Our general guideline for students wanting to purchase a computer before coming to campus is that they should buy they best computer with as much processing power as they can afford. Many students find it advantageous to wait until they see what is available on campus and get a feel for what they really need before buying their own computer. Also, current TAMU students can get good deals on software - especially the Microsoft Office applications and Microsoft operating systems software, so waiting until you are an enrolled student can save you money on applications that you can put toward a faster processor or more memory.

Texas A&M and the Dwight Look College of Engineering also have excellent computing resources available on campus. Information on the facilities used by many engineering students is included below.

The freshman engineering courses (ENGR 111 & 112) have computers in the classroom and they are staffed most evenings so students can use the classroom facilities to complete course work. Lab hours can be found on the ENGR 111 & 112 web site (under the announcements):

The TAMU campus also has Open Access Labs (OAL) available to all enrolled students. These computer labs are also available in the evenings. Web sites for the OAL and some additional computing resources are included below.

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3: How many students will be in my freshman classes?
The freshman engineering classes (ENGR 111 & 112) have 96 students in the classroom. These courses utilize teaming and usually have two faculty members, a graduate teaching assistant and an undergraduate peer teacher who work with students in the classroom. As students progress in each specific engineering curriculum, the sophomore, junior and senior level courses have fewer students enrolled in each class.

The freshman history and political science classes can have up to 200-300 students in each class; English classes (Composition & Rhetoric; Technical Writing) usually have around 30 students in each class; mathematics classes (Engineering Calculus) usually have about 100 student in each class, but the lab sections associated with this course usually have about 20-25 students in each lab.

4: Is extra help available if I need it?
YES! There are lots of additional resources in place to help students succeed at Texas A&M and specifically in engineering. Most students make the mistake of waiting too long to ask for help. As soon as a student feels they don't understand course material, they should use all the resources available to them. These resources include:

Some helpful resources available outside the college of engineering include:

Mathematics:   http://www.math.tamu.edu   (click on Help & Review Sessions)
Physics:   http://www.physics.tamu.edu/academics/undergrads.html  (click on Helpdesk Schedule)
Chemistry:   http://www.chem.tamu.edu/class/fyp/fypintro.html

University Writing Center:    http://writingcenter.tamu.edu
Student Learning Center:   http://slc.tamu.edu
Dept. of Multicultural Services Tutoring: http://tutor.tamu.edu/default.aspx
Phi Eta Sigma (Freshman Honor Society) Tutoring: http://www.tamu.edu/pes/tutoring.php

5: Do I have to attend a New Student Conference to enroll in classes?
YES! All admitted undergraduate students are required to attend a New Student Conference before they can register for classes. New Student Conference programs provide students information needed to get started on their career at A&M and offer a chance to learn about the many opportunities available to members of the Aggie community. During the conference students meet with the dean of their college and with departmental academic advisors to assist with selection of courses and registration.

Visit http://newaggie.tamu.edu for more information or to register for a conference.

6: Do I have to take the Math Assessment Test before the New Student Conference?
YES! All students in the Dwight Look College of Engineering are required to take this test. There is no cost to the students for this test and the departmental academic advisors will use the scores from this exam, along with a additional background information on each student, to help them suggest the most appropriate math sequence for the student. The advisors are trying to ensure each student's success in their degree program and this test is a useful tool that helps them give the best advice to each student.

Additional information and guidance in interpreting the math assessment test scores is available at: http://essap.tamu.edu/math-assessment.htm

Visit http://newaggie.tamu.edu (then click on NSC TESTING) for additional information or to login and take the math assessment test online.

7: What courses are required for my degree?
The official list of courses required for a degree from Texas A&M can be found in the Undergraduate Catalog that is in effect the semester you enter TAMU. The catalog for Fall 2006 (Edition #129: 2006-2007) will not be printed until around May, but the most current catalog (Edition #128: 2005-2006) is available online at the Texas A&M University Admissions web site: http://www.tamu.edu/admissions/catalogs

All new undergraduate students will receive the appropriate catalog free when they attend a New Student Conference. Undergraduate Catalogs are also sold (for about $5) at the Texas A&M Bookstore online at http://tamu.bkstore.com or you can call (979) 845-8681 to order a catalog.

Also, most of the engineering departments have the current curriculum for degrees they offer available on the department web site. A listing of all engineering department web sites is available on the Engineering Student Services and Academic Programs (ESSAP) office web site - you are on this web site right now! Just click on the “Department Web Sites” link at the upper left of this web page.

Students should always remember that the department academic advisors are the best resource for information about the degrees offered by each department and any special curriculum options.

