What to Expect

Get ready to hit the books. Civil engineering technology programs involve a fairly heavy workload. But the sooner you learn to work in a team, the better off you'll be.

"Don't try to go it on your own," advises Kevin Terness. He is a graduate of a civil and structural engineering technology program. "Right away, learn about working in teams. It will be a lot easier for you."

Terness says the program had its rough moments. "The workload is pretty intense," he says. On average, he estimates he spent about three to four hours per night on homework.

Jeremy DeLyser studied civil engineering technology at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He admits he was not prepared for the workload in the CET program.

"I never stopped doing homework until it was done and didn't give up," he says. "Eventually, it paid off and I adjusted."

A heavy load of homework and projects almost always accompanies time in class, he notes.

"In an average week, there is a homework assignment in most classes that can take between one to six hours, depending on the level of the class," he says. "For every one hour in class, plan on two to three hours outside of class doing homework."

How to Prepare

Take classes in technology and earth science if you can.

"Take mathematics, physics [and] basic chemistry," says DeLyser. "Get used to long hours and hard work. But at the end of the tunnel, it all pays off."

Terness also suggests students participate in any extracurricular activity that promotes "working together as a team on projects, like any sports."