Engineering Graduate questions
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Guys if you're a graduate please make an effort to answer the questionnaire rather than just having a chat, the OP does need your help.
Original post by + polarity -
Ah, I haven't really tried rendering properly, I just did a little to get some pictures of my suspension lol
I've never tried Pro/E, you know. I've used CATIA, but not Pro/E.
Very nice!
USBee, did you think of that yourself? 
I've never tried Pro/E, you know. I've used CATIA, but not Pro/E.
Very nice!
USBee, did you think of that yourself? nice, catia is great too. no unfortunately i havent, that takes a genius haha
got it from here and replicated to see how it looks like in 3d:
Original post by oo00oo
Things are much better elsewhere. In most of Europe, as well is in Canada, etc, Engineers are revered almost as much as medics. They are placed in the same category as medics, lawyers, business-people, etc. The salaries are higher, and the understanding of the importance of the field is higher.
I hate the UK, I really do.
Things are much better elsewhere. In most of Europe, as well is in Canada, etc, Engineers are revered almost as much as medics. They are placed in the same category as medics, lawyers, business-people, etc. The salaries are higher, and the understanding of the importance of the field is higher.
I hate the UK, I really do.
I completely understand your frustration. Engineers are awesome, and the general public (including graduates) are just knobs when it comes to their attitude to engineering, as if their aeroplanes, bridges, TVs, roads etc are made by fairies.
Seeing a massive jet like a 747 flying low never loses the 'wtf' factor for me.
Original post by Smack
Have any of you used ANSYS before for FEA and modelling?
I have to use it calculate the stresses on a flexible riser/flowline and it's absolutely hellish!
I have to use it calculate the stresses on a flexible riser/flowline and it's absolutely hellish!
i have heard of ANSYS and its really powerful for FEA, unfortunately i havent used it. can you import inventor files into ANSYS? i might then be able to help you in the modelling stage.
Original post by middlj
Original post by middlj
I said I've just graduated from engineering to which he replies"oh, I always thought you were clever and would have done medicine or something".
wtf.
Original post by Munchies-YumYum
i have heard of ANSYS and its really powerful for FEA, unfortunately i havent used it. can you import inventor files into ANSYS? i might then be able to help you in the modelling stage.
ANSYS can't be that powerful because it takes 15 hours to analyse 10cm of flexible flowine.
Yeah you can import stuff from Solidworks etc., thankfully. But it has no undo function.
Original post by Smack
ANSYS can't be that powerful because it takes 15 hours to analyse 10cm of flexible flowine.
Yeah you can import stuff from Solidworks etc., thankfully. But it has no undo function.
Yeah you can import stuff from Solidworks etc., thankfully. But it has no undo function.
the rule of thumb is usually the longer is takes the better result you acquire (the denser the mesh) thats why you need good knowledge of how you're going to analyse and the limit of your accuracy. it also depends on the performance of your pc! yeah most softwares can import from solidworks, seems that their community is growing.
Original post by oo00oo
Hmm that's probably more to do with the specs of your machine than the fidelity of the software itself.
I know, hence the
Original post by oo00oo
x
Hi, thanks so much for answering the questionnaire.
WOW! Those responses are quite insightful.
Do you regret opting to do a phD then? ...and by 'Watching the people who graduated alongside me going into high paying jobs, despite having far poorer degree classifications' do you mean graduates from other fields that aren't related to engineering?
Also, do you mind me quoting some of what you said in post #28 ?
Good luck with your phD
Original post by oo00oo
You can quote whatever you like.
I don't regret opting to do the PhD, no. But it must be said that nothing makes you feel worse than bumping into somebody you graduated with who earns 30-40k a year and drives a BMW, all for doing 40 hours a week in a low-end engineering job that he scraped by into with a 2.2 degree, when you're 'just getting by' on a measly stipend, can't afford a car, and are putting in sometimes 60-80 hours work.
