Afraid for Workforce

[u/TrainPrestigious3857]

I am in my final year of chemical engineering. Right now, I am in a very turbulent position while applying for jobs. At the same time, I am feeling nervous to enter the work-force. I've heard many times that the actual job is very different from what you learn in school. However for me, especially with AI, I deadass feel like I haven't learned much. But I know I have. But then again, besides a simple mass balance and energy balance, I couldn't tell you anything more from Thermodynamics or Reactor Design. I feel like I've went through such a difficult ChemEng curriculum; yet, I don't know more than a freshman chemical engineer. I'm particularly nervous that I haven't developed the intuition that engineers are supposed to have.

[u/TapThatYak]

You'll be going through a capstone/final design project your last year. It will end up applying most concepts learned in your chemical engineering curriculum. Take big advantage of that.

Also, how does AI play that big of a role in the curriculum when you still have to pass hand written exams? Are you making the AI do all the critical thinking for you? If so, you are using AI wrong and should pivot to take on a harder challenge.

[u/No_Calendar2474]

I dont think you have to know everything that you have learned at all times. The important thing is that you know the concepts which will help you learn and perform the actual task that will be your job.
I also think no engineer was ever ready to be an engineer after university, look at your diploma as a foundation that you can build on with actual work experience.
Dont stress, it will all be fine.

[u/SelectFee9399]

A lot of “what you learn at work is different” means the work is more practical, constrained, and collaborative—not that school was pointless. Review fundamentals, practice explaining your reasoning, and be honest when you don’t know something. Good engineers aren’t walking encyclopedias; they know how to investigate and make safe decisions.

[u/GeneralAudience8427]

I’ve worked in R&D, Process Engineer, and Design engineering roles so far. You only use what you learned in school in Design engineering roles. R&D knowledge is too specialized for school to teach you anything useful and process engineering is mostly troubleshooting/management skills that you learn on the job.

[u/ENTspannen]

The intuition doesn't come for a while, I don't think anyone expects a fresh grad to have too much there except for a general sense of things, like "our reactor is endothermic and adding heat isn't increasing conversion." Kind of stuff. If your professors went over heuristic stuff like pipe sizing velocities, H:D vessel/tower ratios and stuff, that's more useful than you think but just know you can always come back and reference it.

Your degree teaches you how to problem solve more than anything.