[The_Aviator]

Hello!
I have a conditional offer from Coventry university about 4 days after I have applied for Fall 2012. The problem is I am really scared that its Engineering Program might not be Strong.
I have done IGCSEs and Alevels with all A* , so Im really interested in very strong academic engineering programs + lots of support and competition. I am really interested in engineering and I want a university where I can feel home at.
Please shed some light on how strong and well prepared the university is at Electrical + Electronics Meng Engineering and compare it with the well known engineering programs of other top universities.
This decision will affect the rest of my life, so please give me true and honest overview about the University and if it is the best place for me.
Thank you for your time,

[LemonLizards]

If you had those results, why didn't you apply for a better university? Sorry to be harsh. Did you get offers from other universities? Doesn't warwick do engineering and is around the same area (if you wanted a place near home)

Honestly don't think it'll matter much. But I wouldn't risk it given your grades, apply for a better uni.

[The_Aviator]

I am actually an International Student, I am actually aiming for Sheffield but I am trying to find a uni with less fees and a very strong engineering program. Plus they need three alevels I will have 2 and a half by June. I am actually planning for Canada too which is 11 hours by plane unlike the Uk which is 4 hours only.
Plus Uk universities offer Meng Programs so I think that is very good to save 2 years masters by taking Bacherlor's and MAsters in 4 years.
From your tone, it sounds that coventry is not that good, so I think I will move away from it. Thank you very Much! I appreciate saving the next 5 years of my life
What do you think abt the university of Hull ?

[SiddlyWiddly]

(Original post by The_Aviator)
I am actually an International Student, I am actually aiming for Sheffield but I am trying to find a uni with less fees and a very strong engineering program. Plus they need three alevels I will have 2 and a half by June. I am actually planning for Canada too which is 11 hours by plane unlike the Uk which is 4 hours only.
Plus Uk universities offer Meng Programs so I think that is very good to save 2 years masters by taking Bacherlor's and MAsters in 4 years.
From your tone, it sounds that coventry is not that good, so I think I will move away from it. Thank you very Much! I appreciate saving the next 5 years of my life
What do you think abt the university of Hull ?

If you're considering Sheffield, just go for it. There are a lot of Scholarship opportunities for international students, and the student satisfaction is the highest amongst all of the Russell Group Universities, which says a lot. If you look at the rankings for the Engineering programs at Sheffield, you'll find that they're very well ranked, and especially for research, it's damn good.

I'm saying this because I'm an international student myself, and have firmed University of Sheffield as my choice. Try comparing every aspect with either Coventry or Hull, or the other Universities you might have applied to, I'm sure you'll see a lot of areas where Sheffield is much better. Don't worry about the fees, like I said there are a lot of scholarship opportunities, and also Sheffield is one of the cheapest places in the UK to live.

Since you're applying to Canada, are you writing the SAT? If yes, I'd suggest you wait until you get your SAT results, because the scholarships they offer based on your result are really good.

Hope this helps.


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[SiddlyWiddly]

That being said, I know SAT isn't essential for Canadian Universities, just curious to know whether you're writing it! I've had some friends get decent scholarships in Canada based on their SAT scores.


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[LemonLizards]

Ah you're an international student. If that's the case uni reputation does matter a lot. You want to go to a good uni and have people recognise it to be wherever you work.

I do not know what you mean by "at home". Where are you from and what kind of environment do you want? The hustle and bustle of London (e.g. Imperial), or the quiet and pretty town (e.g. Bath)

Hull is better but it isn't great.

As far as I was aware courses cost the same at each uni pretty much. So nothings really cheaper. There's been a recent increase in fees I think starting for the beginning of 2012, which is why fees might look a little expensive (well at least they've raised it for UK students, I'm assuming they did the same for foreign students).

Also are you from the eu? Because from what I've heard I think you are allowed to pay the same fees as UK students.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Engineering_Degree

Might be useful. But in general the best unis I think are Oxford, cambridge and then imperial. Then come a few good ones such as Manchester, bristol, Birmingham,bath, Nottingham, southampton etc. "Russell" group universities as they're sometimes known (though a few good ones are out of this like bath, st.andrews).

Best way of doing is looking at the overall reputation of that uni, then looking at the reputation for that subject. In terms of worldwide reputation Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial are the ones that really stand out (in engineering and non engineering courses too).

PM me if you want more information.

