Engineering - is it for me?

clem

Hi
I'm looking to do a degree and was wondering if engineering would be for me. The only subject I was good at in school was maths. How could I tell what type of engineering course would be for me. If at all?

Thanks again
Clem

Well, the maths in engineering can be tough over the years of study, but it is doable. You just need to have a bit of a logic in the old noggin.

There's a website called STEPS.ie set up to get people to into engineering, and it has some bits on 'careers' here: http://www.steps.ie/Sheets.htm.

If you are thinking about doing a degree in engineering you should go along to some of the open days, or get in contact with the department where you want to attend. They might put you in contact with some of the students and from that you will find out what you would be studying.

If you don't mind, I'm going to copy this thread over to the Engineering forum (but leave the original in the M&NT forum).

chris85

Myth wrote: »

Well, the maths in engineering can be tough over the years of study, but it is doable. You just need to have a bit of a logic in the old noggin.

There's a website called STEPS.ie set up to get people to into engineering, and it has some bits on 'careers' here: http://www.steps.ie/Sheets.htm.

If you are thinking about doing a degree in engineering you should go along to some of the open days, or get in contact with the department where you want to attend. They might put you in contact with some of the students and from that you will find out what you would be studying.

If you don't mind, I'm going to copy this thread over to the Engineering forum (but leave the original in the M&NT forum).

+1

Engineering is a good course but its tough so you need to have a certain aptitude fot it. Maths is a big part in it so if you like maths that is great.

A very logical head is definitly required as its needed for all the subjects.

Also career wise it is good, the money is decent and the jobs are there, be it here or abroad.

clem

Thanks for the reply. I'm the sort of person who likes to sit down with a problem and work it out. If i'm asked to study pages of text i'll get bored and my mind will wonder. Based on that would you recommend engineering for me?

Thanks again

token56

Are you interested in any particular form of engineering: electrical, mechanical, civil etc?

kenco

clem wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. I'm the sort of person who likes to sit down with a problem and work it out. If i'm asked to study pages of text i'll get bored and my mind will wonder. Based on that would you recommend engineering for me?

Thanks again

Engineering (when I did it) was mostly theorethical (may have changed but not much) and there is a lot of text based study involved. It is definately not for the faint hearted and the first year failure rates reflect this. Its a tough 4 yrs.

If you dont like the idea of study then an Engineering Technician course might be an option. The DIT used to offer these and they were far more practical than the Degree course. At the end of it you get a Diploma and in the DIT they normally give you the option (depending on results) to enter the third year of the degree course if you felt thats what you wanted.

I know in my course there were plenty of guys who went this route and they all did well in the degree and ended up with a big advantage in the jobs market (poor at the time) as they had the practical and theory based eductions. The rest of us barely knew how to operate a PC but we could tell you what you were likely to find inside!!!

Darren1o1

kenco wrote: »

Engineering (when I did it) was mostly theorethical (may have changed but not much) and there is a lot of text based study involved. It is definately not for the faint hearted and the first year failure rates reflect this. Its a tough 4 yrs.

If you dont like the idea of study then an Engineering Technician course might be an option. The DIT used to offer these and they were far more practical than the Degree course. At the end of it you get a Diploma and in the DIT they normally give you the option (depending on results) to enter the third year of the degree course if you felt thats what you wanted.

I know in my course there were plenty of guys who went this route and they all did well in the degree and ended up with a big advantage in the jobs market (poor at the time) as they had the practical and theory based eductions. The rest of us barely knew how to operate a PC but we could tell you what you were likely to find inside!!!

This is golden advice! I am a recent grad and can verify that we learn all the science but lack practical skills. We are expected to be researchers almost, but any practical experience is invaluable. It is a steep learning curve when you get out there. I would aim to go to a school that gives you an internship too. Experience is key! It is tough to get a valid internship by yourself and some schools offer some great placements. I did mine in the automotive industry in germany..

chris85

Depends on the college the amount of theory involved. I am due to graduate in few months and i have done lots of labs getting hands on experience and also worked with much of the manufacturing equipment with no problems.

I do mech eng.

Darren1o1

chris85 wrote: »

Depends on the college the amount of theory involved. I am due to graduate in few months and i have done lots of labs getting hands on experience and also worked with much of the manufacturing equipment with no problems.

I do mech eng.

Depends on the schools, most Uni have little practical in mech eng, IT's more so. Also a college environment is not quite the same as a working one. The more "Real world" experience you get the better.

dan_d

It's work. Being good at maths helps, but it's not a guarantee..you've got to have a bit of logic up there too.And be prepared to put in work.Colleges do their best but they can't give you actual real world experience..to offset that, try and get summer jobs in your related field.Don't use it as a reason to not do eng though. Every course is the same, you've got the rest of your life to get whatever experience you want.Plus college is experience in itself....though not necessarily in engineering!

godtabh

Darren1o1 wrote: »

It is a steep learning curve when you get out there.

I dont agree with you. It all depends on who you work for. If your going for a job make sure you are placed with a mentor. That will help no end.

