Cvil Engineering - UoM or RMIT?

[redmosez]

So I'm still torn between which Uni for Civil Eng.

While I'd love to go to Monash it's about an hour travel time, compared to 10 mins for UoM and 25 mins for RMIT. The extra travel time will be a killer when mixed in wth work commitments and study time.

As for UoM, I'm not completely against the idea of breadth subjects but I'm still a little iffy about them.

Also for the BE at UoM, anyone know what happens if you fail a subject? Seeing as it's the last year their running the course will you be able to repeat it?

The practical focus of RMIT 'sounds' nice but I'm not really sure how that translates into actuality...

Any advice/experiences/opinions will be greatly appreciated

[kendraaaaa]

UoM and RMIT are like a 2 minute tram ride apart :/

[squance]

So I'm still torn between which Uni for Civil Eng.

While I'd love to go to Monash it's about an hour travel time, compared to 10 mins for UoM and 25 mins for RMIT. The extra travel time will be a killer when mixed in wth work commitments and study time.

As for UoM, I'm not completely against the idea of breadth subjects but I'm still a little iffy about them.

Also for the BE at UoM, anyone know what happens if you fail a subject? Seeing as it's the last year their running the course will you be able to repeat it?

The practical focus of RMIT 'sounds' nice but I'm not really sure how that translates into actuality...

Any advice/experiences/opinions will be greatly appreciated

Hmm...for the BE at UoM the subjects have already been restructured for this new melb model since 2008 so if you fail a subject, you'll just have to repeat it (the BE at UoM since 2008 is techincally part of the New Melb Model even if they don't say so).

Breadth subjects are fine. If you are a bit effy about them, just pick ones that might be useful for your future career such as commerce (accounting, finance or management) or a language.

[QuantumJG]

UoM and RMIT are like a 2 minute tram ride apart :/

As for breadth, I have decided do just do commerce subjects. Basically I'm doing a personal finance stream and introductory real estate finance. I'm actually really enjoying finance and it's useful information.

As for engineering, first year engineering is crap at UoM. I was going to do mechanical engineering but ESD kind of scarred me for life! Plus I really enjoyed maths and physics more. You may find it better to do engineering at another uni.

[redmosez]

UoM and RMIT are like a 2 minute tram ride apart :/

Haha yeah I live closer the the Elizabeth street/royal parade side and i'm a slow walker in the mornings

Hmm...for the BE at UoM the subjects have already been restructured for this new melb model since 2007 so if you fail a subject, you'll just have to repeat it (the BE at UoM since 2008 is techincally part of the New Melb Model even if they don't say so).

Breadth subjects are fine. If you are a bit effy about them, just pick ones that might be useful for your future career such as commerce (accounting, finance or management) or a language.

oh awesome, any idea if the subjects in the BE are the same as subjects in the streams of eng you'd have to take if you went down the Bsc >ME pathway?

I just took a look through the breadth subjects properly and it's actually growing on me. As well as what you suggested it allows me to take subjects just for interest sake.

Thanks for the help

As for breadth, I have decided do just do commerce subjects. Basically I'm doing a personal finance stream and introductory real estate finance. I'm actually really enjoying finance and it's useful information.

As for engineering, first year engineering is crap at UoM. I was going to do mechanical engineering but ESD kind of scarred me for life! Plus I really enjoyed maths and physics more. You may find it better to do engineering at another uni.

Any particular reason? or was it just difficult?

[QuantumJG]

Any particular reason? or was it just difficult?

Just mention ESD to anyone who did ESD. lol!

ESD 1 is pretty lame! You go through the psychology of solving a problem, engineering safety (I guess its necessary to know), engineering flyers (you also have to evaluate your writing skills), an introduction to MATLAB, you start fluid mechanics on the 5th week (the first 'engineering' part of ESD - my favourite part of ESD 1) and write up a technical report (fun, but I had to do ALL the work), then ROBOLAB (I hate those robots). You have to write a reflective journal every week.

In the exam you have to write 2 essays and you also have a few questions to answer. The exam overall has maybe a couple numerical questions.

ESD 2. One word 'INTENSE', it is the hardest subject I have done so far! You start off by looking at digital systems (which I loved - but the end part was difficult), programming (I basically had an EPIC fail here) and mechanics (My favourite part - probably the only real area where the technical part relates to civil engineering). You also have 10 assignments to do which start off EASY and finish off as IMPOSSIBLE.

