know. i'm sure civ eng is something more that what meets the eye. just tune out all the negative comments given to you and move on. i'm sure you'll make a great civ engineer one day. cheers! :D

[dinna_g]

don't let other people pull you down.. if civil eng is your dream career, go for it! plus, civil engineering is not just going to sites and do hard work. it's more than that, am i right? these people just don't know what engineering is. they're just making generalization on what they think they know. i'm sure civ eng is something more that what meets the eye. just tune out all the negative comments given to you and move on. i'm sure you'll make a great civ engineer one day. cheers! :D

[wesleyanne]

Hi Hush, I think the whole hype about women and engineering happens to be such a misconstrued stereotype :) I know lotsa girl friends who are pursuing engineering, and are very happy with it. So...I really don't think you have much to worry about :) If civil engineering is what interests you most, I'd have to say, go for it~ Nothing is worse than pursuing a career you don't have interest in~

Also, considering the fact that our world, (including Msia, of course) has increasingly recognized the importance of gender diversity, I would say that being a female in the field of engineering would actually put you at a competitive advantage. My brother who's currently majoring in Civil Engineering in the states and my dad who's in the education field in Malaysia claims that more opportunities are being opened up to women since they lack diversity in that area, and universities are actually looking to recruit more women in this field, hence I see a bright future for ya ;) I have a coupla friends who also claim its now easier for them to get admitted to top universities for engineering cos they're actually looking for more female applicants. Thus, I'm just assuming that companies would probably be heading that way too...but I could be wrong~

As for engineering having a poor future, I'm not 100% sure, but I'm inclined to disagree. As far as I know, there's a huge job market out there for engineers. A girl friend of mine who graduated from UTM, is now currently working at Agilent with a pretty darn good salary ;) plus, she's really happy although she does occasionally whine about the work load. Basically, if you're really good at what you do, you shouldn't have a problem :) Honestly, I think in this current era we're living in, being a female that excels in a previously male-dominated field, is no longer viewed as strange. I think a lot are comfortable with that idea now.

and finally, if you continue to receive all these negative comments, just try to ignore them and start socializing with ppl that actually believe in you instead :) I'm sure you'll do well in whatever you undertake so good luck :) and chill~ hehe :) and NOOOO you will MOST DEFINTELY NOT END UP ON THE STREETS ;) :lol:

[wesleyanne]

Hi Hush, I think the whole hype about women and engineering happens to be such a misconstrued stereotype :) I know lotsa girl friends who are pursuing engineering, and are very happy with it. So...I really don't think you have much to worry about :) If civil engineering is what interests you most, I'd have to say, go for it~ Nothing is worse than pursuing a career you don't have interest in~

Also, considering the fact that our world, (including Msia, of course) has increasingly recognized the importance of gender diversity, I would say that being a female in the field of engineering would actually put you at a competitive advantage. My brother who's currently majoring in Civil Engineering in the states and my dad who's in the education field in Malaysia claims that more opportunities are being opened up to women since they lack diversity in that area, and universities are actually looking to recruit more women in this field, hence I see a bright future for ya ;) I have a coupla friends who also claim its now easier for them to get admitted to top universities for engineering cos they're actually looking for more female applicants. Thus, I'm just assuming that companies would probably be heading that way too...but I could be wrong~

As for engineering having a poor future, I'm not 100% sure, but I'm inclined to disagree. As far as I know, there's a huge job market out there for engineers. A girl friend of mine who graduated from UTM, is now currently working at Agilent with a pretty darn good salary ;) plus, she's really happy although she does occasionally whine about the work load. Basically, if you're really good at what you do, you shouldn't have a problem :) Honestly, I think in this current era we're living in, being a female that excels in a previously male-dominated field, is no longer viewed as strange. I think a lot are comfortable with that idea now.

and finally, if you continue to receive all these negative comments, just try to ignore them and start socializing with ppl that actually believe in you instead :) I'm sure you'll do well in whatever you undertake so good luck :) and chill~ hehe :) and NOOOO you will MOST DEFINTELY NOT END UP ON THE STREETS ;) :lol:

[lintwhite]

Hi!!!
i'm female, though not studying engineering. i was considering that area of study, and i had faced the comments and the opinions that has been mentioned.i would like to emphasize that i did not decide not to do engineering because of all the comments that were thrown at me. i just decided to study a science, but i may go back to engineering. i won't repeat all the comments and opinions that were thrown at me, cos you probably already know them. I'll just condense them. The essence is...
ENGINEERING IS A GUY'S JOB.
i don't agree. in fact there are many girls who don't agree. all over the world, there are Malaysian girls who are studying engineering. and they are good at it!! sure, it's a struggle, but what isn't? (this is because of all the moanings i hear... :p) studying engineering is no different from studying accounting, law, medicine. some find them easy, some find them hard.
hush, just study what you want to study. please please please don't let what people say discourage you...there's a wide wide world out there...with people who think that girls are capable of achieving whatever they want to.
i believe that. do you?

[lintwhite]

Hi!!!
i'm female, though not studying engineering. i was considering that area of study, and i had faced the comments and the opinions that has been mentioned.i would like to emphasize that i did not decide not to do engineering because of all the comments that were thrown at me. i just decided to study a science, but i may go back to engineering. i won't repeat all the comments and opinions that were thrown at me, cos you probably already know them. I'll just condense them. The essence is...
ENGINEERING IS A GUY'S JOB.
i don't agree. in fact there are many girls who don't agree. all over the world, there are Malaysian girls who are studying engineering. and they are good at it!! sure, it's a struggle, but what isn't? (this is because of all the moanings i hear... :p) studying engineering is no different from studying accounting, law, medicine. some find them easy, some find them hard.
hush, just study what you want to study. please please please don't let what people say discourage you...there's a wide wide world out there...with people who think that girls are capable of achieving whatever they want to.
i believe that. do you?

