Questioning the Engineering Stereotype (1 Viewer)

[lookoutastroboy]

Hey peeps,

Recently, I've been contemplating changing my UAC preferences from combined eco/eng to something like eco/science because from the engineering days at USYD just now, it seemed as if all types of engineering required some sort of designing skills and being able to build stuff. In these practical areas, I'm not particularly strong compared to my theoretical side which I'm hopeful will compensate but I don't think it will. All I've been thinking engineering is so far is that it involves lots of hands-on stuff, which only a handful of people are really good at.

Is engineering as hard as what I envision it to be; a full hands-on, practical course suited more towards the designers/architect type people or can it be manageable for someone like me (more theoretical); i.e. can I become a more hands-on person in an engineering course?

If you managed to read all of this, thank you and any input would be much appreciated

Cheers,
l.a.

 

[Ferox]

EDIT: this is from a mechanical perspective.

Actually, of all the universities, Sydney uni engineering tends to be theoretical not practical. There's lots of maths and classical mechanics classes and not too many practical ones. However, in first year there might be one or at most two classes that are more practical. One is Prof Eng, in which you'll have to build some small machine in a group. (It's also a waste of time and you can get out of it by doing advanced engineering.) Depending on the degree you might also have to do a TAFE course where you learn to weld and things like that. Then again you might not have to; I didn't. After first year they stop, and first year subjects don't count towards your final mark anyway if your worried about that.

 

[idling fire]

I'm a bit late with this, but just wanted to confirm that practical stuff is generally done in groups and there's usually someone else willing to do it.

For the aero course, subjects with memorable practical components are:
1st year - prof eng (as mentioned, build some device in a group for a competition), aero (1 semester practical tafe activities, paper plane comp., 1 semester working on Jabiru construction)
2nd year - either mech design or dynamics, I've forgotten (build some device for competition)
3rd year - aero (some electrical device as part of an assignment, design/build/destroy wingbox)
4th year - nothing unless you chose to do something for thesis/project