[The_Aviator]

(Original post by SiddlyWiddly)
If you're considering Sheffield, just go for it. There are a lot of Scholarship opportunities for international students, and the student satisfaction is the highest amongst all of the Russell Group Universities, which says a lot. If you look at the rankings for the Engineering programs at Sheffield, you'll find that they're very well ranked, and especially for research, it's damn good.

I'm saying this because I'm an international student myself, and have firmed University of Sheffield as my choice. Try comparing every aspect with either Coventry or Hull, or the other Universities you might have applied to, I'm sure you'll see a lot of areas where Sheffield is much better. Don't worry about the fees, like I said there are a lot of scholarship opportunities, and also Sheffield is one of the cheapest places in the UK to live.

Since you're applying to Canada, are you writing the SAT? If yes, I'd suggest you wait until you get your SAT results, because the scholarships they offer based on your result are really good.

Hope this helps.


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Actually this was really helpful, I am applying for Canada with my Olevels and Alevels which are mostly A*s and I got accepted at Carleton Unversity and Unviersity of Waterloo. But like I said, I really dont want to put pressure on my father although I dream of getting into the University of Waterloo or the University of Sheffield.
With Sheffield, matters are a bit sticky since I am missing Chemistry A2 out of the Three alevels required, and I am not willing to stay a whole year just to go for a subject that I will not use in my Engineering Career. But there is a small chance I might get accepted there, but Im currently waiting for opinions from university representatives about the matter. Yeah your right, I was astounded by the amount of research they had. Wish I could go there, would also be closer to home (4hours plane) and cheaper than canada.

[The_Aviator]

(Original post by LemonLizards)
Ah you're an international student. If that's the case uni reputation does matter a lot. You want to go to a good uni and have people recognise it to be wherever you work.

I do not know what you mean by "at home". Where are you from and what kind of environment do you want? The hustle and bustle of London (e.g. Imperial), or the quiet and pretty town (e.g. Bath)

Hull is better but it isn't great.

As far as I was aware courses cost the same at each uni pretty much. So nothings really cheaper. There's been a recent increase in fees I think starting for the beginning of 2012, which is why fees might look a little expensive (well at least they've raised it for UK students, I'm assuming they did the same for foreign students).


Also are you from the eu? Because from what I've heard I think you are allowed to pay the same fees as UK students.

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Engineering_Degree

Might be useful. But in general the best unis I think are Oxford, cambridge and then imperial. Then come a few good ones such as Manchester, bristol, Birmingham,bath, Nottingham, southampton etc. "Russell" group universities as they're sometimes known (though a few good ones are out of this like bath, st.andrews).

Best way of doing is looking at the overall reputation of that uni, then looking at the reputation for that subject. In terms of worldwide reputation Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial are the ones that really stand out (in engineering and non engineering courses too).

PM me if you want more information.

Sorry I wasnt clear enough, but I am not looking for just a degree from a university and work... I am actually really devoted into engineering and research, therefore, I want to make MUCH efficient use of my time during the degree. I had a really bad experience with a unieristy in malaysia which didnt hae strong labs and lecturers werent experienced so I left it, although it had a well recognized degree.
I am from Egypt livving in Saudi Arabia, and I really want to go to a unviersity very strong in engineering. I really dont consider the overall ranking since engineering is all what I care about!

[SiddlyWiddly]

(Original post by The_Aviator)
Actually this was really helpful, I am applying for Canada with my Olevels and Alevels which are mostly A*s and I got accepted at Carleton Unversity and Unviersity of Waterloo. But like I said, I really dont want to put pressure on my father although I dream of getting into the University of Waterloo or the University of Sheffield.
With Sheffield, matters are a bit sticky since I am missing Chemistry A2 out of the Three alevels required, and I am not willing to stay a whole year just to go for a subject that I will not use in my Engineering Career. But there is a small chance I might get accepted there, but Im currently waiting for opinions from university representatives about the matter. Yeah your right, I was astounded by the amount of research they had. Wish I could go there, would also be closer to home (4hours plane) and cheaper than canada.

No problem at all.
I understand your point there, may I ask where are you from? I could guide you as to which scholarships you might be eligible for, as honestly there are quite a lot of them for the Engineering students.
You can email Professor John David, the Head of Department for EEE (I'm guessing that's the course you're interested in) and ask him what your chances are of getting in with your results. I'm sure he would advise you on what you should do, and since I've spoken to him before, I found him to be very reassuring.
I know right? It's one of the main reasons I opted for Sheffield. 4 hours by plane; I'm guessing you're in the EU?


