Engineering Q+A!

[RuiAce]

I'm thinking of studying a double degree of electrical engineering and computer science at UNSW. Such a clique question but is the maths as killer as everyone says it is? Also what are the best and worst aspects of studying engineering? Also do you actually get to learn through doing stuff eg. soldering, breadboard, programing, CAD etc. or is it more theory?

Thanks XD

You may be surprised to find that the math in computer science actually ain't that bad. It's electrical engineering that's the king of math in the engineering faculty, so I'll let Jamon talk about that.

If anything, some of the skills you develop in mathematics are the most beneficial to computer science. As you progress, computer science is going to be a lot about algorithms and the tradeoffs between efficiency and tidiness of solutions. The most beneficial skill you can either have now (from high school math) or develop through the computer science degree is just literally finding the best approach(es).

Generally, there will be a bit of both theory and practical components. Interestingly enough, depending on the university you go to, the balance between theory and prac differs!

[RuiAce]

Thank you!

Do you know any resources I can use to teach myself how to code?

The internet is your friend

Cliche, but it's especially true with coding. Give it a search; you'll find heaps of resources out there for you. (Books are also really nice but in my opinion unnecessary, given that the internet already exists.)

I'm also happy to supply a select few lab exercises if you decide to use C, because that's what they teach in the first computing course at UNSW

[Shadowxo]

Currently thinking of majoring in engineering, but I don't know too much about what each entails (I plan on doing more research).
So my question is: why did you pick that type of engineering and what do you enjoy / hate most about it? (Alternatively, what kind of engineering do you enjoy the most and what did you like / dislike about it?)

[Ushnafatima]

Hi,
I am a year 10 student and I am planning to study engineering after completing hsc. I want to ask whether chemistry, physics and 3u maths are necessary for engineering or not? And what would happen if I drop chemistry?

[RuiAce]

Currently thinking of majoring in engineering, but I don't know too much about what each entails (I plan on doing more research).
So my question is: why did you pick that type of engineering and what do you enjoy / hate most about it? (Alternatively, what kind of engineering do you enjoy the most and what did you like / dislike about it?)

For me, computers was the way to go and I discovered my like for it (ironically) THROUGH doing actuarial. The coding component was small, but it was one of the most amusing things for me in the discipline.

Given that you're Shadowxo () you should know the thrill of solving an extremely hard math problem. Designing a solution to a problem via code is just as thrilling, and basically offers the same level of accomplishment.

And, unsurprisingly, the most hated bit would be when it doesn't work. This is usually because of various bugs floating around the program, and it's quite frustrating if you can't find them. Of course, it's offset by the joy when you do find it though.

[Zainbow]

The internet is your friend

Cliche, but it's especially true with coding. Give it a search; you'll find heaps of resources out there for you. (Books are also really nice but in my opinion unnecessary, given that the internet already exists.)

I'm also happy to supply a select few lab exercises if you decide to use C, because that's what they teach in the first computing course at UNSW

Which coding language do you recommend I learn? Should I start with C bc it's usually one of the first ones taught at uni, or something else like Java?

[RuiAce]

Hi,
I am a year 10 student and I am planning to study engineering after completing hsc. I want to ask whether chemistry, physics and 3u maths are necessary for engineering or not? And what would happen if I drop chemistry?

Highly recommended? Absolutely. Necessary? Not always the case.

In general, it's extremely highly recommended that you do 3U maths, because there's always some level of intensity with the mathematics involved. But whether or not anything else is necessary can depend a lot on your intended major. Since you're in Year 10, you might have an answer already or you might not because it's far too early. If you do have some ideas, then you should probably mention it, but otherwise it's hard to say for sure.

(Of course, if you want to play it safe then certainly do all of the subjects you've listed.)

[RuiAce]

Which coding language do you recommend I learn? Should I start with C bc it's usually one of the first ones taught at uni, or something else like Java?

Play it easy when starting. C and python are pretty good starting points. You'll get through to Java, HTML etc. as you progress

[Happy Physics Land]

Hey guys, I appreciate the opportunity you have given us inorder to ask you guys questions. These questions are for Jacky specifically as I'd like to study at USYD myself. Anyways,

1.How many hours a week/fortnight (whichever is more relavent) is your schedule?
2. In my first year would I be able to work for 20 hours per week?
3. Since I didn't study Ext.1 maths in yr 12, only in yr 11, would you recommend that I either learn specific concepts from Ext.1  that you've used/experienced, undertake a bridging course, or seek the alternatives that USYD offer?

Hey there!

