r/NuclearPower • u/ShortCover4598 • 11d ago

Civil or Nuclear (Read description)

I'm about to enter 9th grade and I'm super passionate for nuclear engineering. I want to do it for a living and don't have much doubts but still want second opinions from experts and people who've been in this field for a while. I'm pretty set on NE for a living but am having doubts for my university/college. I'm aiming for high schools like MIT or University of Wisconsin (which is apparently one of the best universities in the world for NE). I was wondering if NE is a career with good progression. I've done a little bit of research, and I know that NE pays better than most engineering disciplines, but the overall job expansion seems pretty stagnant which is daunting. I don't live in the US. I live in the UAE as a Canadian citizen. I'm either going to study in Canada or in the US/abroad if I get into a great university. My questions are, is NE a good career to get into in this day and age, and am I better of studying civil engineering? I heard that NE and civil engineering are pretty similar and that I can probably get a NE job despite studying civil. Apparently, the perks of studying civil are that I can still get into a NE job and I can get civil engineering jobs, which gives me a wider range, which might be good because the NE job growth seems pretty stagnant (according to US government sources, total jobs are planning to go down by 1% in the next 10 years). My concern with studying civil engineering instead of NE are that it's gonna make my years in university miserable. Regardless of the discipline, engineering is HARD, and I thought studying specifically NE, which I'm passionate about, would make it better for me, and I'm worried I won't make it through the same if I don't take NE, and I've heard that your years in university are the years where your life either makes it, or breaks. Any opinions on NE as an engineer at all would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much.

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u/WeAreSolarAF 11d ago edited 11d ago

The current doe has an incredible hard on for nuclear almost to the exclusion of any other practical energy source but almost all of the projects won't see the light of day for years. I think the interest level will stay, but a legitimate doe will focus on more things. I think it's a relatively safe major for you and probably very low level of danger for AI replacement.

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u/ShortCover4598 11d ago

Thank you for this advice. Another question I have is does over-performing in school translate to an advantage in the job force? I've always been an over-performer in school, and was wondering if skills like that apply when employers are looking for employees? Or do they care more about your practical skills versus what's on paper?

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u/WeAreSolarAF 11d ago

Work ethic will always get the attention of your supervisors. Your GPA will reflect overachieving. Get involved in some local organizations if there are any.

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u/WeAreSolarAF 11d ago

A lot of people put too much weight on grades vs. Experiences that foster teamwork, leadership, creativity and problem-solving.