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Mechanical Engineering difficult?
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
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
Scroll to see replies
Anyone?
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.
Original post by Desert Eagle
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.
****.
That makes it sound seriously hard.
My only worry is that I wouldn't be able to cope with it. Apart from that it sounds like a great degree and really interesting.
How did you end up doing? And do you mind me asking what grades you got at A-Level/GCSE? Just want to compare myself really
Original post by Soggy Cherry
****.
That makes it sound seriously hard.
My only worry is that I wouldn't be able to cope with it. Apart from that it sounds like a great degree and really interesting.
How did you end up doing? And do you mind me asking what grades you got at A-Level/GCSE? Just want to compare myself really
That makes it sound seriously hard.
My only worry is that I wouldn't be able to cope with it. Apart from that it sounds like a great degree and really interesting.
How did you end up doing? And do you mind me asking what grades you got at A-Level/GCSE? Just want to compare myself really
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.
Yeah, and since I really want to do well and realise how hard it will be i'm hoping i'll be sensible enough to put the work in
Engineering degrees are not particularly difficult, but they certainly require lots of work.
If you are prepared to devote the 3-4 years of your life that you are at university solely to your degree, you will get the high grades.
If you are prepared to devote the 3-4 years of your life that you are at university solely to your degree, you will get the high grades.
Original post by usernonapplicable
Engineering degrees are not particularly difficult, but they certainly require lots of work.
If you are prepared to devote the 3-4 years of your life that you are at university solely to your degree, you will get the high grades.
If you are prepared to devote the 3-4 years of your life that you are at university solely to your degree, you will get the high grades.
When you say devote 3-4 years of my life, are you saying there'll be no time for a social life at all, or just that i'm gonna have to manage my time a lot better?
I don't want to go to Uni having like some of the least sociable years of my life when most people come out saying what a great time they had
Original post by Soggy Cherry
When you say devote 3-4 years of my life, are you saying there'll be no time for a social life at all, or just that i'm gonna have to manage my time a lot better?
I don't want to go to Uni having like some of the least sociable years of my life when most people come out saying what a great time they had
I don't want to go to Uni having like some of the least sociable years of my life when most people come out saying what a great time they had
I can't comment on individual cases, but in my experience I had some spare time in the first year and less time decreasing in a linear manner as the levels progress.
It depends on what kind of degree you want. If you want to have a good time and are happy to coast along, that would be possible, but if you want a first class degree you have to push yourself.
How many hours more a week would you say there is compared to other subjects? In particular History or Law?
Is it difficult work or just time consuming work?
And also, does anyone know if automotive engineering would be any easier/less work? Spoke to a couple the other day who both did engineering degrees and both hated it because it destroyed their social life :/
Is it difficult work or just time consuming work?
And also, does anyone know if automotive engineering would be any easier/less work? Spoke to a couple the other day who both did engineering degrees and both hated it because it destroyed their social life :/
(edited 12 years ago)
I cannot speak specifically for mechanical engineering as I did Electronics & Communications Engineerng however the work load becomes more demanding as the years progress with more time spent doing project and lab work in the second and final years.
I typically had around 20 or so hours of lectures a week spending around an additional 10-20 hours a week doing my final year project. I had time to socialise, however you must put in the effort to get a good degree out of the process.
I typically had around 20 or so hours of lectures a week spending around an additional 10-20 hours a week doing my final year project. I had time to socialise, however you must put in the effort to get a good degree out of the process.
Here's a more generic engineering an simply put answer. Even though graduate jobs are hard to come by these days, most engineers are still finding work. This is because there are many jobs but few graduates. All engineering degrees are difficult/hard, very time consuming and require you to be on top of your game. If you coast you'll do alright if you're lucky. If you work hard you'll be fine. This is where people have differing perceptions of what university is all about. For most people it's about having a blast, 'the time of your life', partying every night an so on. For others it's about getting a degree that gets you a great career (engineering, science, medicine, law... essentially all the professions). It's worth deciding which one you want before you start though. I say this not to scare you but to inform you of the differences.