So with usyd essentially in your first year you will have around 18 contact hours, more if you choose alternative to the ones that were suggested. In terms of work hours, you would find it difficult to keep up the 20'hours of work at the same time as keeping up with your study. 10 hours is what I will recommend, leave some time to Society networking events and relaxation as well. And yes you will definitely need a bridging course if you haven't done ext maths in year 12 if you wanna do an engineering degree (first year maths would be similar to ext 2 maths for differential calc and integral calc)

[Happy Physics Land]

Hi guys,
I personally have done engineering from year 8 to year 12 and i love it. I am really interested in biomedical engineering as I have a passion for both health and engineering. But, I have heard jobs are low in this industry. What should i do? I have a genuine passion in this industry, but i think the only thing holding me back is job prospects. I want to do it at Sydney Uni, is there any industry connections that can mean i get a job?
Thanks so much

Hey there!

It's really awesome first of all that you are so interested in engineering ytb! So essentially with biomedical engineering there still is a lot of career opportunities, you will work with doctors in hospitals, in companies making prosthetic devices and making medicines at medicine companies. A major sector of biomed is indeed research into better biomedical devices. What I would recommend is combine it with science/ advanced science and perhaps major in chemistry so that you can be exposed to both biomedical engineering and chemical engineering (some parts) and they will complement each other. In terms of networking, definitely important because about 70% of the jobs at  created through connections (I.e what your really exposed to is only the iceberg of what's there). But the more important thing should be to keep up with a distinction average and a good deal of extracurricular activity (industry relevant would be the best, such as engineers Australia events) to increase your employability.

[Iminschool]

Hey there!

So with usyd essentially in your first year you will have around 18 contact hours, more if you choose alternative to the ones that were suggested. In terms of work hours, you would find it difficult to keep up the 20'hours of work at the same time as keeping up with your study. 10 hours is what I will recommend, leave some time to Society networking events and relaxation as well. And yes you will definitely need a bridging course if you haven't done ext maths in year 12 if you wanna do an engineering degree (first year maths would be similar to ext 2 maths for differential calc and integral calc)

Thank you very much for your responses, really good to know. Since you recommended for me to undertake a bridging course, would you recommend an online one?

[Shadowxo]

Would it be valuable / worth it to pursue a diploma in informatics to complement engineering / maths? (I believe it's essentially equivalent to a major in computing).
"It offers skills in programming, designing online solutions and developing web applications, and gives you the tools to solve information related problems in a range of areas."

More info / context:
It requires 8 computing subjects, so essentially a whole year. Up to 4 can be cross-credited from my degree, and as I'm in science I could do a lot of these in second year. This would mean only doing 4 extra subjects. If I were to do it, I wouldn't want to add any extra time onto my degree, instead overloading / taking summer subjects.
I'm currently planning on majoring in maths in my Bachelor, then doing an engineering Masters (which would essentially require a major in engineering in my Bachelor as well). So it would be doing a double major + diploma in 3 years. It'd be a lot of extra work but also interesting and useful, so is it worth it?

There are too many things I'd like to study

[RuiAce]

Would it be valuable / worth it to pursue a diploma in informatics to complement engineering / maths? (I believe it's essentially equivalent to a major in computing).
"It offers skills in programming, designing online solutions and developing web applications, and gives you the tools to solve information related problems in a range of areas."

More info / context:
It requires 8 computing subjects, so essentially a whole year. Up to 4 can be cross-credited from my degree, and as I'm in science I could do a lot of these in second year. This would mean only doing 4 extra subjects. If I were to do it, I wouldn't want to add any extra time onto my degree, instead overloading / taking summer subjects.
I'm currently planning on majoring in maths in my Bachelor, then doing an engineering Masters (which would essentially require a major in engineering in my Bachelor as well). So it would be doing a double major + diploma in 3 years. It'd be a lot of extra work but also interesting and useful, so is it worth it?

There are too many things I'd like to study

If anything, the "interesting and useful" bit answers your question. Why not

[jamonwindeyer]

I'm thinking of studying a double degree of electrical engineering and computer science at UNSW. Such a clique question but is the maths as killer as everyone says it is? Also what are the best and worst aspects of studying engineering? Also do you actually get to learn through doing stuff eg. soldering, breadboard, programing, CAD etc. or is it more theory?

Thanks XD

Hey! So more specifically on Electrical:

- The maths is the worst of the Engineering disciplines, to my knowledge. I've spoken to people who've done multiple and the Electrical stuff is reasonably challenging. But, definitely doable provided you are willing to invest time and energy! It shouldn't sway your decision provided you don't mind a few calculations
- Some aspects are heavily hands on, some aren't. I do lots of programming, fair bit of work on a breadboard. Not much soldering, virtually no work in CAD. So it's touch and go - Electrical is definitely highly theoretical

I think the best bit about Engineering is that all the concepts are practical, designed to suit an application, but the downside is that studying it is nothing like working in it. You'll not use much of the theoretical stuff at all in the workforce. But that's the same for most degrees

[jamonwindeyer]

Play it easy when starting. C and python are pretty good starting points. You'll get through to Java, HTML etc. as you progress

I'd start in something like Python to get into the swing of things. It's high level and reasonably forgiving. Once you've got the hang of that, C is a great language to learn. It's really the fundamental language to know for the widest range of applications