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[SiddlyWiddly]

(Original post by The_Aviator)
Sorry I wasnt clear enough, but I am not looking for just a degree from a university and work... I am actually really devoted into engineering and research, therefore, I want to make MUCH efficient use of my time during the degree. I had a really bad experience with a unieristy in malaysia which didnt hae strong labs and lecturers werent experienced so I left it, although it had a well recognized degree.
I am from Egypt livving in Saudi Arabia, and I really want to go to a unviersity very strong in engineering. I really dont consider the overall ranking since engineering is all what I care about!

Since you're from Egypt, here are your scholarship options. http://www.shef.ac.uk/international/...t/scholarships. You can go through the other links on the side to see what fellow students from your country have to say about Sheffield.


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[The_Aviator]

Its just that I am a really hard working student and reallly curious about Engineering especially Mechatronics - Maybe aersopace in masters / nano-electronics / robotics ... its flexible, and I am really terrified of going into a university which can not cope with my curiosity. I Had a really bad experience in a university in Malaysia over the last couple of months, where the atmosphere was not very encouraging.
I went there in the first place since The university APIIT had a dual degree from StaffordShire but its engineering program was not satisfactory to me altough the dual degree is well recognized worldwide.
I am really looking for a university where it will keep in pace with me or even be ahead of my level which will push me to the limits and that is exactly what I want. Therefore, I have to really consider the university / country decision seriously as It will affect the rest of my life.
Keeping that in mind, I also do not want to put pressure on my father in going to a certain unversity that I want to, although he is willing to pay.

[LemonLizards]

(Original post by The_Aviator)
Sorry I wasnt clear enough, but I am not looking for just a degree from a university and work... I am actually really devoted into engineering and research, therefore, I want to make MUCH efficient use of my time during the degree. I had a really bad experience with a unieristy in malaysia which didnt hae strong labs and lecturers werent experienced so I left it, although it had a well recognized degree.
I am from Egypt livving in Saudi Arabia, and I really want to go to a unviersity very strong in engineering. I really dont consider the overall ranking since engineering is all what I care about!

I'm not sure then.

Those which I mentioned are both considered the best from UK in engineering generally, as well as having good reputations. Usually they go hand in hand really. Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial are still probably the strongest. I hear manchester's very good for research in general. But the thing is engineering is very based towards getting work. They often encourage industrial placements too and the stuff which you learn is a lot of job based stuff (rather than perhaps more theoretical like a chemistry degree for example). Most that really want to go into research do extra degrees after. In fact meng isn't really specialising much, often if you want to go into research, some do a beng and then a msc which is more specialised in the field they want to research. Or take a PHD.

For engineering in my opinion the lab work you do isn't so much. It's more focusing on learning the material and the calculations involved. There isn't really much time to research in the degree, it's more learn the stuff through lectures.

[SiddlyWiddly]

(Original post by The_Aviator)
Its just that I am a really hard working student and reallly curious about Engineering especially Mechatronics - Maybe aersopace in masters / nano-electronics / robotics ... its flexible, and I am really terrified of going into a university which can not cope with my curiosity. I Had a really bad experience in a university in Malaysia over the last couple of months, where the atmosphere was not very encouraging.
I went there in the first place since The university APIIT had a dual degree from StaffordShire but its engineering program was not satisfactory to me altough the dual degree is well recognized worldwide.
I am really looking for a university where it will keep in pace with me or even be ahead of my level which will push me to the limits and that is exactly what I want. Therefore, I have to really consider the university / country decision seriously as It will affect the rest of my life.
Keeping that in mind, I also do not want to put pressure on my father in going to a certain unversity that I want to, although he is willing to pay.

I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience. But I can assure you, that wouldn't happen at Sheffield. This is something you can conclude from the student satisfaction scores, and also the collaborations Sheffield has with various leading industries. It's also at the forefront of research, which is reflected in the trust placed in EEE department by prestigious research funding bodies like EPSRC allocating over £16.5 million per year for research activities and making it one of the strongest department in the country. The Department is home to the National Centre for III-V Technologies (http://www.epsrciii-vcentre.com/home.aspx).

You can speak to Prof. John David, tell him about your situation and see what he has to say. Otherwise you can email the Head of the Department in which you're willing to join, try contacting them as soon as possible so you feel assured you'll be making the right choice in choosing Sheffield, given that you're interested in it.

[The_Aviator]

(Original post by LemonLizards)
I'm not sure then.