Example; I studied engineering. In my second year I lived with people doing a whole range of courses. Some of them had 8 hours per week of lectures, we had 8 hours on Mondays alone. So naturally I couldn't party all the time with them, they have different demands. If you do, they will pass their degrees and you will fail yours. I have engineering friends that made that mistake.
But, and there is a big but. Now that we have all graduated some of those who done the 'degrees conducive to their social lives' are finding it most difficult to get a graduate job, meanwhile the engineers are in graduate jobs and can now party every weekend if the so wish. Why, you might ask. Well, the majority of people will tend to do the degrees that allow them to have the most amount of fun so when they graduate they become one of many and thus face tough competition, it becomes an employers market. Few people want to sit through years of maths, science and engineering so when you graduate there's less competition for jobs. You can check this by looking at the yearly intake for certain degrees at any given uni.
You will still have fun but uni won't be one drunken blur. Hope this helps.
Example; I studied engineering. In my second year I lived with people doing a whole range of courses. Some of them had 8 hours per week of lectures, we had 8 hours on Mondays alone. So naturally I couldn't party all the time with them, they have different demands. If you do, they will pass their degrees and you will fail yours. I have engineering friends that made that mistake.
But, and there is a big but. Now that we have all graduated some of those who done the 'degrees conducive to their social lives' are finding it most difficult to get a graduate job, meanwhile the engineers are in graduate jobs and can now party every weekend if the so wish. Why, you might ask. Well, the majority of people will tend to do the degrees that allow them to have the most amount of fun so when they graduate they become one of many and thus face tough competition, it becomes an employers market. Few people want to sit through years of maths, science and engineering so when you graduate there's less competition for jobs. You can check this by looking at the yearly intake for certain degrees at any given uni.
You will still have fun but uni won't be one drunken blur. Hope this helps.
Thanks a lot guys, glad I have done research on this because I'm no longer 100% definite what I want to do. I'm starting to consider other degrees as well now, maybe law.
Appreciate it x
Appreciate it x
Just to add, I'm guessing that Civil Engineering with Environmental engineering would be slightly easier?
Like I said, just guessing, so if anyone has any idea please let me know
Like I said, just guessing, so if anyone has any idea please let me know
mechanical engineering -> difficult = yes
mechanical engineering -> worth it = absolutely
mechanical engineering -> worth it = absolutely
I'm so indecisive
Yeah, engineering is difficult. There is a LOT of maths. Compared to a geographer, who will have maybe 8 hours if they're lucky, you will feel like you're in full time employment- I had 29-30 hours a week scheduled time in my first and second year.
BUT BUT BUT
You can have a social life, of course you can. Engineers just have to be better at finding the balance. Generally, you'll get away with going out a lot at the start of term, but in the weeks leading up to exams, you'll have to lock yourself in a room revising for 18 hours a day to make up for it. Don't let that put you off- put it this way- I got a 2:1, a fraction of a percent off a first (thank god), but still managed to go off an do a couple of weeks skiing and sailing a term in the first couple of years. might have missed a few lectures, but I could catch up. Could probably manage 3 nights a week out down the pub. even with a 9:00am lecture the following morning. It depends how much self discipline you have. Use your first year to work out how much you can get away with, then ramp up the work from there to ensure you get a 2:1 or above.
In A Level terms I got AABC, which todays equivalent would put me at A*A*AB, as A-Level pass rates continue to rise year on year.
In terms of challenge- if you can manage an A-Level further maths course, you'll manage engineering at Uni.
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.
Pass rates are a red herring. most people who sit the exams are able to pass- if they weren't they'd never had got in, or would have left a long time before exams were sat.
Automotive engineering probably wont be any easier, but will restrict you more when applying for a job.
And if you're going to university for a good time and not to get a degree, I'd recommend you don't go. Go work as a holiday rep.
Stu Haynes, MEng MIET
BUT BUT BUT
You can have a social life, of course you can. Engineers just have to be better at finding the balance. Generally, you'll get away with going out a lot at the start of term, but in the weeks leading up to exams, you'll have to lock yourself in a room revising for 18 hours a day to make up for it. Don't let that put you off- put it this way- I got a 2:1, a fraction of a percent off a first (thank god), but still managed to go off an do a couple of weeks skiing and sailing a term in the first couple of years. might have missed a few lectures, but I could catch up. Could probably manage 3 nights a week out down the pub. even with a 9:00am lecture the following morning. It depends how much self discipline you have. Use your first year to work out how much you can get away with, then ramp up the work from there to ensure you get a 2:1 or above.
