Mechanical Engineering difficult?

Mechanical Engineering is very difficult and demanding. You not only have to keep up with lectures, but you will have labs every week, and with each lab you'll have to write a technical report. On top of that there's loads of coursework throughout the year. I don't have any stats to show you, but in my course, nearly half the students failed the first year, and then around a quarter failed second year. Keep up with the workload and be sure to study with others and you'll be fine.

where you thinking of applying to OP?

Mechanical Engineering is very difficult and demanding. You not only have to keep up with lectures, but you will have labs every week, and with each lab you'll have to write a technical report. On top of that there's loads of coursework throughout the year. I don't have any stats to show you, but in my course, nearly half the students failed the first year, and then around a quarter failed second year. Keep up with the workload and be sure to study with others and you'll be fine.

Remember that a lot of people don't necessarily work that hard in first year.

Also remember that many people choose engineering because it's quite a mathematical degree, not because they actually want to be engineers or have much interest in engineering.

People that work hard and have an interest in the subject will be rewarded appropriately.

One VERY important thing though. If you're going to be paying 2012 fees, you had damn well better make sure you do something that there are well paid jobs for, and that there is demand for. Engineering cuts it. David Beckham studies doesn't. If I were going again, I'd only do it if I did Engineering, Law or Medicine. Nothing else, IMHO, is worth the price they're asking, unless you want to stay in academia.
Stu Haynes, MEng MIET

I really fancy doing an engineering degree, probably mechanical or automotive, but I was just wondering how difficult the degree will be?

Can anyone show me any websites that show pass rates for Universities like Leeds/Sheffield?

I just got an A at AS Maths but I'm still worried that it would be too difficult

Be really grateful for any replies

You will definitely need to be studying Physics or further maths to help you out on that course.

I just stumbled onto this thread, and this passage caught my eye. I'm planning to apply to medicine anyway, so I'm not offended by your judgement on the utility of various disciplines, but I'm interested in your point of view. Even subjects like Maths, Physics, Chemistry, well respected, complex and intense and demanding degrees - would you say that they're not worth it nowadays?

why don't they just pick maths then?

unless they think maths is too difficult, which is weird because the common view is that engineering is just as tough.

To 'help me out' or to survive it?

With regards to the controversial quote I made which has caused a lot of discussion:

Firstly, of course that quote I made was an opinion. Its an opinion I stand by.
However - maths chemistry and physics- I have friends who studied all of them. Also courses like biomedical science, and all at prestigious universities.

However, without doubt, my friends who studied engineering found it easier- I'd say by a factor of 10 easier to get a job. Engineering is like studying physics/maths/chemistry but you'll get a job out of it. Why? because industry is geared toward engineering. Engineering is applied maths/physics/chemistry. its how to make money using maths/physics/chemistry, and agree or disagree- thats what makes the world tick. The advantage you have is that engineering courses have a lot of content like business, economics, management and law in them as well- it gives you the rounding, and that's what industry likes.

That's not to say that you shouldn't study maths/physics/chemistry, only that you'll be up against engineers when you apply for that job, and like it or not, they're going to be very tough competition, as far as an employer is concerned.

Hell, I was employed with a 2:1 in Engineering, over a guy with a 1st in physics, and we both had similar backgrounds.

Generally, it probably doesn't matter what you study- its what you're like as a person that will get you a job at the end, but an engineer can walk into a maths/physics or chemistry job (within reason) whereas a maths / physics / chemistry graduate couldn't necessarily walk into an engineering job. They're more restrictive, and the jobs requiring a specialization in maths/physics/chemistry are harder to find than you might think. Biology and biomedical science is very over-subscribed for the amount of jobs available at the end, as several of my friends have found out.

Put it this way- my friends with physics and chemistry degrees are not currently employed. I on the other hand, have around 3 job offers a week through online job sites (which I kindly turn down, as I have an employer anyway.) My engineering friends have gone into law, investment banking, started their own businesses, and a few of us have even gone into engineering. :P

I'm not trying to belittle the other degrees at all- they're useful, and we need some of them, however, if you're going to spend the same amount of money- which would you rather choose, job prospect wise? I'm very glad I did engineering - and as many of our lecturers said "I studied engineering over physics because there was a job at the end." I now see what they meant.

A lot of opinion there, but hopefully it has been quantified.

guiness book of records says mech engineering is hardest degree course

would people say that chemical engineering is even harder than mechanical engineering?

Put it this way- my friends with physics and chemistry degrees are not currently employed. I on the other hand, have around 3 job offers a week through online job sites