[budakkerek]

Gurl, main thing to remember is "Is it really me who wanna do this, or am i doing it for other people?" That's the most important thing.

If you're doing it bcoz you like it, and that's what you really wanna do and you know you're not gonna regret it, then go ahead n do it. Coz it's you life anyway, and you shouldn't let anyone else dictate what you should do with your life.

Speaking bout women engineers, i know this one aunty, she's my mum's friend. She's an engineer, and has her own firm, where she's the boss. She was one of the engineers who was involved in the completion of the PUTRA_LRT project (i'm not sure it's PUTRA or STAR) but anyway, she was one of the few female engineers there, but that didn't stop her. She did a good job, and that's what matters most. Most of the male engineers respect her coz she's efficient in her job.

So, that shows, if you're really good in what you do, then your gender doesn;'t matter much. Of course it was a struggle for he at first bcoz many ppl saw her as juast another lady, but when she showed em that she's made from tough stuff n knows her job like the back of her own hand, then it became easier.

So, gurl..if you wanna do it, go on. Don't let other ppl's comments get to you. Even i get that too. They keep saying teaching is such a bad job, coz it pays so little bla..bla..bla..But i like what i'm doing now, so why change?

In the end, you're gonna live with yourself, right? so, go for your dreams...girls doing engine is not such a weird thing.

Honestly, my dad (he teaches mechanical Engine) says if you're a girl, and you're doing engine, then you're lucky. Coz there're not many girls in an engine course, so the lecturers selalunya akan kenal laa...haa..mudah le..if you need help in assgmnts etc. :)

apepun, g luck gurl!

[budakkerek]

Gurl, main thing to remember is "Is it really me who wanna do this, or am i doing it for other people?" That's the most important thing.

If you're doing it bcoz you like it, and that's what you really wanna do and you know you're not gonna regret it, then go ahead n do it. Coz it's you life anyway, and you shouldn't let anyone else dictate what you should do with your life.

Speaking bout women engineers, i know this one aunty, she's my mum's friend. She's an engineer, and has her own firm, where she's the boss. She was one of the engineers who was involved in the completion of the PUTRA_LRT project (i'm not sure it's PUTRA or STAR) but anyway, she was one of the few female engineers there, but that didn't stop her. She did a good job, and that's what matters most. Most of the male engineers respect her coz she's efficient in her job.

So, that shows, if you're really good in what you do, then your gender doesn;'t matter much. Of course it was a struggle for he at first bcoz many ppl saw her as juast another lady, but when she showed em that she's made from tough stuff n knows her job like the back of her own hand, then it became easier.

So, gurl..if you wanna do it, go on. Don't let other ppl's comments get to you. Even i get that too. They keep saying teaching is such a bad job, coz it pays so little bla..bla..bla..But i like what i'm doing now, so why change?

In the end, you're gonna live with yourself, right? so, go for your dreams...girls doing engine is not such a weird thing.

Honestly, my dad (he teaches mechanical Engine) says if you're a girl, and you're doing engine, then you're lucky. Coz there're not many girls in an engine course, so the lecturers selalunya akan kenal laa...haa..mudah le..if you need help in assgmnts etc. :)

apepun, g luck gurl!

[chenchow]

hush, thanks for writing out in ReCom and I am sure this is a very good topic for discussion. Your level of English is definitely fantastic, so don't worry about it, ok?

Back to the topic, I would say that it is perfectly alright for girls to be engineers. There are many girls out here at ReCom who are doing engineering and they are doing perfectly great! On the future lifestyle of engineers, you must remember that engineering is not just about staying out there and do the work. There are way more to it.

For instance, you could be a professional engineer and do most of the consultation job. You could also be a project manager who would be observing and monitoring the progress of project. You could work on the design work of Civil. There are a lot to it, and in fact, there is nothing wrong too if you are doing the field work.

I would like to cite Mae Jameson, whom I have met 2 years ago. She was a NASA Astronaut. There is nothing that stops her from doing that! If looking at local front, may be not in engineering, but you can see Datuk Ainum, who was former Attorney General, Dr. Zeti, Bank Negara Governor etc.

Give it a good try and am sure you will enjoy it!!!

[chenchow]

hush, thanks for writing out in ReCom and I am sure this is a very good topic for discussion. Your level of English is definitely fantastic, so don't worry about it, ok?

Back to the topic, I would say that it is perfectly alright for girls to be engineers. There are many girls out here at ReCom who are doing engineering and they are doing perfectly great! On the future lifestyle of engineers, you must remember that engineering is not just about staying out there and do the work. There are way more to it.

For instance, you could be a professional engineer and do most of the consultation job. You could also be a project manager who would be observing and monitoring the progress of project. You could work on the design work of Civil. There are a lot to it, and in fact, there is nothing wrong too if you are doing the field work.

I would like to cite Mae Jameson, whom I have met 2 years ago. She was a NASA Astronaut. There is nothing that stops her from doing that! If looking at local front, may be not in engineering, but you can see Datuk Ainum, who was former Attorney General, Dr. Zeti, Bank Negara Governor etc.