Those which I mentioned are both considered the best from UK in engineering generally, as well as having good reputations. Usually they go hand in hand really. Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial are still probably the strongest. I hear manchester's very good for research in general. But the thing is engineering is very based towards getting work. They often encourage industrial placements too and the stuff which you learn is a lot of job based stuff (rather than perhaps more theoretical like a chemistry degree for example). Most that really want to go into research do extra degrees after. In fact meng isn't really specialising much, often if you want to go into research, some do a beng and then a msc which is more specialised in the field they want to research. Or take a PHD.

For engineering in my opinion the lab work you do isn't so much. It's more focusing on learning the material and the calculations involved. There isn't really much time to research in the degree, it's more learn the stuff through lectures.

I agree that usually lab work isnt much in most universities, and usually the theoritical work you do wont benefit me during work as mentioned by a Mechatronics Graduate I know.

However, I am looking for an environment where they are lots of things going on and alot of information in the atmospher which would be very motivating for me.
For example, lots of unversities set up competitions vs other universities and undergrad students participate in them and sometimes its worldwide too.
Proving access to labs is also something I am looking for if I am curious about carrying my own independant research or just mingle with Masters/Phd Professeurs.

If the university doesnt have this kind of atmosphere where I can keeping looking for more knowledge, then I would be reluctant to go there.

[SiddlyWiddly]

(Original post by LemonLizards)
I'm not sure then.

Those which I mentioned are both considered the best from UK in engineering generally, as well as having good reputations. Usually they go hand in hand really. Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial are still probably the strongest. I hear manchester's very good for research in general. But the thing is engineering is very based towards getting work. They often encourage industrial placements too and the stuff which you learn is a lot of job based stuff (rather than perhaps more theoretical like a chemistry degree for example). Most that really want to go into research do extra degrees after. In fact meng isn't really specialising much, often if you want to go into research, some do a beng and then a msc which is more specialised in the field they want to research. Or take a PHD.

For engineering in my opinion the lab work you do isn't so much. It's more focusing on learning the material and the calculations involved. There isn't really much time to research in the degree, it's more learn the stuff through lectures.

Oxbridge and Imperial have a better reputation OVERALL, no doubt. But when it comes to specialisation in Engineering, it isn't the same. Southampton and Manchester are the best for EEE, and so on. M.Eng does specialise on a subject, say Digital Electronics or Microelectronics. Although there wouldn't be the same amount of research involved when compared to an M.Sc., it isn't all that bad. Plus, there's always the chance of getting a paid Ph.D from the same University that you do your Masters in, which is definitely good.

I wouldn't agree about the lab work, because your projects are solely based on what you do in the lab. You do learn from lectures, but lab work is when you see in real life what you're taught in the lectures.

[The_Aviator]

(Original post by SiddlyWiddly)
I'm sorry to hear about your bad experience. But I can assure you, that wouldn't happen at Sheffield. This is something you can conclude from the student satisfaction scores, and also the collaborations Sheffield has with various leading industries. It's also at the forefront of research, which is reflected in the trust placed in EEE department by prestigious research funding bodies like EPSRC allocating over £16.5 million per year for research activities and making it one of the strongest department in the country. The Department is home to the National Centre for III-V Technologies (http://www.epsrciii-vcentre.com/home.aspx).

You can speak to Prof. John David, tell him about your situation and see what he has to say. Otherwise you can email the Head of the Department in which you're willing to join, try contacting them as soon as possible so you feel assured you'll be making the right choice in choosing Sheffield, given that you're interested in it.

Sheffield is really appealing to me, as I have met with its representatives at an International Conference.
They advised me to email the departement which I did last month and still havent got a reply.

Do you think I should email and inform the representatives about not getting a reply, or directly emailing Prof John David? -If you could provide me his email, -I would appreciate it-.

I am willing to join Meng Control Systems/ Mechatronics H360 or H660 , Is he the right person to contact regarding that too?

[SiddlyWiddly]

(Original post by The_Aviator)
I agree that usually lab work isnt much in most universities, and usually the theoritical work you do wont benefit me during work as mentioned by a Mechatronics Graduate I know.

However, I am looking for an environment where they are lots of things going on and alot of information in the atmospher which would be very motivating for me.
For example, lots of unversities set up competitions vs other universities and undergrad students participate in them and sometimes its worldwide too.
Proving access to labs is also something I am looking for if I am curious about carrying my own independant research or just mingle with Masters/Phd Professeurs.

If the university doesnt have this kind of atmosphere where I can keeping looking for more knowledge, then I would be reluctant to go there.