The exam is pretty difficult (actually the hardest exam I have sat in first year). The good thing is that it is almost all numerically based.

If you have your heart set on civil engineering then you may find a more specialised degree to that area is better. RMIT offers 'Civil and Infrastructure Engineering' (http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=BP198#entrance_requirements).

But my advice may not be the general concensus with other engineering students at UoM. I'm more a scientist who is bi%$&ing about engineering

EDIT: I only have an 88.7% average since in workshops I have had really smart people work with me. Wait until my exam results come out.

[squance]

Hmm...for the BE at UoM the subjects have already been restructured for this new melb model since 2007 so if you fail a subject, you'll just have to repeat it (the BE at UoM since 2008 is techincally part of the New Melb Model even if they don't say so).

Breadth subjects are fine. If you are a bit effy about them, just pick ones that might be useful for your future career such as commerce (accounting, finance or management) or a language.

oh awesome, any idea if the subjects in the BE are the same as subjects in the streams of eng you'd have to take if you went down the Bsc >ME pathway?

I just took a look through the breadth subjects properly and it's actually growing on me. As well as what you suggested it allows me to take subjects just for interest sake.

Thanks for the help

Mmm. If you went down the Bsc >>ME pathway, the subjects CAN be the same as the BE depending on what you wanna take (I have friends who are doing BSc, majoring in Chemical Systems and they are taking almost the same combination as me - except, they have to take breadth subjects too).

Here are some links that might help you.

http://www.eng.unimelb.edu.au/Undergrad/science.html

http://www.bsc.unimelb.edu.au/bachelor/planner
(look in the section that says Engineering Systems)

Enjoy!

[redmosez]

If you have your heart set on civil engineering then you may find a more specialised degree to that area is better. RMIT offers 'Civil and Infrastructure Engineering'

Yeah I looked into the RMIT degree, I do like the focus on practical work and the IBL year they offer. At the same time I get that it's going to be a challenging degree. I guess I'm just trying to get a feel for what both unis are like.

Thanks for the advice dude

Mmm. If you went down the Bsc >>ME pathway

Nah I'm 100% wanting to do the pure Eng degree. Altho I'm leaning towards Civil, the nice thing about UoM is I have about a year (so I've heard) to decide. Still kinda considering Chemical Eng.

You enjoying the course? Is it difficult? Any suggestions on texts books (maths/physics) I could get my hands on to to get a feel for it?

Thanks so much for the help

[squance]

PURE ENG AT MELB UNI FTW!! DO IT DO IT!!

If you are doing planning on doing Civil Engineering, its recommended you take Physics as your science component. For Chemical Engineering, you have to take the Chemistry units. I heard that you can still do Civil Engineering if you did Chemistry but Im not too sure (you better ask a course adviser about that).

Initially, I was majoring in Software Engineering in my Engineering degree and well, it kinda sucked - just the science units related to computer programming. I found out that programming was hell. A subject called Engineering Systems Design 1 had some stuff about Fluid Mechanics which was related to Chemical Engineering and I had found out that I really enjoyed that. As a result of that, in my 2nd year of Engineering (this year) I had officially changed my major to Chemical Engineering. Unfortunately, because I didn't do first year chemistry, I had to catch up on those subjects this year and hence, will take an additional one year to complete my Engineering degree.
Second year chemical engineering is very hard, involves a lot of work and is usually a pain in the butt but nevertheless, ITS QUITE ENJOYABLE AND I REALLY REALLY LIKE IT
A lot of problem solving involved but thats what engineering is all about.

Textbooks...hmm. Not sure about the physics textbooks because I never did physics. The maths faculty usually recommends textbooks but they are generally useless and a waste of money. I know that for first year chemistry, the textbooks they recommend are awesome cookies

Have you done specialist maths in Year 12, if so I could send you some Calculus 2 notes (if I can find them) to your email. Just PM me if desired

[redmosez]

PURE ENG AT MELB UNI FTW!! DO IT DO IT!! Tongue Cheesy Cheesy

Haha I actually 'dropped out' (actually put on hold) of VCE 2 years because of family stuff (as usual ). Only reason I returned this year (a year earlier than planned) was because I've been wanting to do this course since forever! and I found it next year was the last year they're running it.

A lot of problem solving involved but thats what engineering is all about.

This is the primary reason why I wanna do Eng!

Have you done specialist maths in Year 12, if so I could send you some Calculus 2 notes

Unfortunately not, I'd love those notes tho, I'll PM my email

Thanks again for the help