Darren1o1 wrote: »

I would aim to go to a school that gives you an internship too. Experience is key! It is tough to get a valid internship by yourself and some schools offer some great placements.

Just get a summer placement. Easy enough to get. Pay might not be great but as you said experience is key.

I worked 4 summers in a row in an engineering office during college. 3 in Ireland. one in the US

Psychobiker

It depends - what kind of engineer? One who signs papers and mooches around with a clipboard...go to Uni. One that gets dirty, IT.

The maths is formiddable though. Some of it is absolutely unrelated, lol, that's the only pisser for me.

L

godtabh

Psychobiker wrote: »

It depends - what kind of engineer? One who signs papers and mooches around with a clipboard...go to Uni. One that gets dirty, IT.


L

Do you know anything about engineering in the real world?

chris85

Psychobiker wrote: »

It depends - what kind of engineer? One who signs papers and mooches around with a clipboard...go to Uni. One that gets dirty, IT.

The maths is formiddable though. Some of it is absolutely unrelated, lol, that's the only pisser for me.

L

Funny that.

I am just finished in an IT and have a job setup not getting dirty and not pencil pushing. I know people in Uni and mates in IT and to be honest the level in both is high and the job they are going for is very much the same.

You sound like you are a few years into a course. The maths in hard but tbh a lot is relevant when you get later on in the course and you see how its used in practice. It gives the basis behind a lot of the computational stuff out there which is good to know in case you need to get that brain out one day in a job and use a calculator, god forbid :eek:

Engineers dont get down and dirty that much theses days. Good jobs all over the world with good money and great oppoirtunites. May not be a great area in Ireland at the moment in terms of the manufacturing area but abroad it is doing well enough. Jobs usually entail actually doing a good bit of problem solving and thinking and is good.

Darren1o1

kearnsr wrote: »

I dont agree with you. It all depends on who you work for. If your going for a job make sure you are placed with a mentor. That will help no end.



Just get a summer placement. Easy enough to get. Pay might not be great but as you said experience is key.

I worked 4 summers in a row in an engineering office during college. 3 in Ireland. one in the US

Depends on the field as you said. I worked once in ireland (Telecoms), once in germany (Automotive - research). I am current in the US in a fluid based job doing research and product development. For something like this there is a steep learning curve. I got dropped in at the deep end and I am responsible for some substantial projects (mil +). That being said i have a mentor and support of the company. This is not alway typical and you do go into some jobs that are laid back and slowly work your way up. Depends on what you decide to choose.

I did my degree in biomed/mech area and it seem like the big companies took placements mainly from the schools who directly placed their students. This is my experience alongside finding it tough to get placements before my specified work placement period.

Its all relative depending on your field and choices.

Psychobiker

I'm in an IT, and have friends in Uni, who have finished uni, and have finished IT, that's only what I gleaned from chatting to people who are now working in the industry.

One particular guy's boss will now hire IT trained guys over uni, as they simply have more hands-on.
Albeit this is only one sector (electronic engineering) and in one place (Connaught).
Your mileage may vary. I'm off to canada.

Each firm has their own structure and work method - to suit all palates really! So, it's one of the more preferable places to be...not in something that'll always be tough, ie. Medicine...yuck, 36+hr shifts...!

Apologies if I offended anyone.

L

godtabh

Psychobiker wrote: »

Apologies if I offended anyone.

Its not that you may have offened anyone is that when people are looking into engieering and you give crap advice like that it can put people off.

chris85

Psychobiker wrote: »

I'm in an IT, and have friends in Uni, who have finished uni, and have finished IT, that's only what I gleaned from chatting to people who are now working in the industry.

One particular guy's boss will now hire IT trained guys over uni, as they simply have more hands-on.
Albeit this is only one sector (electronic engineering) and in one place (Connaught).
Your mileage may vary. I'm off to canada.

Each firm has their own structure and work method - to suit all palates really! So, it's one of the more preferable places to be...not in something that'll always be tough, ie. Medicine...yuck, 36+hr shifts...!

Apologies if I offended anyone.

L

Its just time has changed. IT are very much sought after as you said but its not down and dirty stuff anymore, not that i have heard.

Modern engineers are very business focused i find. You need a good head for maths as well as be able to do the business modules as we aint just number crunchers anymore.

So many engineers go into management these days due to their problem solving skills and logical brains taking a rational approach to things.

Prenderb

Clem,

Any chance you'd tell us a little more about yourself? For example, engineers typically have a certain curiosity about How Things Work, be it car engines, bridges, space stations and that kind of thing. Maths, while important, isn't the be all and end all - a good imagination, a head for problems and good people skills is also crucial!

Engineering is a fantastically broad career too, and a lot of the universities give you a first year (Trinity 2) of common engineering, so you learn a little about software, electronics, mechanical, civil engineering before deciding for sure which "stream" you want.

Ask some more specific questions, and tell us why you thought of engineering in the first place - we can probably be more helpful then.

Pren.

x in the city

lads

any inkling of an idea where you can do some academic stuff in this field, i got a micro degree from ucc, worthless tbh.

i know of one in WIT, any more? and how long do these take?