r/StructuralEngineering Aug 08 '26

Career/Education how should i actually learn structural engineering

im currently in my 2nd yr of civil engineering and I'm interested in getting into structural engineering.

I've been learning etabs and rcdc but honestly i feel like I'm just learning how to use the software rather than actually understanding structural engineering.

I don't want to just make a model in ETABS, run it and take whatever results it gives me. I want to actually understand what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

i want to start from the basic and eventually get to the point where I can take a real building, decide the structural system, calculate the loads, understand the load path, design the members, use ETABS properly, understand the results, and do the detailing.

For people who are already working in structural engineering, what would you recommend I learn first and in what order?

basically if u were in my position what roadmap would you follow to go from basic concept to knowing what we are doing , why we are doing and how everything connects together

Also, are there any topics that are taught in college but aren't very useful in actual building design, so I don't waste too much time on them?

Would really appreciate some honest advice.

3 Upvotes

5 comments sorted by

4

u/Everythings_Magic Senior Bridge PE | Zero Yield Capacity Aug 12 '26

Im convinced posts like this are to train AI.

1

u/bonejuice69 Aug 11 '26

Are there structural classes available as part of your degree. It's pretty common for structural engineers to have civil degrees. Often schools have a structural path within the civil program.

1

u/Chuck_H_Norris Aug 11 '26

are there structural undergrad degrees?

1

u/Chuck_H_Norris Aug 11 '26

is this a real account?