Civil vs Energy vs Theoretical Physics

myfatherrsson

Right Im basically caught between the 3 courses, Civil Engineering, Energy Engineering and Theoretical physics! I love applied maths! Favourite subject best thing Iv ever done! I love maths and physics as well and know Id love to do any of these courses! I guess my question is at the end of the day what is the fundamental difference between Civil and Energy, and also between Engineering in general and TP!!

I kind of have an idea that Engineering is physics and appl maths and applying them to create and build and construct, whereas TP and the like is going into researching new innovations in physics and spearheading the quest for further knowledge of the universe!

What kind of person is more likely suited to any of these course? I mean my biggest fear is going into TP but comin out and finding a very limited world of opportunity and employment ahead of me! I wouldnt mind emmigrating or any o that I just dont want to be a lab rat pencil pusher for the rest o my life!! Plus what would the money be lik then?? Engineering would guarantee me a substantial qualification at least but I know it wouldnt do what TP does for me at all! Id still love it but not to the same degree!!

Any advice or opinions would be much appreciated!! Id love to hear from people who found themselves in a similar predicament regardin these courses in particular!! Thanks!!

Pi^2

Engineering would guarantee me a substantial qualification at least but I know it wouldnt do what TP does for me at all! Id still love it but not to the same degree!!

I'm afraid you are are almost entirely wrong. The amount of Physics in Energy Engineering and Electrical and Electronic Engineering is Phenomenal. If you chose to do a masters in it you are going to be spearheading plenty into the quantum universe. I don't want to knock a course and I know I don't know you, but i reckon Civil Engineering should not be an option for you really. They tend to deal a lot more with things on the macro scale, which is cool in itself, but you seem interested with fundamental forces governing the basic building blocks of nature. Electrical and Electronic Engineering provides that. So yeah, do Elec Eng, and you'll find yourself with a phenomenal degree, and possibly doctorate, and you will end up working right alongside physicists in big companies anyway.

I mean, look at the Large Hadron Collider. Built by Physicists and Engineers. The Physicists told the Engineers what to build and the engineers could build it because they knew what the physicists were on about!

I do Elec Eng btw, in case you didn't notice me plugging it enough

acidonrocks

Well, it entirely depends on whether you like the "application" part or not. In civil engineering you will get a significant amount of mathematics from the classical front. For example, once you start getting into mechanics of solids (shell theory, fundamental elasticity, dynamical systems) or into computational stuff( including finite elements), I think you will enjoy it. In fact, any other engineering would have (including electrical) exactly the same physical (as in physics) and mathematical system but applied on a different problem. Unfortunately the institutes will never teach you the exciting bits and at the end of the day a major part of engineering is correctly doing certain known problems, which can be of great importance, but not necessarily that challenging.

If you like fundamental stuff, just go join theoretical physics, I do not think you will be losing anything. You might end your life being an academic but it's not as bad as it is portrayed. After all, you will get paid for whatyou like doing. Not many have that privilege.

dudara

None of the courses you mentioned are easy, and all are rewarding and challenging.

Speaking as a physics (BSc) and Electrical and Electronic Engineering (PhD) graduate from UCC, there is a large difference between the amount of physics and maths involved in the courses you mentioned. The physics course will push you harder and further in physics/maths/applied maths than any of the engineering courses, but on the other hand, the engineering courses will offer a broader range of topics.

Did you visit UCC on the open day? It's a great way to see the different departments and talk to people.

myfatherrsson

ya i was at the open day as well and its acually because of that that iv kind of gone back to thinking of engineering! I mean i had given up on it for a while but found my interest reawoken once i got a feel for it again!

I also went to the Physics lecture and to me, it just seemed very grey altogether, I mean im interested in physics but i dunno, i didnt get the spark off your man who was talkin i just thought it wasnt very appealing!

But thanks for yer replies lads! Have any of ye any idea if it would be possible for me to attend any lectures for lik a day or two, just to get a feel for what its lik to actually do the course? Im hopin twill give me a better idea overall if its the right thing for me!

yay_for_summer

Well they don't really take roll calls or anything so if you can find someone you know to go with or something or even just slip in by yourself then I wouldn't see anything wrong with that...

myfatherrsson

yay_for_summer wrote: »

Well they don't really take roll calls or anything so if you can find someone you know to go with or something or even just slip in by yourself then I wouldn't see anything wrong with that...

intriguing.........anyone want to post lectures times and locations for me?

yay_for_summer

All on the net.
http://timetable.ucc.ie/programme.htm

myfatherrsson

Right ive been onto the career guidance councillor in school, thunderbirds are go for about 4 of us to head in this friday afternoon to a lecture, anyone from civil engineerin wanna post up a lecture they got on that day and whats its on and where its at? iv read the timetables and can kinda make it out but i wouldnt risk makin a balls of it!

much appreciate the assistance guys!

Tind777

job - vr - no job - vr - no job

myfatherrsson

Tind777 wrote: »

job - vr - no job - vr - no job

It cant be looked at lik that in such black and white terms, or black and red rather. you'll have to do better than that.

