I think there are some users here who have majored in engineering and worked on that path (not sure if same users, but users of both types at least). I believe but cannot say for certain that I've read someone(s) comment that engineering school is not really that similar to the experience of actually working as an engineer, and that actually working as an engineer is more fun.

It appears I may be wrong. kleinbl00 and b_b may be able to speak to your dilemma more directly, but here are some comments you may find useful they've made before - b's the one I was thinking of when I started this comment, pretty sure.

Engineering school sucked and engineering isn't scientific enough

an engineering degree is a degree in writing problems

we get engineering nerdy and kb talks about his career path

maybe jacobhinkle could throw in some insight

or Kaius - he seems to have some experience

Hope that helps directly.

Now the questions: whew, those are big ones.

I read this book by Dan Ariely because of kleinbl00. It's called Predictable Irrationality, and in it there's a chapter where Ariely discusses a study they did of college students to see how they valued something that they wanted, after they either did or did not obtain that thing. (Does that make sense? They wanted something, tried to get it, some didn't, some did, and Ariely basically examined the results.) He found that whichever outcome the students obtained heavily influenced their opinion on how valuable the object of their desire was, and even how much they believed they wanted it.

I think that's an interesting thing to consider when you are pondering the wants of life. I think that we mostly end up wanting things to have happened the way they turned out, the good-to-not-so-bad stuff anyway. When we don't go after stuff, or when we do go after something but fail to obtain it, I think we desire it less, or convince ourselves to do so (unless it's something REALLY important, REALLY major, that we cannot emotionally get rid of in that way). Of course I am extrapolating a bit here.

I think you should also consider that you do not have to make any of these choices now. It's certainly helpful if you can nail down what you want and go for it, but I don't think you should feel rushed into "I have to make a decision now because I have a job offer and this is my only chance!" You'll have many jobs. If this one seems like a good investment or a good choice while you are figuring everything else out, that doesn't mean you're married to it. (Unless it starts to suck up your life.) It's not a marriage, and you can leave the job if it sucks, or if you realize it's not what you want and find something that is - although once you start collecting a paycheck, it's hard to walk away from one.

You may have seen my own posts where I struggle with "what I am doing with my life, where is my future, am I happy in my career?" I feel where you are right now, I really do. I don't feel trapped in my current job, but as I said earlier, it does get hard to walk away from a job/career you're not passionate about when they pay much better than anything you'd like to pursue. kleinbl00 will get more ash and brimstone on this if he throws in, I'm sure.

My advice though is to take a deep breath: relax: don't commit to anything you know you'll hate: talk to the engineers: and take your time until you've really defined what you want.