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Which type of engineering?

I was just wondering how so many people know what specific type of engineering they want to do before they go to uni? (Or just do a general engineering course)

Is it because of work experience etc..?
Reply 1
Avatar for SillyEddy
SillyEddy
18
Well, I want to work on aircraft at some stage in my career... But even knowing that, I picked mechanical engineering over an aerospace degree for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the universities I was looking at did not run that course. Secondly, I wanted to have a broader knowledge through mechanical (possibly doing an MSc in aerospace to specialise later on).

The great thing about the "mechanics" type degrees (aero, mechanical, automotive, etc) is that they will quite often share a lot of the content. Thus, you can do one degree and can typically move areas in the industry later on and still be fairly well qualified to do so. I'm not sure how the chemical engineering disciplines work, but the mechanics based ones are pretty good in that sense. I do maths lectures with 4 different disciplines of engineering students, and many of our projects throughout the year are the same too. You may specialise a bit later on, but the core stuff will be quite consistent.


I never did work experience in engineering, I just read up and worked out what I wanted to do. Upon speaking with some lecturers on open days, mechanical made more sense than aerospace. It leaves me well qualified to move through the various industries and means I can spend a year specialising in something nice for a postgraduate degree!

I don't really know what a "general engineering" degree entails. I never looked at it, but the sound of it doesn't really entice me.
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by fisika
I was just wondering how so many people know what specific type of engineering they want to do before they go to uni? (Or just do a general engineering course)

Is it because of work experience etc..?


I chose Chemical engineering as it seemed a very broad degree with lots of career options, but sadly we have the most modules out of all of the engineering and we do a kinda overview of the other engineering disciplines as being in charge of a plant (in the future) we need to be able to understand the separate components etc...and also I chose it as it involves more science (chemistry and biology) than the other degrees :smile: I also didn't do any work experience, I went in blind to what the degree involved.
Reply 3
Avatar for a10
a10
19
Original post by funkymunkey123
I chose Chemical engineering as it seemed a very broad degree with lots of career options, but sadly we have the most modules out of all of the engineering and we do a kinda overview of the other engineering disciplines as being in charge of a plant (in the future) we need to be able to understand the separate components etc...and also I chose it as it involves more science (chemistry and biology) than the other degrees :smile: I also didn't do any work experience, I went in blind to what the degree involved.


Chemical engineering having the most modules? First time I hear that.

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