Give it a good try and am sure you will enjoy it!!!

[qedx]

Bah engineering is for girls! REAL MEN do Computer Science!!!

[qedx]

Bah engineering is for girls! REAL MEN do Computer Science!!!

[luke]

w00t
o.O

function whowhat(you){
if(you.gene[0]==X&&you.gene[1]==X)
engineers.insert(you);
elseif(you.gene[0]==X&&you.gene[1]==Y)
cs.insert(you);
else
alien.insert(you);
return System.whatever;
}

[luke]

w00t
o.O

function whowhat(you){
if(you.gene[0]==X&&you.gene[1]==X)
engineers.insert(you);
elseif(you.gene[0]==X&&you.gene[1]==Y)
cs.insert(you);
else
alien.insert(you);
return System.whatever;
}

[qedx]

hey that puts us in with the YY people. Im not sure if I agree with that :p


EDIT: cheh you changed it :/

[qedx]

hey that puts us in with the YY people. Im not sure if I agree with that :p


EDIT: cheh you changed it :/

[dinna_g]

Back to the topic, I would say that it is perfectly alright for girls to be engineers. There are many girls out here at ReCom who are doing engineering and they are doing perfectly great! On the future lifestyle of engineers, you must remember that engineering is not just about staying out there and do the work. There are way more to it.

I'm doing engineering but I'm more interested in research areas. To be honest, my chances in getting a job when I get back is even less. Not much research is going on back home, but it's not an excuse for me to give up my interest.. But anyways, that's me.. I'm sure there're tonnes of female engineers that all of us can look up to. I'm surely a hampeh example..

[dinna_g]

Back to the topic, I would say that it is perfectly alright for girls to be engineers. There are many girls out here at ReCom who are doing engineering and they are doing perfectly great! On the future lifestyle of engineers, you must remember that engineering is not just about staying out there and do the work. There are way more to it.

I'm doing engineering but I'm more interested in research areas. To be honest, my chances in getting a job when I get back is even less. Not much research is going on back home, but it's not an excuse for me to give up my interest.. But anyways, that's me.. I'm sure there're tonnes of female engineers that all of us can look up to. I'm surely a hampeh example..

[qedx]

i totally agree with you dinna. especially on the last sentence.

PS:editing your post to make my comment invalid is cheating :P

[qedx]

i totally agree with you dinna. especially on the last sentence.

PS:editing your post to make my comment invalid is cheating :P

[luke]

heh qedx you posted too slow man ... I edited before you submitted your reply .. if I edited after you then my post would have extra line "Last edited by luke at ... " ba bla at the bottom ... muahahahaha ..

I edited this so there should be a line saying so below this post ...

[luke]

heh qedx you posted too slow man ... I edited before you submitted your reply .. if I edited after you then my post would have extra line "Last edited by luke at ... " ba bla at the bottom ... muahahahaha ..

I edited this so there should be a line saying so below this post ...

[luke]

See above post for ... whatever ...

[luke]

See above post for ... whatever ...

[qedx]

well, im sorry for doing other stuff while surfing

[qedx]

well, im sorry for doing other stuff while surfing

[luke]

apology accepted :P

girls ... see what happen if you deal with a CS major? so don't be one :P

[luke]

apology accepted :P

girls ... see what happen if you deal with a CS major? so don't be one :P

[screw3d]

Hey, if there's more women in Engineering, I'd be the last to complain. :D All the engineering classes I've attended (at least in USC) are huge sausage fests :P

[screw3d]

Hey, if there's more women in Engineering, I'd be the last to complain. :D All the engineering classes I've attended (at least in USC) are huge sausage fests :P

[qedx]

I know what you mean hehe you get such a huge culture shock when you go to GE classes tho. What are those humanoid creatures with usually longer hair than us and bumps on their chests?

[qedx]

I know what you mean hehe you get such a huge culture shock when you go to GE classes tho. What are those humanoid creatures with usually longer hair than us and bumps on their chests?

[luke]

heh one of my CS classes I'm taking right now has about 50 students and only about 4-5 ppl are girls .. the rest are male .. everytime I go to the lecture I feel like *&-@<hidden>*# .. kinda freakin' :|

[luke]

heh one of my CS classes I'm taking right now has about 50 students and only about 4-5 ppl are girls .. the rest are male .. everytime I go to the lecture I feel like *&-@<hidden>*# .. kinda freakin' :|

[jiinjoo]

Bah engineering is for girls! REAL MEN do Computer Science!!!
Frankly, the trend in M'sia is that Women who actually chose Engineering likes computer science, and you can give lots of reasons (e.g. got aircond office, no need to go under the sun, won't cut yourself, anything wrong just refer to "the one" in the company to solve it etc.)

In fact I myself was astonished by the increase (not the actual number, but the rate of growth) of females in CS...

REAL MEN find pretty CS girls... :wink: now you're talking!!


Go Hush! Be the No 1 Civil Engineer in the world! Your comrades await!

[jiinjoo]

Bah engineering is for girls! REAL MEN do Computer Science!!!
Frankly, the trend in M'sia is that Women who actually chose Engineering likes computer science, and you can give lots of reasons (e.g. got aircond office, no need to go under the sun, won't cut yourself, anything wrong just refer to "the one" in the company to solve it etc.)

In fact I myself was astonished by the increase (not the actual number, but the rate of growth) of females in CS...

REAL MEN find pretty CS girls... :wink: now you're talking!!