Certainly, I'll be boosting my job prospects and may well enter the company of that person at a higher position on a higher salary in 3 years time, and may well have a much faster rate of promotion, but for the time being it still makes you feel like crap.
And I'm talking mainly about STEM graduates I know. You don't tend to meet many people with a degree in English Lit. earning 40k a year and driving a BMW... there's not too many of them to be jealous of.
I don't regret opting to do the PhD, no. But it must be said that nothing makes you feel worse than bumping into somebody you graduated with who earns 30-40k a year and drives a BMW, all for doing 40 hours a week in a low-end engineering job that he scraped by into with a 2.2 degree, when you're 'just getting by' on a measly stipend, can't afford a car, and are putting in sometimes 60-80 hours work.
Certainly, I'll be boosting my job prospects and may well enter the company of that person at a higher position on a higher salary in 3 years time, and may well have a much faster rate of promotion, but for the time being it still makes you feel like crap.
And I'm talking mainly about STEM graduates I know. You don't tend to meet many people with a degree in English Lit. earning 40k a year and driving a BMW... there's not too many of them to be jealous of.
What do you mean by low-end engineering job? What kind of tasks does he have to do? I have also read an article in NCE that huge cuts in the next 3 years are being made in the engineering industry specifically the construction industry. He will have a hard time finding a job like that when he doesn't work there anymore though whereras you will always be one step ahead.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by oo00oo
Oh you know the kind of thing I mean. He takes orders from the real engineers of the firm and gets handed the menial and repetitive tasks. Maybe running some pre-coded simulations or dealing with processing CAD drawings, etc.
Doesn't have any intellectual input for the engineering process, just an office monkey who might get promoted if he's the best monkey out of all the monkeys in 3-5 years time.
You can't put a price on enjoying your work, of course. But you can put a price on a nice car and a house, and I can't afford either atm.
Doesn't have any intellectual input for the engineering process, just an office monkey who might get promoted if he's the best monkey out of all the monkeys in 3-5 years time.
You can't put a price on enjoying your work, of course. But you can put a price on a nice car and a house, and I can't afford either atm.
hahah I see can see you're quite frustrated but don't let that get you down there's people who started off with just a quid and became millionaires, some are just lucky. Btw, what is your research about?
1.) Did you or do you plan to graduate with a BEng, MEng, or other?
HND Marine Engineer
MCA Class IV Certificate of Competency, Engineer Officer of the Watch
NVQ Level 3 Engineering
2.) What university (If it's too personal then whether the uni was Golden triangle, Russell Group, Million+ etc. would be fine) did you gradate from/ are attending and which year did you/plan to graduate (optional)?
Warsash Maritime Academy, Southampton, Engineering
Keele University, Geography and History BA(Hons) 2:1
3.) What grade did you achieve/hope to achieve? Was this grade higher or lower than the grade you originally thought you'd achieve/aimed for when you started university?
Distinction, it is what I thought I would achieve.
4.) When applying for a graduate job, how tough is the competition?
I was sponsored through my 'degree' so went straight into a job with a shipping company.
5.) Are the career opportunities open to you different to what you originally expected (are there more career opportunities than you expected, less or about the same)?
Yes, I didn't realise how much money and how many opportunities were available in the superyacht industry and shoreside.
6.) Do graduate jobs offer more or less job security than you originally expected?
I think job security in these times is minimal, whether you have a degree or not.
7.) Do you feel the university you attended had an impact on the job you attained/planned to attain?
No. I was sponsored through my degree, my sponsoring company chose the maritime college.
8.) Have you ever considered working abroad?
I work at sea, thus I am continuously working abroad. I am planning on emmigrating in a few years.
9.) What do you feel is the hardest step after graduating (getting a job, maintaining a job, other)?
Getting a job/going from study to working
10.) How do you feel society views you as an engineering graduate?
As a glorified Kwik Fit Mechanic...how wrong.
