ATAR Notes: Forum

Uni Stuff => Universities - Victoria => University of Melbourne => Topic started by: vcestudent94 on February 17, 2013, 07:12:24 pm

Title: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: vcestudent94 on February 17, 2013, 07:12:24 pm
So reading up on this, http://www.undergraduates.ms.unimelb.edu.au/course_advice/major_studies/applied/applied.php
I think I want to do a double major since I was going to do maths electives anyway and I figured I might as well major in it as well.

I made a quick plan using excel. Would this lead me to an applied math major?

(http://i47.tinypic.com/vpgfhd.png)

Do-able? Thoughts/opinions welcomed.
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: Hancock on February 17, 2013, 08:16:34 pm
What's non-linear dynamics and continuum modelling? I've never seen those classes in the handbook.

EDIT: Oh that's cool, they are bringing in new subjects. I think they are still provisional but it's on the UoM MS site.
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: Gloamglozer on February 17, 2013, 10:19:11 pm
Yeah, they are getting rid of Dynamical Systems and Chaos an changing Partial Differential Equations into second year and calling it Differential Equations and of course, introducing two new subjects that you already stated.

Having done it, I guess Dynamical Systems and Chaos was just too much introductory stuff and not enough meaty bits to arm applied maths specialisations with the right arsenal to tackle applied maths.
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: John President on February 17, 2013, 11:01:36 pm
Yeah, DS+C was quite straight forward for the most part, but some of the more difficult bits seemed very specialised, and not especially relevant to real world problems. It was badly taught and organised too, unfortunately.

I'm doing Differential Equations in 2nd sem, hoping that's an improvement.
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: Hancock on February 17, 2013, 11:03:25 pm
What are you majoring in John? I thought Diff was a 2nd year subject as well (doing it for da lulz?)
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: John President on February 17, 2013, 11:18:26 pm
Atmosphere and Ocean Science. I think it's the 2nd least popular major in the uni haha

Btw, the teaching/organisation in the Earth Science department is a Flemington straight ahead of some of the other science faculties. (*cough* like physics *cough)
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: vcestudent94 on February 18, 2013, 10:01:01 am
So what do you guys think, good idea? Or waste of time?
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: QuantumJG on February 18, 2013, 10:21:44 am
So reading up on this, http://www.undergraduates.ms.unimelb.edu.au/course_advice/major_studies/applied/applied.php
I think I want to do a double major since I was going to do maths electives anyway and I figured I might as well major in it as well.

I made a quick plan using excel. Would this lead me to an applied math major?

(http://i47.tinypic.com/vpgfhd.png)

Do-able? Thoughts/opinions welcomed.

It sounds good. An applied maths major will work really well with a mechanical systems major. Are non-linear dynamics and continuum modelling new maths subjects? If so, I'm glad that the maths department has given an overhaul to the applied maths area. I personally love applied maths and I reckon you should be fine. Vector Calculus is fun, and I'm glad that they didn't make ESD 1 compulsory because it is a load of sh#t!
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: jadams on February 23, 2013, 12:03:48 am
So is ESD 1 completely non-compulsory for all engineering stream majors? I keep hearing it's a rubbish subject, but I'm getting mixed answers as to whether I should be taking it.
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: Hancock on February 23, 2013, 12:08:01 am
Unless you are doing Chem Eng, or entertaining the idea of doing Chem Eng, don't do it.
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: jadams on February 23, 2013, 01:32:02 am
Yet, most if not all Eng streams list ESD 1 as a requirement...

https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2013/%21355-XB-SPC%2B1002

https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2013/%21355-XB-SPC%2B1004

https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2013/%21355-XB-SPC%2B1003
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: Hancock on February 23, 2013, 01:49:06 am
You're doing a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Engineering, not a Bachelor of Engineering. Those course plans don't affect you at all. If you check through the classes you need to take in your eng stream well into 5th year, none of them (except Chem Eng I'm pretty sure) have ESD1 as a pre-req.
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: jadams on February 23, 2013, 02:06:09 am
Wow I'm a spastic. Will research further.  :-\
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: jadams on February 24, 2013, 04:36:40 pm
So Hancock, if I were to take the following subjects in first year:
Sem 1:
Accel Maths 1
Chem 1
Physics 1
Mind, Brain and Behaviour 1

Sem 2:
Accel Maths 2
Chem 2
Physics 2: Physical Science & Technology
ESD 2

Would that keep every engineering systems major except Chemical Engineering open?
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: Hancock on February 24, 2013, 04:46:01 pm
Yeah it would keep:
- All Eng Systems open excluding Chem Eng
- Chemistry majors
- Physics majors
- Maths majors

BTW, for people that are interested: ESD1 is a pre-req for the 2nd Year Chemical Engineering Subject: Chemical Process Analysis 1 https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/view/2013/CHEN20007
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: jadams on February 24, 2013, 05:00:43 pm
eeeexcellent. Thank you for clearing that up. I just keep hearing so much negative feedback about ESD 1, but it's recommended by every engineering specialisation even though it isn't a necessary pre-requisite, (besides chem eng.) How did you find it?
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: Hancock on February 24, 2013, 05:15:22 pm
I found it pretty easy to be honest. Quite a few lectures slept through haha. Anyway, you start off with ethics of engineering and safety protocols for about 3 weeks, which also involves flowcharts. It's legitimately boring. I believe that in order to IEAust/Engineer Australia accreditation, the course plan must include some ethics somewhere so they do it with ESD1. The next part was Chemical Engineering fundamentals, which looked at fluid flow through different types of pipes and tank shapes. I found this part quite interesting and probably pushed the subject from a 2/10 to a 6/10 for me.

The last part was programming with Lego Robots, which, in hindsight, was quite fun albeit a little easy. MATLAB was used throughout the subject, however, not to the level of ESD2.

You could easily get away with not doing, however, I did enjoy it for the most part. You could probably skip the first 3 weeks of lectures (don't do it, I'm just saying) and still get a good mark for the subject.
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: jadams on February 24, 2013, 05:56:06 pm
Did it give you any insight into what engineering is actually like? ie. is it a suitable, accurate introduction to engineering?
Title: Re: Dual-Major: Mech Systems/Applied Maths
Post by: Hancock on February 24, 2013, 06:15:17 pm
Only the Chem Eng bits. However, the safety precautions and case studies stuff was a little interesting to me. All in all, it's not meant to be a full-technical subject, so I can understand why many people didn't do it. Basically, it's RMIT's Engineering 'Engineering, Society and Sustainability' and Monash's 'Engineering profession' with some programming and Chemical engineering making up 2/3 of the course.