Go Hush! Be the No 1 Civil Engineer in the world! Your comrades await!

[qedx]

i had a class last sem: 150? ppl. 7 women and one of them is 45 yrs old...

[qedx]

i had a class last sem: 150? ppl. 7 women and one of them is 45 yrs old...

[budakkerek]

kinda freakin' :|

have the same thought when i thought of you haha 8)

[budakkerek]

kinda freakin' :|

have the same thought when i thought of you haha 8)

[qedx]

then maybe we arent doing the right kind of cs in msia hehe

[qedx]

then maybe we arent doing the right kind of cs in msia hehe

[chenchow]

I guess many of the posts have digressed too much.... Perhaps we should go back to what is intended in the discussion of this topic!

[chenchow]

I guess many of the posts have digressed too much.... Perhaps we should go back to what is intended in the discussion of this topic!

[dinna_g]

heh one of my CS classes I'm taking right now has about 50 students and only about 4-5 ppl are girls .. the rest are male .. everytime I go to the lecture I feel like *&-@<hidden>*# .. kinda freakin' :|

let it be that way.. i like it :D.. the more men in my class, the better.. hehehe.. in my intro to EE class i took quarters ago, there was 5 girls out of 70 people? it's very very common to have the low number of girls.. i'm among the lucky female students around.. :D i wanna quote a friend of mine who goes to the school of education here in northwestern..

my friend: we're all the men?
me: they're all in tech.. :P (engineering school)

anyways, back to our topic.. i honestly do not think that engineering is an area that is monopolized by males because the population is sexist. i think it's because of interest. most females aren't interested in engineering. period. here in northwestern, if a girl is in tech, chances are 90% that she is either a biomedical engineering major aka pre-med or industrial engineering major. see the trend there? girls in engineering school don't even do "real" engineering...

personally, i'm in the field of engineering for almost 3 years now and i realized that i'm not very interested in doing engineer's work but i want to be in the field.. not because of the males around me :P, but i'm more interested in doing research and what not.. so i'll still be around, but my contribution is different, should i ever get a job later.. hehe..

having said all that, it's not a surprise if a girl is very very much interested in a real engineer's work (unlike me :P). my dad is an engineer and he said that women are catching up. there's been increasing number of women at his workplace, but still men are the majority. so girls out there, do yourself a favor, think about how many males will be surrounding you in an engineering class. it's fun! :D and guys out there, keep on praying for more female engineers. :P

[dinna_g]

heh one of my CS classes I'm taking right now has about 50 students and only about 4-5 ppl are girls .. the rest are male .. everytime I go to the lecture I feel like *&-@<hidden>*# .. kinda freakin' :|

let it be that way.. i like it :D.. the more men in my class, the better.. hehehe.. in my intro to EE class i took quarters ago, there was 5 girls out of 70 people? it's very very common to have the low number of girls.. i'm among the lucky female students around.. :D i wanna quote a friend of mine who goes to the school of education here in northwestern..

my friend: we're all the men?
me: they're all in tech.. :P (engineering school)

anyways, back to our topic.. i honestly do not think that engineering is an area that is monopolized by males because the population is sexist. i think it's because of interest. most females aren't interested in engineering. period. here in northwestern, if a girl is in tech, chances are 90% that she is either a biomedical engineering major aka pre-med or industrial engineering major. see the trend there? girls in engineering school don't even do "real" engineering...

personally, i'm in the field of engineering for almost 3 years now and i realized that i'm not very interested in doing engineer's work but i want to be in the field.. not because of the males around me :P, but i'm more interested in doing research and what not.. so i'll still be around, but my contribution is different, should i ever get a job later.. hehe..

having said all that, it's not a surprise if a girl is very very much interested in a real engineer's work (unlike me :P). my dad is an engineer and he said that women are catching up. there's been increasing number of women at his workplace, but still men are the majority. so girls out there, do yourself a favor, think about how many males will be surrounding you in an engineering class. it's fun! :D and guys out there, keep on praying for more female engineers. :P

[wawa]

I'm glad that there are so many people supporting hush's decision to take up civil engineering. However, I hope that you go into your choice of field with eyes open. :lol:
Women certainly can go into tech areas like engine and cs, but at what cost? No matter how much proclamation there is about gender equality, be ready for discrimination, especially when you start working. It is not impossible, but you must be prepared to do a lot more work and effort than men put into to achieve the same amount of recognition. No matter how much denial there is, it is the truth and is backed up by studies in Britain ( they did a test to see, and found out that women had to put in more effort). :roll: Often discrimination is subtle, not blatant, so you might be passed over for promotion when you and a guy have the same credentials~! :roll:
Also, you'll have to think on the practical side, chances are high that you'll marry and have kids too. From you tone, it seems like its the fear of your family members is that demands from your career and family might be overwhelming. They just hope that you'll have an easier time in your life, that's all. Their concerns, should also be considered.
However, if you're really set on civil engineering, and think that you'll not be happy in any other field, why not? These are obstacles, true some of them are quite hard to overcome, but its NOT impossible! Work hard, and enjoy every moment of your work~! :D
Wish you best of luck :P

[wawa]

