Which stream should I choose?
I'm a first year engineering student at a good UK university. The first year at the university is a general year and so students take modules from all streams of engineering. I love the course so far and i have gotten some solid 1st and 2:1s.I need to choose an engineering stream before the end of my 3rd term. Im currently on mechanical, however my cad skills aren't great and I do struggle with fusion 360.I looked into systems because I'm quite a mathematical person and the job market for systems does look good, but I'm also not great at matlab. I'm considering staying on mechanical because I can pickup some cad skills along the way, but I'm not sure what to do. Could anyone who was in my position give any advice?
Original post by Unknown1234abcd
I'm a first year engineering student at a good UK university. The first year at the university is a general year and so students take modules from all streams of engineering. I love the course so far and i have gotten some solid 1st and 2:1s.I need to choose an engineering stream before the end of my 3rd term. Im currently on mechanical, however my cad skills aren't great and I do struggle with fusion 360.I looked into systems because I'm quite a mathematical person and the job market for systems does look good, but I'm also not great at matlab. I'm considering staying on mechanical because I can pickup some cad skills along the way, but I'm not sure what to do. Could anyone who was in my position give any advice?
You don't need to be particularly strong at CAD for mechanical engineering. Lots of engineers don't do any CAD - it depends on the role. In any case, it's something you should get better at with some more practice.
Also, systems engineering isn't a specific job - it means different things in different industries.
What other stream were you thinking of transferring to?
Original post by Smack
You don't need to be particularly strong at CAD for mechanical engineering. Lots of engineers don't do any CAD - it depends on the role. In any case, it's something you should get better at with some more practice.
Also, systems engineering isn't a specific job - it means different things in different industries.
What other stream were you thinking of transferring to?
Also, systems engineering isn't a specific job - it means different things in different industries.
What other stream were you thinking of transferring to?
Systems is an available stream at my uni. I was considering civil, but it is quite isolated from the other streams. Systems is really just software engineering but with more maths and mostly matlab coding.
Original post by Unknown1234abcd
I'm a first year engineering student at a good UK university. The first year at the university is a general year and so students take modules from all streams of engineering. I love the course so far and i have gotten some solid 1st and 2:1s.I need to choose an engineering stream before the end of my 3rd term. Im currently on mechanical, however my cad skills aren't great and I do struggle with fusion 360.I looked into systems because I'm quite a mathematical person and the job market for systems does look good, but I'm also not great at matlab. I'm considering staying on mechanical because I can pickup some cad skills along the way, but I'm not sure what to do. Could anyone who was in my position give any advice?
Hi there,
I am a Mechanical Engineering student at Coventry University. Mechanical Engineering covers a wide range of engineering disciplines, and I am sure over the course of your studies, you will find one that particularly interests you. As with CAD skills, that is no problem, as it is something you can develop through learning and practice. There are a wide range of online on-demand CAD courses that might be helpful, I know there are quite a few on LinkedIn Learning. Your university would also have CAD support that you could access.
The stream that you choose depends on the area of engineering that you find most interesting, and maybe even the type of role, and industry that you would like to go into in future.
Kind regards,
Juzer
Cov Uni Student Ambassador
Original post by Unknown1234abcd
Systems is an available stream at my uni. I was considering civil, but it is quite isolated from the other streams. Systems is really just software engineering but with more maths and mostly matlab coding.
If you're a mathematical person then the stream that is more mathematical probably makes sense to do. Matlab is also something you should get better at with more experience.
Original post by Unknown1234abcd
I'm a first year engineering student at a good UK university. The first year at the university is a general year and so students take modules from all streams of engineering. I love the course so far and i have gotten some solid 1st and 2:1s.I need to choose an engineering stream before the end of my 3rd term. Im currently on mechanical, however my cad skills aren't great and I do struggle with fusion 360.I looked into systems because I'm quite a mathematical person and the job market for systems does look good, but I'm also not great at matlab. I'm considering staying on mechanical because I can pickup some cad skills along the way, but I'm not sure what to do. Could anyone who was in my position give any advice?
CAD is a design tool of engineering rather then hard engineering, not something you need to tie yourself to as a mechanical engineer although id generally say being competent to explore a BOM will be useful even if your not in a day to day CAD job (TBH i wouldn't recommend CAD jobs anyway).
