Need some advice about education with aerospace engineering

2

So I'm in the last 5 months of my sixth form, and I've done my UCAS application and all that. I'm thinking of going to the University of hertfordshire. However, due to my lack of A-level maths, I will have to do an engineering with foundation course, which is one year, and then I can move on to the proper bachelors aerospace course.

The thing is, I got a C in my GCSE maths, but I've always enjoyed maths and had fun learning and studying it. I'm just wondering if anyone here has had any similar experiences like me, and any insight to what decisions I should make would be gratefully beneficial. Mostly answers for student debt and dropout rates. My main worry is failing. No one wants to be encumbered in student debt, plus I need a bachelors in aerospace.

Reply 1

ThatguyAl

16

Original post by Helen.Erac

So I'm in the last 5 months of my sixth form, and I've done my UCAS application and all that. I'm thinking of going to the University of hertfordshire. However, due to my lack of A-level maths, I will have to do an engineering with foundation course, which is one year, and then I can move on to the proper bachelors aerospace course.

The thing is, I got a C in my GCSE maths, but I've always enjoyed maths and had fun learning and studying it. I'm just wondering if anyone here has had any similar experiences like me, and any insight to what decisions I should make would be gratefully beneficial. Mostly answers for student debt and dropout rates. My main worry is failing. No one wants to be encumbered in student debt, plus I need a bachelors in aerospace.

Hiya.
Just a I couple points I wanted to point out before answering your question about the foundation year.

1.

You'll only start making Student Finance repayments once you've left your course and are earning enough. The repayment threshold for Plan 1 loans is currently £22,015/year (£1,834/month or £423/week) before tax.

2.

The loans for your course (or whatever remains unpaid) will be written off 30 years after the April you were first due to repay.

Which essentially means you can go through a BEng-MEng-Ph.D. program and not pay a penny if you never earn more that £22k/year for the next 30 years.
And if you do earn more, you'll be getting at the very least £35k/year at the start of your career, going to around £60k/year after 5-10 years in the industry, and by that time you won't care much about paying ~5% off of your salary towards the student loan, as you'd be more bothered about paying 25% of taxes on that salary.
In that regard, adding just 1 year to the overall course is nothing in the long term from cost perspective. This isn't the USA, quite fortunately.

Anyway.
I didn't have any relevant A levels to attend Electrical & Electronic Engineering course (my math and physics were C at best), so I did the foundation year instead, like you're about to. And although I tend to say it's a waste of time due to the simplicity of the foundation year curriculum, I have to admit it is a very straightforward way to gain direct access to an Engineering Bachelors degree. The foundation year is a very well paced year, you will have plenty of time to study and get support to prepare for the final exams. The University is also financially motivated to get you through to the 1st year of Bachelors so they'll do what they can to prepare you for the exams.
Personally I don't regard myself as a particularly smart individual, quite average at best, but even I had no issues with the foundation year final exams, they were pretty simple to be honest and the transition to the 1st year of bachelors degree was very smooth.
I don't know the drop out rates, but I also don't know anyone who's failed foundation year exams to be honest, at least in my class that was the case. To fail the exam you'd literally have to not study like at all. Even if you somehow fail you can still resit. So I wouldn't worry too much about it if I was in your shoes. Go for it, I'm sure you'll be good.

All the best,
Al

Reply 2

Helen.Erac

OP

2

Thank you so much for your comment and information. I would like some information on resitting a foundation exam because I am worried about costs mounting up if I have to keep retaking and resitting.

If you wouldn't mind could you give me some insight to how difficult you found your course and the kind of support you experienced?

Reply 3

ThatguyAl

16

Original post by Helen.Erac

Thank you so much for your comment and information. I would like some information on resitting a foundation exam because I am worried about costs mounting up if I have to keep retaking and resitting.

If you wouldn't mind could you give me some insight to how difficult you found your course and the kind of support you experienced?

You will not normally be asked to pay for resit, it's not going to add any costs.
I'm more concerned about why do you think you'll definitely fail a foundation year exam and will have to resit? As I said the foundation year is a pretty relaxed year with only two major exams to pass - maths and physics. There are 2 other modules but they are very generic stuff like introduction to the design and academic skills for higher education, you almost certainly cannot fail these unless you forget to turn up for the exam 🤷

The Bachelors course itself was challenging, I'm not going to say it wasn't, but if you put some hard work and effort in I don't see why you can't get a top mark. In my class of ~30 students, around a quarter of students finished with a 1st degree, the rest somewhere between 2:2 and 1:1 and there were maybe 2 or 3 drop outs for reasons unknown to me.

Regarding support, during the course we obviously had full access to the gigantic library building with computer stations, quiet study zones, group study zones and ... lots of books of course. I also received extra help from the tutors when I asked for it, as well as support from the peers. Reflecting back, I enjoyed my time at Uni very much.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 4

Helen.Erac

OP

2

Thank you for the info. I'm not worried about the foundation year but I am worried about the degree reason being the C in GCSE maths I got. But from what you're saying as long as I study and work hard I'll pass and I'm a very hard worker so I'll end up with a high mark. Once again thank you for the advice.

Reply 5

ThatguyAl

16

Original post by Helen.Erac

Thank you for the info. I'm not worried about the foundation year but I am worried about the degree reason being the C in GCSE maths I got. But from what you're saying as long as I study and work hard I'll pass and I'm a very hard worker so I'll end up with a high mark. Once again thank you for the advice.

Ah sorry I assumed you were talking about the foundation year!
No worries, like you said, if you work hard you'll be fine, the foundation year prepares you well to start the year one and then there will be enough support for you to go through the course with flying colours, as long as you dedicate enough time for studying and preparing for the exams :smile:

Need some advice about education with aerospace engineering

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Articles for you