HND Marine Engineer
MCA Class IV Certificate of Competency, Engineer Officer of the Watch
NVQ Level 3 Engineering
2.) What university (If it's too personal then whether the uni was Golden triangle, Russell Group, Million+ etc. would be fine) did you gradate from/ are attending and which year did you/plan to graduate (optional)?
Warsash Maritime Academy, Southampton, Engineering
Keele University, Geography and History BA(Hons) 2:1
3.) What grade did you achieve/hope to achieve? Was this grade higher or lower than the grade you originally thought you'd achieve/aimed for when you started university?
Distinction, it is what I thought I would achieve.
4.) When applying for a graduate job, how tough is the competition?
I was sponsored through my 'degree' so went straight into a job with a shipping company.
5.) Are the career opportunities open to you different to what you originally expected (are there more career opportunities than you expected, less or about the same)?
Yes, I didn't realise how much money and how many opportunities were available in the superyacht industry and shoreside.
6.) Do graduate jobs offer more or less job security than you originally expected?
I think job security in these times is minimal, whether you have a degree or not.
7.) Do you feel the university you attended had an impact on the job you attained/planned to attain?
No. I was sponsored through my degree, my sponsoring company chose the maritime college.
8.) Have you ever considered working abroad?
I work at sea, thus I am continuously working abroad. I am planning on emmigrating in a few years.
9.) What do you feel is the hardest step after graduating (getting a job, maintaining a job, other)?
Getting a job/going from study to working
10.) How do you feel society views you as an engineering graduate?
As a glorified Kwik Fit Mechanic...how wrong.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by oo00oo
...
What's the space industry like in the UK? It's not something that I (and, presumably nearly all of us in Britain) ever really hear about. Say space, most here think of NASA and America. I did hear last year in the news something about something to do with space going on at Strathclyde University but that's it.
Original post by Smack
Have any of you used ANSYS before for FEA and modelling?
I have to use it calculate the stresses on a flexible riser/flowline and it's absolutely hellish!
I have to use it calculate the stresses on a flexible riser/flowline and it's absolutely hellish!
Yeah ... one of the guys in our department part owns and co-produced the software. It's a horrible program to use, and even worse to learn the theory behind
Original post by Peel
Yeah ... one of the guys in our department part owns and co-produced the software. It's a horrible program to use, and even worse to learn the theory behind
Yeah we've learned some of the theory behind it and I'm very scared that they'll make us try and backup the results produced by the software using some of the theory by hand. Also not looking forward to my project either because of it.
That guy in your department, can you ask him why they didn't make an undo function?
Original post by Smack
Yeah we've learned some of the theory behind it and I'm very scared that they'll make us try and backup the results produced by the software using some of the theory by hand. Also not looking forward to my project either because of it.
That guy in your department, can you ask him why they didn't make an undo function?
That guy in your department, can you ask him why they didn't make an undo function?
Ahahahaha, amazing!
Original post by oo00oo
How wrong indeed.
Could you please tell me a little about what you do? PM maybe?
I love space thingsOriginal post by Smack
What's the space industry like in the UK? It's not something that I (and, presumably nearly all of us in Britain) ever really hear about. Say space, most here think of NASA and America. I did hear last year in the news something about something to do with space going on at Strathclyde University but that's it.
I think we're part of a collaborative european space program
I was looking at ESA internships a few days ago, it's unpaid and you have to find your own accommodation and everything! 
Original post by Smack
Yeah we've learned some of the theory behind it and I'm very scared that they'll make us try and backup the results produced by the software using some of the theory by hand. Also not looking forward to my project either because of it.
That guy in your department, can you ask him why they didn't make an undo function?
That guy in your department, can you ask him why they didn't make an undo function?
I found this bro, might help:
There is an unofficial undo method called the "session editor". This is located at the bottom of the main menu below the "finish" option. It records all actions during the current session, so if you apply a command and wish to return to the state BEFORE the command was issued click on the session editor, remove the commands you wish to undo and press ok. When you press ok ANSYS will then read the session file back in (without the command you removed).
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