8: What AP score do I need to get credit for college courses at Texas A&M?
All students in the college of engineering should consult with their academic advisor on questions about AP credit. There may be very good reasons to accept or not accept AP credit for certain courses based on follow-on courses required in the different degree programs. Just click on the “Academic Advisors” link at the upper left of this web page to find contact information for our departmental undergraduate advisors.

The college credit that Texas A&M University will award based on AP exams is available online form the TAMU office of Measurement and Research Services (MARS):
http://www.tamu.edu/marshome/testingsite/HTMLfiles/highschool.htm

9: How can I find the different engineering department web sites?
The engineering departmental web site addresses are listed on the Engineering Student Services and Academic Programs (ESSAP) web site - you are on this web site right now! Just click on the “Department Web Sites” link at the upper left of this web page.

10: Who is my academic advisor and how do I contact them?
A list of the current Departmental Undergraduate Academic Advisors with their contact information can be found on the Engineering Student Services and Academic Programs (ESSAP) web site - you are on this web site right now! Just click on the “Academic Advisors” link at the upper left of this web page. Advisors are listed for each degree program.

11: Can engineering students participate in study abroad programs?
Engineering study abroad experiences are an excellent way to enhance the traditional engineering education. The study abroad experience allows students to: 1) explore a foreign country with a group of friends with common interests; 2) study engineering in a unique environment; 3) make lifelong friends; and 4) change your view of the world.

The International Engineering Education (IEE) program offers study abroad opportunities available to all students in the college of engineering. For more information, visit the IEE web site: http://iee.tamu.edu

Engineering students can also participate in the University Study Abroad programs. Information is available on the TAMU Study Abroad web site: http://studyabroad.tamu.edu

12: If I take a college level course at a community college this summer before coming to Texas A&M, how can I be sure it will transfer and count toward my engineering degree?
You should first check with your departmental academic advisor BEFORE you take the course. They will make sure the course you are considering is required for your degree plan. They may also have important advice and recommendations about taking courses at other institutions.

You should also check with the TAMU Prospective Student Center at (979) 458-0427. The counselors will double check the Texas Common Course Numbering System (TCCNS) to see if the specific course the other institution offers is equivalent to a course offered at Texas A&M. To find out which Texas A&M University courses are equivalent to Texas community college courses , visit the TCCNS web site: http://www.tccns.org/matrix/index.htm

13: How long does it take to graduate with an engineering degree?
On average, students in the college of engineering graduate in 4.5 years. The amount of time to graduate can vary widely based on how much AP credit the student brings in, the student's progress through the course sequences and whether the student chooses options such as co-op, summer school classes, and credit-by-exam. The degree plans for all undergraduate degrees offered by the college show the class sequences completed in 4 years, with a course load of around 17-18 hours each semester. However, many students don't want to take that heavy of a course load each semester (15 hours/semester is the average), so they use some of the options mentioned above and work with the academic advisors to plan their semesters.

14: Can I change my major before the fall semester begins?
Students may be allowed to change their major within the college, only if they have been officially admitted into a major in the college of engineering and if the major they intend to change into has space available. Since many of the majors in engineering reach capacity with newly admitted freshmen, many requests for change of majors must be deferred until after the first semester or at a later time as determined by each major.

Process to change majors within the college for newly admitted students:

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15: Are there any special housing options for engineering students?
Currently there is a dorm on campus (Mosher) which offers the option for first year engineering students to be clustered with other engineering majors. When completing your housing application, you need to state that your roommate preference is an "engineer" and that you want to live in Mosher on the engineering floors. There are definite advantages to living with/near other engineering majors. Students find it easier to form study groups and to be serious about studying when those around them are in the same types of classes. Information on the Engineering Living Learning Community can be found at:

Additional housing information can be found at:

16: Who is Dwight Look?
Mr. H. Dwight Look graduated from Texas A&M with a civil engineering degree in 1943; he also earned a master's degree in municipal and sanitary engineering from Texas A&M. During his life, Mr. Look was a very successful construction engineer and real estate developer. For nearly forty years, he lived and worked in Guam. He was also an Army veteran who served in the Pacific during World War II.

In 1992, Dwight Look donated more than 1,145 acres of real estate in Guam, then worth $52 million, to the engineering college ($40 million), the Sterling C. Evans Library ($10 million) and the Office of the President ($2 million). At the time, Mr. Look's donation was the largest ever given to Texas A&M and among the largest gifts ever given to any university. In 1994, Mr. Look became the first person in Texas A&M's history to have an academic college named for him - since then the college has been officially known as the Dwight Look College of Engineering. Mr. Look died at his home in Brenham, Texas in 2002 and was buried in his home town of Somerville, Texas.