Has anyone majored in this, I can't decide if it is the right major for me...I need to know if the workload is overwhelming

yes, yes

subtle troll

Engineering is hard, if you want a "manageable" workload, may I suggest a business degree.

A&M Engineering is overwhelming for most people, especially at first.

there now.
if you consider 18+ hour days, 8 to 12 hr exams, projects in most classes, etc. as overwhelming then it isn't for you. if you can buckle down and spend the time needed to get the work done then it's not too bad.
talking to people, junior year is the worst. avg. about 6 hours sleep a night (if that).
study what you want, not what you think will be high paying. as stated above, A&M engineering is difficult (and getting harder). If you aren't willing to sacrifice a "normal" college experience to get work done, then don't go into it.

I got my petroleum degree away from A&M, and I'll say that engineering anywhere is tough, it's especially tough at A&M.

If you're wanting to go into petroleum, you need to have a definite interest in the subject and be willing to spend some time reading about the oilfield outside of what you learn in class. If you don't, you won't last long.

I had background with the oilfield before I got my degree, so to me it was fun and the time I spent studying wasn't like a chore. I will say that the general engineering courses were a chore and the most painstaking for me.

Final thought, and not to be rude, but if you're getting into petroleum for the money, you'd be better served becoming a doctor or lawyer. The oilfield needs people, badly, but it needs people that are passionate about what they do and people who are innovative, not just warm bodies that fill a spot.

both roommates of mine are PetE and they both really like it because it's what theyre interested in. they said junior year was definitely the hardest (they are now seniors) and i can attest thatthey studied like crazy all the time and had a lot of out of the classroom work to do but they are doing just fine because they stayed committed and both are now signed with good companies and will soon benefit greatly

As a PETE myself, tylang makes valid points.

IMO if you're doing engineering, PETE is the easiest out of all the engineering and gives the highest payout. I have a lot of friends who are PETEs and know a few people from my classes who have been TA's for PETE classes and what they do is a good amount easier than other engineering majors (i.e. electrical, chemical, nuclear).

That being said, the easiest of engineering at aTm is still harder than pretty much every other major, IMO.

No offense to PETE people, PETEs make the huge bank which is sick.

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PETE is the easiest out of all the engineering

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It's all relative. Wouldn't say it's the easiest, but it's the most practical in terms of field application of theory. Drilling and completions are two of the most straight forward classes I ever had to take, but at the same time they are very involved and research intensive.

Easiest? Well that's subjective, if you enjoy doing the work, then you won't have as much trouble.

plunktu - As a PETE major, i would argue PETE is not the easiest engineering.

The concepts are just as difficult as other engineering majors and we still take the flunk out courses (ie cven 305, thermo, elen 215, phys 208). The workload is tremendous.

For instance - I took two friday night tests from 7pm to 7am last semester. I don't think that exists in any other major

PS - I lost 15 pounds last semester haha

But, if it wasn't for PETE i wouldn't take engineering. IT is fun and there is a world of opportunities.

that sucks you guys have such long exams like that, but if i were in your shoes i would be taking that bs up to the deans or department head.

all in all, i think pete is one of the easier engineering degree plans. forget about freshman and sophomore years since they are pretty similar no matter what your engr major is. junior and senior level pete classes are a lot easier than other upper level engineering classes. you still put in the same amount of work, but the material isn't as difficult as other engineers (chen, bmen, nuen, elen) just different.

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junior and senior level pete classes are a lot easier than other upper level engineering classes

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What makes you say this? I took those courses, I did not take any upper level mechanical courses, so I have no basis of comparison. Until you've been there and done it, in both cases, I don't think you can say one is easier than the other.

This thread wasn't intended to argue who has the hardest courses to take, but since people talk out their asses, it's kinda turned in to that.

I had no idea cven 305 was considered a flunk out class....I agree with the others though

Add cven 363 in there if your a civil

I can think of several (diff engineering majors) that have failed 305

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For instance - I took two friday night tests from 7pm to 7am last semester. I don't think that exists in any other major

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I have a hard time thinking that this exists at all... why wouldn't they just move them to all day saturday? I can't see any possible purpose in having an all night test...

It does exist, my roommate is a PETE and I witnessed it. It wasn't exactly 12 hours, more like 8 hours but still very very long. I've had a 4 hour test before, but the length of a test in no way correlates to difficulty level.

It does suck though, he was exhausted.

12 hr test? Not much different than a shift for a typical field engineer or even geologist working in the industry. Seems appropriate that something you do in class will mimic real working conditions.

Edit to add that I got called into the office this morning at 1:15 because a set of logs had just been run on a well and we needed to examine them and pick side wall core locations. Yes I'll still work till 5 today as well.

[This message has been edited by Kenneth_2003 (edited 10/20/2008 12:22p).]

The 8-10 hour tests do exist.
Studying every minute of the day that is available to you does exist (not every week, but when you have 3 tests in a 2 week period along with 5 or 6 homeworks in that period).
Homeworks that are extremely difficult that take 8 hours to complete do exist
Homeworks that are moderately difficult that take 8 hours do exist.

I was in civil upper level for a year and I would say the workload for PETE is probably 3 times that of civil. The most difficult parts of PETE are probably more difficult than civil as well, but the workload is the main thing.

i can confirm the 8-12 hr exams last semester. one took me till about 4 in the morning, the other until 5:30 with lots of the class still working. started at 7pm. pretty ridiculous.

And that is why, ladies and gentlemen, Texas A&M University is rated the #1 school in the country for Petroleum Engineering. If it was easy, everyone would do it.

I'll vouch for the long tests. I spent 9 hours in one and 13+ hours in the final. And the homeworks were too long

The workload is pretty rough at times. But I found that what we learn is directly applicable to what I will be doing when i start working.

PETE's not the hardest. Just the one with the biggest ego

and the highest job offers...

I agree with the ego comment...
And will say that we have a big ego, because we are the best
I have talked to many chems and mechs that wish they had been a pete

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i can confirm the 8-12 hr exams last semester. one took me till about 4 in the morning, the other until 5:30 with lots of the class still working. started at 7pm. pretty ridiculous.

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I wasn't really questioning the length, that doesn't throw me off that much. What does strike me as odd is the start time of the test. Why in the world would you put them in the middle of the night? why not take all day Saturday instead?

you need saturday to work on other labs/HW.

second the 12 hr test...graduating in may of 09 and it was tom blasingames well testing class.....no joke....try type curve matching pressure draw down plots....no fun

Dr Blasingame's classes are hard and you should expect to work a lot if you take them. I don't know about undergrad classes, but the grad ones give you some thinking to do. Extremely valuable.
He's a great teacher, and don't give up on him if you hear people say his classes are too hard/analytical/theoretical. It is all this, but you'll be a better engineer after that. Trust me, 4 years after the class, and 2 years into my job as a RE, I still consider his class as the best of my education (3 Master's degrees - that's a lot of education ).

I've never known any ChemE that wishes he was a PetE. We all know that we are better than y'all.