I'll agree with what he said, as almost all of my seniors say the same thing.
There's a lot of societies for every department at Sheffield, and you can have a look at the Global Engineering Challenge here. http://www.shef.ac.uk/eee/admissions...ring-challenge It is of course worldwide, and there are lot of opportunities such as Formula Student, where the students design and create a racing car, and then you compete in a race at the Silverstone Circuit.

So there's always something to do that might catch your interest, it solely depends on whether you take up the chance to participate or not. You can help the Ph.D students in their research work if they're willing to allow you, and regarding the independent research, I'd suggest you speak to the faculty.

[The_Aviator]

(Original post by SiddlyWiddly)
Oxbridge and Imperial have a better reputation OVERALL, no doubt. But when it comes to specialisation in Engineering, it isn't the same. Southampton and Manchester are the best for EEE, and so on. M.Eng does specialise on a subject, say Digital Electronics or Microelectronics. Although there wouldn't be the same amount of research involved when compared to an M.Sc., it isn't all that bad. Plus, there's always the chance of getting a paid Ph.D from the same University that you do your Masters in, which is definitely good.

I wouldn't agree about the lab work, because your projects are solely based on what you do in the lab. You do learn from lectures, but lab work is when you see in real life what you're taught in the lectures.

I Definitely Agree with you!

-I am thinking of completing an M.eng then doing an M.Sc + Phd Together so that I can have a masters degree in more than one field since I dont like to constrict myself. This would also save a lot of time for me.

-Lab work definitely a requirement, especially when they are well equipped , it acts as a motivational factor too.
Competitions would also help applying theory into the real world such as building a robot or an automatic car.

*In canada, universities have this Co-op program where you work for more than 2 years with engineering companies during your bachelors.
Total length is five years and you only get a Bachelor's Degree unlike Meng Programs, but you get alot of experience and knowledge out of it.

I am willing to sacrifice time and certificates for knowledge. Alot of factors and comparisons to consider.

[SiddlyWiddly]

(Original post by The_Aviator)
Sheffield is really appealing to me, as I have met with its representatives at an International Conference.
They advised me to email the departement which I did last month and still havent got a reply.

Do you think I should email and inform the representatives about not getting a reply, or directly emailing Prof John David? -If you could provide me his email, -I would appreciate it-.

I am willing to join Meng Control Systems/ Mechatronics H360 or H660 , Is he the right person to contact regarding that too?

Who did you email? Was it the department in general or anyone from the staff? For the M.Eng Control Systems/Mechatronics, I would suggest you to email Prof. R. F. Harrison (r.f.harrison@shef.ac.uk) who is the Acting Head of Department, or Prof. V. Kadirkamanathan (visakan@shef.ac.uk) who is the Head of Department (on secondment.) Also send a CC to acse@sheffield.ac.uk which is the general enquiries section.

Hopefully you get your queries answered by the right people.

[SiddlyWiddly]

(Original post by The_Aviator)
I Definitely Agree with you!

-I am thinking of completing an M.eng then doing an M.Sc + Phd Together so that I can have a masters degree in more than one field since I dont like to constrict myself. This would also save a lot of time for me.

-Lab work definitely a requirement, especially when they are well equipped , it acts as a motivational factor too.
Competitions would also help applying theory into the real world such as building a robot or an automatic car.

*In canada, universities have this Co-op program where you work for more than 2 years with engineering companies during your bachelors.
Total length is five years and you only get a Bachelor's Degree unlike Meng Programs, but you get alot of experience and knowledge out of it.

I am willing to sacrifice time and certificates for knowledge. Alot of factors and comparisons to consider.

I'd like to inform you that your progress to a M.Eng program depends on your results in the second year. If you get above 60%, you can proceed to the third year of the M.Eng program. Otherwise, you'll have to do the final year of the B.Eng program. But I hope your career plan works out as you want it.

I've gone through the facilities on offer at the EEE lab at Sheffield, and they're really good. Also, I would suggest you see the Interactive tour of the facilities on offer at Sheffield Uni in general, here is the video link. http://www.youtube.com/user/uniofsheffield
Yeah, I'm looking forward to participating in competitions myself, it's always fun and challenging. Plus, they give an extra boost to your resume.

At Sheffield too, you do get a lot of industrial experience. In case you successfully make it to the third year of the Masters program, you'll be doing a project with an industry, which is absolutely amazing if you ask me. It'll give a great experience of what to expect once you finish University.

That is a great outlook to have! But yeah, it's upto you to decide which University suits you the best.