Getting stronger on tools like matlab or another program that lets you model systems and problems will open doors and is important if you have an interest in dealing with more complex engineering problems, whatever stream of engineering you pursue.
Original post by Unknown1234abcd
I'm a first year engineering student at a good UK university. The first year at the university is a general year and so students take modules from all streams of engineering. I love the course so far and i have gotten some solid 1st and 2:1s.I need to choose an engineering stream before the end of my 3rd term. Im currently on mechanical, however my cad skills aren't great and I do struggle with fusion 360.I looked into systems because I'm quite a mathematical person and the job market for systems does look good, but I'm also not great at matlab. I'm considering staying on mechanical because I can pickup some cad skills along the way, but I'm not sure what to do. Could anyone who was in my position give any advice?
Hi!
I was in the same position as you in my first year of university - but I was on a mechatronics course. I realised in the first year that I couldn't handle any more heavy electrical modules, I was awful at CAD but I was extremely good at maths. I also realised that I enjoyed moments and the sort of physics I learnt in A-Level Physics but extended, so I switched to Mechanical Engineering at Lancaster University.
Now I'm a third year Mechanical Engineering student and I don't regret my decision one bit. I've never had to actually use CAD myself because the times I've needed to were usually for group projects and so the person who was best at CAD (which wasn't me!), did the CAD design. Electrical modules were usually tied in with mechanical aspects so they were much more easier to digest and things just made more logical sense to me because of the heavy maths background mechanical has.
As for MATLAB, honestly speaking, I wasn't great at it either. I understood it but to a limited extent. BUT, for my third year project I chose to simulate the design of our Formula Student Vehicle on MATLAB (because I wasn't keen on building anything physically), and I was surprised how easy it was to pick up when you could actually give it time. In your first and second year, since you're juggling so many assessments and modules and assignments its hard to develop your skills in particular softwares unless you spend the holidays doing it - so I wouldn't say just yet you're bad at CAD or MATLAB, you've just not had the time to improve in it.
Finally, I noticed you said you're interested in Systems Engineering and I can tell you Mechanical is a great course to get into Systems since I just got a job offer in Systems Engineering following graduation.
I hope this helps!
Amaani - Mechanical Engineering Ambassador
Original post by Unknown1234abcd
I'm a first year engineering student at a good UK university. The first year at the university is a general year and so students take modules from all streams of engineering. I love the course so far and i have gotten some solid 1st and 2:1s.I need to choose an engineering stream before the end of my 3rd term. Im currently on mechanical, however my cad skills aren't great and I do struggle with fusion 360.I looked into systems because I'm quite a mathematical person and the job market for systems does look good, but I'm also not great at matlab. I'm considering staying on mechanical because I can pickup some cad skills along the way, but I'm not sure what to do. Could anyone who was in my position give any advice?
Hello,
Greetings! Hope you are doing well.
Firstly, it's great to hear that you're enjoying your engineering course so far and doing well in your modules. That's a good indication that you have a passion for the subject, which is important in deciding on a stream to specialize in.
When it comes to choosing a stream, it's important to consider your strengths and interests, as well as the job market and career prospects. From what you've said, it seems like you have a strong interest in the mathematical aspects of engineering, which could make systems engineering a good fit for you.
However, it's important to keep in mind that engineering is a broad field and there are many different specializations within each stream. For example, within mechanical engineering, there are many different areas of focus such as materials, manufacturing, robotics, and more. It may be worth researching the different options within each stream to see if there is a specific area that you are particularly interested in.
Regarding your concerns about CAD skills and MATLAB, it's important to remember that these are skills that can be learned and developed over time. If you decide to stick with mechanical engineering, you can work on improving your CAD skills and explore other software options that may be more suitable for you. Similarly, if you decide to pursue systems engineering, you can work on improving your MATLAB skills.
Ultimately, the decision on which stream to choose is a personal one and it's important to take your time to consider your options and do your research. You may also want to speak with your academic advisor or other faculty members who can provide more specific guidance based on your academic performance and career goals.
Warm Regards,
Megha Sharma
Student Ambassador
MSc Business Analytics
Coventry University
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