I worked part time thru undergrad at a local hdw store where I was Mr Fixit for that area - there was nothing I couldn't or wouldn't fix (if the boss let me - sometimes it would take way too long, lol!). I'm more hands on too, I wanted a practical education not a theoretical one, part of the reason I chose the school I went too. I was always the one in class asking how this was applied to a real world problem.

I had a younger bro right behind me - exactly 4 yrs after me. I had to get out cause Mom and Dad couldn't do both of us at once. After the 1st summer break I went year round - def not the way to do things. Take your time, make sure this is what you want to study. Work in somebody's summer intern program, gives you some 1st hand exposure to what the job would be like if you worked for that company in their part of the industry, excellent way to gain experience for when you do graduate.

I'm the 1st engineer in my family, my Dad was a prison warden - I had no idea what the job was going to be like - I just knew I had always been mechanically inclined and liked to figure out how things came apart and worked.