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Why Do Students Choose Chemical Engineering
Have you ever wondered why students pursue Chemical Engineering?
Have you ever wondered why students pursue
Chemical Engineering? Well, here are a few
reasons as to why students choose such a hell-
driven major:
‘Chemical Engineering
is like Chemistry’
Most of the Chemical Engineering students have
the misconception that Chemical Engineering is
equal to Chemistry. Students, who are good at
and even like Chemistry, hence choose Chemical
Engineering as their major, thinking that there will
be a lot of Chemistry involved.
Well, first of all, there is hardly any Chemistry
involved. Even if there is, it’s unfortunately
the worst subjects of Chemistry like Physical
chemistry and Organic chemistry. Students will
literally think,’ Why did I like Chemistry again?’.
The major is mostly concentrated on applying
concepts from Physics and Maths, and so, there
is hardly any room for Chemistry. The concepts
from both Physics and Maths are basically mixed
together, heated up to the point of boiling and then
poured onto the students, hence, burning them.
Therefore, get it out of your mind that Chemical
Engineering involves a lot of Chemistry. One of
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the basic things the major teaches us is, how to
produce those chemicals on an industrial scale.
It will definitely teach students about Chemistry,
for example, what’s happening to the chemicals
and why its happening. However, it will mostly be
focused on the atomic and the molecular level of
the chemicals, all the more, making it worse for us
students.
Parents’ Pressure/Legacy
In Asia, or should I say South Asia, parents
sometimes choose the majors for their children. In
the engineering department, some of the students
are purely doing the major for their parents. Most
of the parents have a desire to make their children
become doctors and engineers. Their desire is like
a force. They will want it for their children in such
a way, that the ‘want’ will orient the children more
towards that field, making them believe that they
are eligible for it. Some will pay any amount to get
their children in that particular field. Sometimes,
it’s also the siblings. If one sibling can do Chemical
Engineering, then why not the other?