I'm glad that there are so many people supporting hush's decision to take up civil engineering. However, I hope that you go into your choice of field with eyes open. :lol:
Women certainly can go into tech areas like engine and cs, but at what cost? No matter how much proclamation there is about gender equality, be ready for discrimination, especially when you start working. It is not impossible, but you must be prepared to do a lot more work and effort than men put into to achieve the same amount of recognition. No matter how much denial there is, it is the truth and is backed up by studies in Britain ( they did a test to see, and found out that women had to put in more effort). :roll: Often discrimination is subtle, not blatant, so you might be passed over for promotion when you and a guy have the same credentials~! :roll:
Also, you'll have to think on the practical side, chances are high that you'll marry and have kids too. From you tone, it seems like its the fear of your family members is that demands from your career and family might be overwhelming. They just hope that you'll have an easier time in your life, that's all. Their concerns, should also be considered.
However, if you're really set on civil engineering, and think that you'll not be happy in any other field, why not? These are obstacles, true some of them are quite hard to overcome, but its NOT impossible! Work hard, and enjoy every moment of your work~! :D
Wish you best of luck :P

[Schye]

Well, its humans nature for guys and girls to be in different fields as the structures(?) of our brain are different since we were borned (There was an article in eihter Times or Newsweek but i cant find the article archieved online :()
However, that is just what they found in "common".Of course, there are exceptions and influences from surrounding after we were borned which makes the differences among us.

I think go for what you think the best for you and what you think you will be happy with ;) after all, it is you, yourself who decide your life.

"Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it." --- Charles Swindoll

[Schye]

Well, its humans nature for guys and girls to be in different fields as the structures(?) of our brain are different since we were borned (There was an article in eihter Times or Newsweek but i cant find the article archieved online :()
However, that is just what they found in "common".Of course, there are exceptions and influences from surrounding after we were borned which makes the differences among us.

I think go for what you think the best for you and what you think you will be happy with ;) after all, it is you, yourself who decide your life.

"Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it." --- Charles Swindoll

[qedx]

Aku nak jadik cikgu :D

[qedx]

Aku nak jadik cikgu :D

[Hush]

It's indeed true that despite the proclamation about gender equality, discrimination does exist in the real world. Women have to put in much more effort to be at par with the male engineers, but sadly, women usually acquire less salary.

In fact, there are so many majors in engineering that one can choose from. For me, I still think that I prefer civil engineering. I found out one thing from top developers when I had a chat with them very recently. They actually think it is okay for a female to read engineering. The problem is if I were to enter workforce in construction field, I have to be prepared with all sorts of people. Things are very complicated. Either I join in the game or I am out. I think we have to be bold in whatever we do as long as we follow our conscience. Never make a mistake...that's what I am trying to say.

But, my question is, are things the same in other fields such as medical, law and so forth? If I were to take Medicine or Pharmacy, I may lead a simple life and have a stable job. But, is thing going to be that easy? Isn't it naive to think that way? I need an answer for this.

As some people claim, one does not have to be a top scorer to be admitted into engineering course. Perhaps, that's true because the requirement is usually lower than that of other more demanding courses such as Medicine and Law. Some also say that it is an easy course and the duration is much shorter. But, when one graduates, he or she has to work for 3-4 years before he/she can sit for the professional exam to be a chartered engineer. Besides, I heard that it's not an easy exam. So, life is always fair and we really need to work our way through what we aim for. Nothing is easy.

One very friendly developer told me that it is the same regardless of what course I take. There is always a way out.

Lastly, is anyone here can foresee which type of engineering is set to be one of the top contributors to the country?

I am looking forward to reading more replies from Recom members.

[Hush]

It's indeed true that despite the proclamation about gender equality, discrimination does exist in the real world. Women have to put in much more effort to be at par with the male engineers, but sadly, women usually acquire less salary.

In fact, there are so many majors in engineering that one can choose from. For me, I still think that I prefer civil engineering. I found out one thing from top developers when I had a chat with them very recently. They actually think it is okay for a female to read engineering. The problem is if I were to enter workforce in construction field, I have to be prepared with all sorts of people. Things are very complicated. Either I join in the game or I am out. I think we have to be bold in whatever we do as long as we follow our conscience. Never make a mistake...that's what I am trying to say.

But, my question is, are things the same in other fields such as medical, law and so forth? If I were to take Medicine or Pharmacy, I may lead a simple life and have a stable job. But, is thing going to be that easy? Isn't it naive to think that way? I need an answer for this.

As some people claim, one does not have to be a top scorer to be admitted into engineering course. Perhaps, that's true because the requirement is usually lower than that of other more demanding courses such as Medicine and Law. Some also say that it is an easy course and the duration is much shorter. But, when one graduates, he or she has to work for 3-4 years before he/she can sit for the professional exam to be a chartered engineer. Besides, I heard that it's not an easy exam. So, life is always fair and we really need to work our way through what we aim for. Nothing is easy.

One very friendly developer told me that it is the same regardless of what course I take. There is always a way out.

Lastly, is anyone here can foresee which type of engineering is set to be one of the top contributors to the country?

I am looking forward to reading more replies from Recom members.

[dinna_g]

But, my question is, are things the same in other fields such as medical, law and so forth? If I were to take Medicine or Pharmacy, I may lead a simple life and have a stable job. But, is thing going to be that easy? Isn't it naive to think that way? I need an answer for this.

Honestly my dear, it's not that simple! Just because engineering is not a common field for women, it's harder! As long as you're a woman and you have a family to take care of, life is going to be a big challenge.. This is from my observation on working woman. In my opinion, what matters most is what you're interested in. As long as you want to do something really badly, you will work hard for it!

