If you go for an engineering degree, you will spend 80 to 90 percent of your time studying engineering, programming, math or science, which will leave little time for having political propaganda shoved down your throat.
And it will feel great! You'll smirk walking your privileged straight white male ass right on by the protestors or daydrinkers or pajamawearers, on the road to building civilization.
Yes, it will feel great.
Of course, the job may have office politics and other negatives, but that can happen anywhere. Some engineers design weapons, ergo, they are on the way to destroying civilizations. :-)
With the internet, engineering jobs are often subject to being shipped overseas. Having a security clearance is protection from this, but such is not suitable for everyone. The other approach is to go for a job where the engineer will need to be on-site. I'd think electrical or mechanical for construction engineer would generally need to be on site. I'd guess chemical plants still need engineers on site.
differences of engineering vs trade (from an engineer's perspective)
Engineering generally does require more schooling an intelligence, but as an engineer, I've had some contact with tradesman, and trades can be amazingly technical and specialized. Anyone accomplished at his work has my respect, especially tradesmen.
Projects engineers work on are normally large, requiring much corporate infrastructure to make a finished product. For instance, think of on aeronautical engineer working for Boeing. Tradesmen generally do many smaller projects; hence, it is much easier to be self-employed. The ease of becoming self-employed forces wages up.
Engineers tend to be very open/sharing with their knowledge. Sometimes getting them to shut up after being asked a question is a problem. Tradesmen are often very protective/defensive. Engineers have a tradition of working well with each other. It may not be so strong in the trades; I really don't know.
An electrical engineer has a theoretical background well suited for work as an electrician. However, there is still much to learn that you will have no clue about until you start reading up, like anti-oxidants in breaker panels. Also, the high-leg of 3 phase may catch you off guard; hopefully, the building won't go up in flames.
Engineering is often easy to ship overseas. Trade work, by definition, is local. I postulate things will become more modular over time, so that trade work will slowly be move a bit into overseas manufacturing, but this will have great limits.
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