McMaster Question. URGENT !!!

[implosion]

i know I've asked this many times before... as stupid as its going to sound...
what is the difference between:

- Computer Engineering
- Computer Science
- Mechatronics Engineering
- Software Engineering

I'm reading more and more about this stuff... and h'm starting to think... maybe engineering isn't for me. I enjoy math and physics. but not doing amazing in physics (as you can see). Chemistry i am content with, i think its cool but not the greatest; i can do the work but not sure what I'm doing (if that makes sense ?). And I'm starting to think that if I'm doing engineering in one of those above categories that it will be really rough to do. I'm interested in robots, technology, programming, hardware, math, and a bit of video games. Each time i ask someone about computer engineering they always refer me to traffic lights and i still need more information about it. Really sucks because i don't have my gr. 12 computer courses (computer engineering, computer information science) until next semester but i have to apply in a few weeks. As for applying to McMasters, do you think they would accept a proposal of me repeating my lowest mark during the summer school between gr. 12 and university and saying that i will raise that mark; since it will be my second attempt at it ? Also, how hard is calculus compared to advanced functions ? I think next semester i will have more time to study for it (i hope) since i only have computer engineering, computer science, english and calculus and my 2 computer courses i am hoping to be fairliy easy, we're learning Turning again, but expanding on it and i think doing a bit of BlueJ Java.

[Tony]

implosion @ Tue Nov 25, 2008 9:35 pm wrote:

maybe engineering isn't for me

A quite a few Mechatronics Engineering students I know (including myself [yes, I do know myself]) end up switching into Math/CS.

This is a typical comparison of the majors

[implosion]

Quote:

end up switching into Math/CS.

When i was at the university fair, i asked about switching into the math department from engineering, and he reps. said that it would be really hard to do since they are under 2 different facilities.

[Tony]

It was really hard to do. I stand by my decision as being the best academic decision that I have made. Even though it has set me back a few years in terms of graduating.

[implosion]

how hard was it and how far did it set you back ?

what I'm considering now is that i MIGHT stay back in high school for an extra year to figure myself out before i head off to university and re-do some courses. Though, i don't know why but i see taking a victory lap as a negative thing. Also i have a time line of how my university will be, guidance counselor kept telling me that it doesn't matter if i finish university when I'm 26 or whatever.... bugs me that my friends would be going onwards wwhile i'm still back doing my own things.

Edit: Also, does anyone know how big the classes are for UofT, UW, and McMaster ?... i like the classes where it isn't a 1 way lecture and you can ask questions and have the class interact... like classes under 150 or something ?

[changturkey]

implosion @ Wed Nov 26, 2008 10:45 pm wrote:

how hard was it and how far did it set you back ?

what I'm considering now is that i MIGHT stay back in high school for an extra year to figure myself out before i head off to university and re-do some courses. Though, i don't know why but i see taking a victory lap as a negative thing. Also i have a time line of how my university will be, guidance counselor kept telling me that it doesn't matter if i finish university when I'm 26 or whatever.... bugs me that my friends would be going onwards wwhile i'm still back doing my own things.

Edit: Also, does anyone know how big the classes are for UofT, UW, and McMaster ?... i like the classes where it isn't a 1 way lecture and you can ask questions and have the class interact... like classes under 150 or something ?

CS at UW and UofT are decently sized I think, but the entire enrollment at Mac for CS is like ~40 people.