I may digress a little bit, but I just want to point out a true fact. Why do we never have enough doctors in Malaysia? According to my sister who is in the medicine world, we do produce enough doctors every year. BUT, most doctors we produced are women. And women have short working lifespans. For instance, they quit their job as soon as they deliver their first child. Usually women will quit working early.. But men usually works until their old enough to retire. Based on this fact, it's definitely not as simple as you thought. There is so much more stuff you need to consider, if you want to be a working woman. It doesn't really matter whether you want to be an engineer or a doctor. As long as you want to work and have a family, there so much more than what meet the eye.

As some people claim, one does not have to be a top scorer to be admitted into engineering course. Perhaps, that's true because the requirement is usually lower than that of other more demanding courses such as Medicine and Law.

This is another true fact. There's so many people admitted to engineering course and after a year, there's so many people drop out of the course. Hence, UTM is also known as universiti tendang murid! Even in the school of engineering here, after the first year 20% of engineering students will transfer to another school. I'm sure the statistic is about the same in Malaysia unless they set the bar extremely low. So, looking at the admission is not the best way for you to evaluate what's going on.

Lastly, is anyone here can foresee which type of engineering is set to be one of the top contributors to the country?

I don't really know, but I think it might be Electrical Engineering as we have very big electronics industry back home.

[dinna_g]

But, my question is, are things the same in other fields such as medical, law and so forth? If I were to take Medicine or Pharmacy, I may lead a simple life and have a stable job. But, is thing going to be that easy? Isn't it naive to think that way? I need an answer for this.

Honestly my dear, it's not that simple! Just because engineering is not a common field for women, it's harder! As long as you're a woman and you have a family to take care of, life is going to be a big challenge.. This is from my observation on working woman. In my opinion, what matters most is what you're interested in. As long as you want to do something really badly, you will work hard for it!

I may digress a little bit, but I just want to point out a true fact. Why do we never have enough doctors in Malaysia? According to my sister who is in the medicine world, we do produce enough doctors every year. BUT, most doctors we produced are women. And women have short working lifespans. For instance, they quit their job as soon as they deliver their first child. Usually women will quit working early.. But men usually works until their old enough to retire. Based on this fact, it's definitely not as simple as you thought. There is so much more stuff you need to consider, if you want to be a working woman. It doesn't really matter whether you want to be an engineer or a doctor. As long as you want to work and have a family, there so much more than what meet the eye.

As some people claim, one does not have to be a top scorer to be admitted into engineering course. Perhaps, that's true because the requirement is usually lower than that of other more demanding courses such as Medicine and Law.

This is another true fact. There's so many people admitted to engineering course and after a year, there's so many people drop out of the course. Hence, UTM is also known as universiti tendang murid! Even in the school of engineering here, after the first year 20% of engineering students will transfer to another school. I'm sure the statistic is about the same in Malaysia unless they set the bar extremely low. So, looking at the admission is not the best way for you to evaluate what's going on.

Lastly, is anyone here can foresee which type of engineering is set to be one of the top contributors to the country?

I don't really know, but I think it might be Electrical Engineering as we have very big electronics industry back home.

[chenchow]

Seriously, I don't think women usually acquire less salary. I have a lot of friends who are studying in local universities in engineering. When they grad, their salary is at least as comparable ot other guys...

I think it is the same for guys and also in any other field.

To be a doctor or pharmacies, life would never be simple too.... it is the same for any profession...

Say doctor or law or accountant, don't they have their own professional exams to take... It is basically the same

[chenchow]

Seriously, I don't think women usually acquire less salary. I have a lot of friends who are studying in local universities in engineering. When they grad, their salary is at least as comparable ot other guys...

I think it is the same for guys and also in any other field.

To be a doctor or pharmacies, life would never be simple too.... it is the same for any profession...

Say doctor or law or accountant, don't they have their own professional exams to take... It is basically the same

[wawa]

Seriously, I don't think women usually acquire less salary

Is it?

[wawa]

Seriously, I don't think women usually acquire less salary

Is it?

[__earth]

Seriously, I don't think women usually acquire less salary. I have a lot of friends who are studying in local universities in engineering. When they grad, their salary is at least as comparable ot other guys...

you'll be surprise if you look at the stats.
im taking an econometrics class right now and i am quite surprise to see data indicating that women on average earn less than men even in the states.

[__earth]

Seriously, I don't think women usually acquire less salary. I have a lot of friends who are studying in local universities in engineering. When they grad, their salary is at least as comparable ot other guys...

you'll be surprise if you look at the stats.
im taking an econometrics class right now and i am quite surprise to see data indicating that women on average earn less than men even in the states.

[wesleyanne]

Seriously, I don't think women usually acquire less salary. I have a lot of friends who are studying in local universities in engineering. When they grad, their salary is at least as comparable ot other guys...

you'll be surprise if you look at the stats.
im taking an econometrics class right now and i am quite surprise to see data indicating that women on average earn less than men even in the states.

this is sooo true :) While there are women who do earn comparable wages, the majority don't.

[wesleyanne]

Seriously, I don't think women usually acquire less salary. I have a lot of friends who are studying in local universities in engineering. When they grad, their salary is at least as comparable ot other guys...

you'll be surprise if you look at the stats.
im taking an econometrics class right now and i am quite surprise to see data indicating that women on average earn less than men even in the states.

this is sooo true :) While there are women who do earn comparable wages, the majority don't.