StrOut88

You went to a really bad... I'd say lecture, but its really just an excuse for the postgrads to verbally circle jerk the lecturer with acronyms and graphs. Btw that module is an elective in civ eng but I think something very similar is done in 1st year Energy.

yay_for_summer

what one did you go to in the end?

myfatherrsson

went to a lecture i found on the civil engineering 3rd year timetable on Sustainable energy in the civ eng building! Twas interesting in a way lik but at the same time heavy goin cos we didnt have the background obviously to be able to understand it all or take it all in! Wasnt bad tho! half day off school!:cool:

RJC

Ask yourself: in 15 years time do I want to have a job that has a social perspective (i.e. talking to other people), do I want to be able to pass on my knowledge to others or be at the bottom of the food chain? It's no fun being told what to do in your mid to late 30s by somebody you have no respect for.


Another thing: everybody in University is mad keen to specialise as soon as possible (I was no different). In reality, the specialist in the working world is very similar to the Gimp in Pulp Fiction.....kept in a box, not involved in decision making, not really presentable and only brought out for special occasions. I hear of graduates who have 'specialised' in energy engineering or building control engineering and I think: this guy has gone up a cul-de-sac too early in his career and it is going to take money, time and a whole lot of further education from him (or her) to get out of it (read: night courses for your late 20's and early 30's).

Don't forget.....the race is long and it's against yourself.

RJC

I should clarify - I am a civil engineer - although when I chose it my favourite subjects in school were applied maths and chemistry and Civil Engineering was not my first choice.............but it was a very very very good choice (from where I am now).

Your job (and profession) will enable you to do and see and experience things in life. It probably won't define you so look at the horizon.

myfatherrsson

RJC wrote: »

Ask yourself: in 15 years time do I want to have a job that has a social perspective (i.e. talking to other people), do I want to be able to pass on my knowledge to others or be at the bottom of the food chain? It's no fun being told what to do in your mid to late 30s by somebody you have no respect for.


Another thing: everybody in University is mad keen to specialise as soon as possible (I was no different). In reality, the specialist in the working world is very similar to the Gimp in Pulp Fiction.....kept in a box, not involved in decision making, not really presentable and only brought out for special occasions. I hear of graduates who have 'specialised' in energy engineering or building control engineering and I think: this guy has gone up a cul-de-sac too early in his career and it is going to take money, time and a whole lot of further education from him (or her) to get out of it (read: night courses for your late 20's and early 30's).

Don't forget.....the race is long and it's against yourself.

Thats some very deep advise! I really appreciate it tho its made me think a bit, especially that about specialising! Could you clarify one or two things though for me: are you saying that engineering or theroretical phsyics would make me subject to bein the gimp in pulp fiction?

lik im gettin the feeling you're trying to get me to think in a certain way thatll swing me towards one o these choices its just a bit ambiguous the way you're coming across as to which one that is....can i get a definitive response? which would you advise, you seem to be incredibly aware of the power of the choice at hand, especially for me id just lik you're honest opinion.

BTW iv actually pretty much made my decision, theres little thatll swing me now but id still lik to get your opinion before i reveal to my awaiting audience what i have chosen!

RJC

I think you should not think about the degree you want to do but where it will take you after it is over. The thing about a degree like civil engineering is that it will allow you to do a whole lot of different things in life (something I didn't realise when i did it). Don't think that it is all roads, bridges and buildings - it is materials science, soil mechanics, fluid dynamics, finite element analysis, environmental engineering, structural design. You don't have to specialise in the degree and if you want to go onto study something else later you can - If you pick theoretical physics or energy engineering (only a small sub-set of civil engineering)I think you will be rail roading yourself too early in your working career.

By the way - you could substitute any of the 'professional' degrees for civil engineering in this discussion - medicine, law, business.....even dentistry (but god, would you really want to stare into mouths for the rest of your career?!!)

myfatherrsson

Thats some very useful advice ill take it with me..hoooowever.......ive decided to take a crack at the Theoretical Physics.....as much as i know id love bein an engineer theres nothin gives me a greater buzz than the prospect of doin that. Im willin to risk it because if i dont like it i can always drop out and change after a year and do engineering and plus its a very broad degree and as you said i shouldnt be aiming to specialise at an early stage so at least with a TP degree under my belt i should have a good bit o scope as to where i wanna go from there.

i know im makin this decision for the right reasons. im an intelligent enough lad and i say that without a shred of vanity, i know im gonna do well in what i do it just comes down to what i want to do. i feel i can reach a higher potential doing TP than engineering, not sayin im gonna discover somethin or anythin lik that but the road is far longer and far less travelled that way and it will take me further than engineering, or so i feel.

RJC

Good luck - no matter what you choose you'll realise that university is allot more than your degree. Don't forget to browse the sections of the Boole Library that have nothing to do with your subjects....there you'll learn about life. What's the story with the bad spelling - don't you have a spell checker?