In A Level terms I got AABC, which todays equivalent would put me at A*A*AB, as A-Level pass rates continue to rise year on year.
In terms of challenge- if you can manage an A-Level further maths course, you'll manage engineering at Uni.
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.
Pass rates are a red herring. most people who sit the exams are able to pass- if they weren't they'd never had got in, or would have left a long time before exams were sat.
Automotive engineering probably wont be any easier, but will restrict you more when applying for a job.
And if you're going to university for a good time and not to get a degree, I'd recommend you don't go. Go work as a holiday rep.
Stu Haynes, MEng MIET
Original post by pheonix254
Yeah, engineering is difficult. There is a LOT of maths. Compared to a geographer, who will have maybe 8 hours if they're lucky, you will feel like you're in full time employment- I had 29-30 hours a week scheduled time in my first and second year.
BUT BUT BUT
You can have a social life, of course you can. Engineers just have to be better at finding the balance. Generally, you'll get away with going out a lot at the start of term, but in the weeks leading up to exams, you'll have to lock yourself in a room revising for 18 hours a day to make up for it. Don't let that put you off- put it this way- I got a 2:1, a fraction of a percent off a first (thank god), but still managed to go off an do a couple of weeks skiing and sailing a term in the first couple of years. might have missed a few lectures, but I could catch up. Could probably manage 3 nights a week out down the pub. even with a 9:00am lecture the following morning. It depends how much self discipline you have. Use your first year to work out how much you can get away with, then ramp up the work from there to ensure you get a 2:1 or above.
In A Level terms I got AABC, which todays equivalent would put me at A*A*AB, as A-Level pass rates continue to rise year on year.
In terms of challenge- if you can manage an A-Level further maths course, you'll manage engineering at Uni.
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.
Pass rates are a red herring. most people who sit the exams are able to pass- if they weren't they'd never had got in, or would have left a long time before exams were sat.
Automotive engineering probably wont be any easier, but will restrict you more when applying for a job.
And if you're going to university for a good time and not to get a degree, I'd recommend you don't go. Go work as a holiday rep.
Stu Haynes, MEng MIET
BUT BUT BUT
You can have a social life, of course you can. Engineers just have to be better at finding the balance. Generally, you'll get away with going out a lot at the start of term, but in the weeks leading up to exams, you'll have to lock yourself in a room revising for 18 hours a day to make up for it. Don't let that put you off- put it this way- I got a 2:1, a fraction of a percent off a first (thank god), but still managed to go off an do a couple of weeks skiing and sailing a term in the first couple of years. might have missed a few lectures, but I could catch up. Could probably manage 3 nights a week out down the pub. even with a 9:00am lecture the following morning. It depends how much self discipline you have. Use your first year to work out how much you can get away with, then ramp up the work from there to ensure you get a 2:1 or above.
In A Level terms I got AABC, which todays equivalent would put me at A*A*AB, as A-Level pass rates continue to rise year on year.
In terms of challenge- if you can manage an A-Level further maths course, you'll manage engineering at Uni.
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.
Pass rates are a red herring. most people who sit the exams are able to pass- if they weren't they'd never had got in, or would have left a long time before exams were sat.
Automotive engineering probably wont be any easier, but will restrict you more when applying for a job.
And if you're going to university for a good time and not to get a degree, I'd recommend you don't go. Go work as a holiday rep.
Stu Haynes, MEng MIET
Thanks a lot for that Stu.
Seriously helped out. Finally got some figures in terms of hours per week and that coming from someone who's been there - and in all honesty, I think I might be able to manage it.
Like you said, no point going for a degree that's worth nothing, and I think I would really regret it if I got on to a different degree and was always wondering what I could have done with Mechanical Engineering - so I may as well give it a go and stretch my potential as far as I can.
Thanks again, really appreciate it!
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