[wwhong]

about the lesser salary that women get compared to men, one of the reasons i think is that employer automatically assumes men are the main breadwinner in a family and women can somehow depends on husband and that's why they pay women lesser. traditional role and discrimination i think. but as time goes by, i m sure women will get paid equally as there's more and more house husband nowadays. :)

[wwhong]

about the lesser salary that women get compared to men, one of the reasons i think is that employer automatically assumes men are the main breadwinner in a family and women can somehow depends on husband and that's why they pay women lesser. traditional role and discrimination i think. but as time goes by, i m sure women will get paid equally as there's more and more house husband nowadays. :)

[Hush]

In fact, even though I feel that the matter of women getting lesser salary is unfair, the stats that I saw from Institution of Engineers website somehow reflects that women did get much lesser starting salary. Some did earn more than male engineers when they had gained more than 10 years of experience.

I have tried to ask some of those who are from construction field about why women get lesser salary. One of the answers is in a corporation, most of the time, women need to be guided and trained whereas men are efficient naturally. So, there is a waste of time and money put in training women until they can work on their own.

What do you guys think?

[Hush]

In fact, even though I feel that the matter of women getting lesser salary is unfair, the stats that I saw from Institution of Engineers website somehow reflects that women did get much lesser starting salary. Some did earn more than male engineers when they had gained more than 10 years of experience.

I have tried to ask some of those who are from construction field about why women get lesser salary. One of the answers is in a corporation, most of the time, women need to be guided and trained whereas men are efficient naturally. So, there is a waste of time and money put in training women until they can work on their own.

What do you guys think?

[qedx]

whereas men are efficient naturally

*cough*bull*cough*shit*cough*

[qedx]

whereas men are efficient naturally

*cough*bull*cough*shit*cough*

[topdog]

I, for one, would not mind being guided and trained on the job by a woman *ahem*

Seriously though, lots of women have succeeded in traditionally male-dominated careers. I'm sure there are lots of successful female civil engineers around (examples, anyone?). The girls in my classes (EE) all kick ass.

Perhaps you should not look to far into the future. If you think you like civil and feel confident about your abilities, then go for it. Questions about glass ceilings and so forth, you'll have lots of time to worry about when the time comes. Just a thought.

[topdog]

I, for one, would not mind being guided and trained on the job by a woman *ahem*

Seriously though, lots of women have succeeded in traditionally male-dominated careers. I'm sure there are lots of successful female civil engineers around (examples, anyone?). The girls in my classes (EE) all kick ass.

Perhaps you should not look to far into the future. If you think you like civil and feel confident about your abilities, then go for it. Questions about glass ceilings and so forth, you'll have lots of time to worry about when the time comes. Just a thought.

[__earth]

*cough*bull*cough*$#!+*cough*

need water? 8)

for civil engineering ie construction, i guess its the field work - hey, vocational field has always been men's favorite right?

[__earth]

*cough*bull*cough*$#!+*cough*

need water? 8)

for civil engineering ie construction, i guess its the field work - hey, vocational field has always been men's favorite right?

[budakkerek]

[quote="Hush"] One of the answers is in a corporation, most of the time, women need to be guided and trained whereas men are efficient naturally. So, there is a waste of time and money put in training women until they can work on their own.
quote]

poyo jerk :roll:

[budakkerek]

[quote="Hush"] One of the answers is in a corporation, most of the time, women need to be guided and trained whereas men are efficient naturally. So, there is a waste of time and money put in training women until they can work on their own.
quote]

poyo jerk :roll:

[Thirdshifter]

Women would be as good as men when they find a way to stop those few delighfull days in the month :D

From my experience, Women ussually are very emotional. It gets irritating when they get all pissed of because they can't find their Pen when they're another 20 laying on that table. They must have that one pen! darn it.

What about girls on a date? Restaurant? takes 20 minutes to make up their mind and end up just getting chilled water? WT fish!


Women please stay at home and make babies!

end of my troll+rant.


Putting my flame suit and my troll hat on.

[Thirdshifter]

Women would be as good as men when they find a way to stop those few delighfull days in the month :D

From my experience, Women ussually are very emotional. It gets irritating when they get all pissed of because they can't find their Pen when they're another 20 laying on that table. They must have that one pen! darn it.

What about girls on a date? Restaurant? takes 20 minutes to make up their mind and end up just getting chilled water? WT fish!


Women please stay at home and make babies!

end of my troll+rant.


Putting my flame suit and my troll hat on.

[budakkerek]

Women would be as good as men when they find a way to stop those few delighfull days in the month :D



Ask God to do that :D

Thirdshifter, you're being mean! :?

[budakkerek]

Women would be as good as men when they find a way to stop those few delighfull days in the month :D



Ask God to do that :D

Thirdshifter, you're being mean! :?

[likim]

From my experience, Women ussually are very emotional. It gets irritating when they get all pissed of because they can't find their Pen when they're another 20 laying on that table. They must have that one pen! darn it.

What about girls on a date? Restaurant? takes 20 minutes to make up their mind and end up just getting chilled water?

Well, you've got all the wrong girls comin down your way!

Women please stay at home and make babies!

Come on! That's a real prehistoric statement!

[likim]

From my experience, Women ussually are very emotional. It gets irritating when they get all pissed of because they can't find their Pen when they're another 20 laying on that table. They must have that one pen! darn it.

What about girls on a date? Restaurant? takes 20 minutes to make up their mind and end up just getting chilled water?

Well, you've got all the wrong girls comin down your way!

Women please stay at home and make babies!

Come on! That's a real prehistoric statement!

