Environmental engineering

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is it a wiser choice today than it was prior to this terrible incident?

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No.

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Should he change?????

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Depends on what he wants to do.

That being said, probably.

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May the 11 rest in peace ...

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+1

He is smarter than me ... I'm just his mom. What he WANTS to do is really is more on the lines of coastal restoration ... which would be more renewable natural resources or coastal conservation. BUT he wants to do this through an engineering degree as suggested by Dr. Pardu of LSU's env eng dept. He was asking me what I thought ...

And I'm sorry ... but why does he sound smarter than me?

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What he WANTS to do is really is more on the lines of coastal restoration

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if he is more interested in the engineering aspects of restoration, he should go civil. 75% of the guys that work in the Office of Coastal Protection and Restoration all are civil. that's what the gov. agencies and private companies want. I know this because I am about to graduate civil and tried pretty hard to work in the field. i worked in LSU's river model lab, and know a few guys at Dept. Natural Resources. nobody is hiring in the field right now because the state is under a hiring freeze and the funds that were all allocated during Katrina are going to run out in a few years (they're mostly allocated to projects in construction or design already). There are no funds on the horizon until something like 2017 when offshore royalty payments will start being made to the state. all of the private contractors like shaw, t. baker smith, gec, brown and caldwell, jacobs etc. aren't hiring either. maybe this timeline is good for him if he hasnt started college yet (and it will take 4.5-5 yrs to finish it).

also a lot of these companies want guys either already with a masters' in coastal eng. or willing to go back to LSU to get one.

if he really wants to do this, he should ask the professors who teach water resources classes in civil engineering about being a student worker for on of them.(fluid mechanics, hydraulics, groundwater, coastal eng.) this is the best way to get first hand experience, sometimes even out in the field.

if your son is interested in the biological aspects of restoration, he should look into LSU's school of Coast and Environment, or Biological Engineering. Several guys that work at DNR right now are biological engineers.

i would shy away from the school of renewable natural resources because most of those people seem to end up as academics rather than working on specific things.

hope that helped.

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And I'm sorry ... but why does he sound smarter than me?

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Because randomn insults bring you down (hopefully to them) and make them bigger boys.

Lay all the facts out for him and hopefully he will choose what he WANTS to do. Being pleased in your profession is much more important than most other things (within reason).

I apologize, tiger91.
I wasn't in a very good mood last night, and was an a-hole for no good reason.

Either path he would choose, EE or CE, would be a wise move on his part.

It's just as smart today as it was prior to the event.

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civil is a wiser decision as it gives him many more options.

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Send him to MSU. My son just graduated in Civil Eng., but the program is Civil and Environmental Engineering.

If he does stay in environmental, have him focus on air issues. At least in Texas, that's where the jobs are, especially with the chem plants and refineries.

Thanks everyone. I should explain that what he says he has wanted is Environmental ... then he talked to an engineer or 2 that suggested civil. We are a farming family and after Hurricane Rita in 05 and Gustav in 08 (?) he's always said he wants to do something with "protecting/restoring the coastline" as our farm and community were both affected which to me is coastal eng but whatever. The guy at env eng said that's a large part of what he does. After looking at the env program, it has lots of civil eng classes.

I asked this question due to my son saying something about perhaps not having to worry about a job when he graduates from LSU in env eng. He said felt bad at the thought of him having good job opportunities due to this event.

I would never tell him to choose a career based on a certain event ... I have always told him I don't care WHAT he does BUT he must 1) be able to support himself and those who he needs to support and 2) enjoy what he does.

That said, he can choose whatever ... it was just another random topic brought to the board.