[iQing]

^bump

[kaiba]

Nowadays, faculties like engineering , which have been men's preserve have yielded to women. Tat is why i so strongly believe tat women can also do well in engineering. I also wish 2 pursue a course in chemical engineering like Hush. our prime minister emphasizes on da importance and potential benefits of the agriculture field, n i hope to contribute in the production of better quality and cheaper fertilizer and also help solve the petroleum crisis. however , without higher education, no matter how determine u r, u will remain s a crude lump of gem. tat is y, women should also b given the same apportunities like men, in any field, for every races n in any corner of the earth. so, Hush, i will b following ur footsteps, no worry ya~ always believe in ur self, do wat u excel the most, n last but not least , follow ur H-E-A-R-T...

[kaiba]

What about girls on a date? Restaurant? takes 20 minutes to make up their mind and end up just getting chilled water? WT fish!


Women please stay at home and make babies!

tat is so NOT true!! without women, men can never exsist!!
v hav sperm bank, v dun hav "ovum" bank.

[kevinkent]

Err... wanna make a shocking statement here...

I just came back from an engineering one-day-camp registered during the Star Education Fair... I would say that I am utterly surprised when I found out almost 2/3 of the students who participated the camp were the girls....!!

Where are the boys going???
And where are the girls coming from??

Sad to say... we boys,are in a so small number if compared to the 2/3 of girls there....sigh....

That makes me jump to my conclusion that...
BOYS MAY BE FACING EXTINCTION!!! 8O
So, boys out there...
What should we do??? 8O

[Hush]

I can't believe it's been two years since I posted this topic. Time indeed flies. :D By the way, kaiba, I am now in my second year of civil engineering. I am enjoying my modules here in NUS. At this point, I would say that civil engineering is a very interesting field. It is seriously not limited to construction site visit although it is part of civil engineering.

[iQing]

Err... wanna make a shocking statement here...

I just came back from an engineering one-day-camp registered during the Star Education Fair... I would say that I am utterly surprised when I found out almost 2/3 of the students who participated the camp were the girls....!!

Where are the boys going???
And where are the girls coming from??

Sad to say... we boys,are in a so small number if compared to the 2/3 of girls there....sigh....

That makes me jump to my conclusion that...
BOYS MAY BE FACING EXTINCTION!!! 8O
So, boys out there...
What should we do??? 8O


be cool man...

imagine this :

a group of pretty engineer women chasing after rare professional men like us.... :)

[kevinkent]

Err... wanna make a shocking statement here...

I just came back from an engineering one-day-camp registered during the Star Education Fair... I would say that I am utterly surprised when I found out almost 2/3 of the students who participated the camp were the girls....!!

Where are the boys going???
And where are the girls coming from??

Sad to say... we boys,are in a so small number if compared to the 2/3 of girls there....sigh....

That makes me jump to my conclusion that...
BOYS MAY BE FACING EXTINCTION!!! 8O
So, boys out there...
What should we do??? 8O


be cool man...

imagine this :

a group of pretty engineer women chasing after rare professional men like us.... :)

Narr.... but the fact is there are still very few girls in the engineering industry... I just kind of exaggerate...

When I visit the factory.... no girls to be seen...
However, there were many girls in the consultancy firm....
Seemed like it is down to the men when working under the hot sun and at the sites.... 8)

Some people even advise me to find and fix to one during the uni life before you find yourself working in the factory if you were to choose engineering... (coz no girls want to be in factory...got no choice...hehe) :twisted:

[kaiba]

I can't believe it's been two years since I posted this topic. Time indeed flies. :D By the way, kaiba, I am now in my second year of civil engineering. I am enjoying my modules here in NUS. At this point, I would say that civil engineering is a very interesting field. It is seriously not limited to construction site visit although it is part of civil engineering.

arhhh ..2 yrs? OMG, so sorry ya. i jus join recently, n i didnt see the date. no matter wat, gambate !!

[syahrul]

i think engineering is for both, either man or woman.. you know, we have a few proudly female malaysian engineer who working at BMW sauber - if i'm not mistaken one of them is Noraini Hamid. :wink: so i think, woman actually can handle this job even though working in a high pressure condition like in F1..

[pyramid]

haha, so is there any woman working as e&e or petroleum geoscince engineer? i'd like to hear about stories of a woman as the engineers stated above. is there bias towards men no? (no offence) will girls be sexually harassed? (i dislike men making fun of that!)
i'm wondering whether to accept the offer to study e&E at utp. most of my family relative advise me to just stick with medic since they say it's harder to be an employee than a 'boss' yourself (as a doctor and own your own clinic)

[Janelow1]

i work as a music engineer at Serene Music Academy, does it consider ENGINEER? haha

[wannie]

i'm doing chemical engineering! i think most female engineers are either chem engineers or bio/biomed engineers. can't deny that i had a culture shock when i interned in a bank (not only are there so many women, so many of them are hot)! i'm so used to being one of the few females in classes (since a levels especially during physics lessons)

[OptimusMaximus]

i'm doing chemical engineering! i think most female engineers are either chem engineers or bio/biomed engineers. can't deny that i had a culture shock when i interned in a bank (not only are there so many women, so many of them are hot)! i'm so used to being one of the few females in classes (since a levels especially during physics lessons)

Can I ask why u interned in a bank when u are taking chem engineering? :)

[wannie]

Can I ask why u interned in a bank when u are taking chem engineering? :)

engineering to finance is a common route (loads in the big 4 as well) , plus im a bank scholar so i interned to pass my time