• Question: do you think that it takes alot of work to become an engineer

    Asked by 09tolat1 to Becky, Carrie, Kelly, Robin, Usaid on 13 Mar 2012.
    • Photo: Robin Stafford Allen

      Robin Stafford Allen answered on 10 Mar 2012:


      @09tolat1: The most important thing in life it to do a job that lines up with you interests. The job is then less of a job and more being paid for having fun. I cannot imagine me ever being an accountant or banker (but I would like a bit more money!) as i would not enjoy doing those jobs. The most important thing is to feel that you would like to do a constructive job like an engineer, and then the amount of work and study is less daunting. regards Robin

    • Photo: Caroline Roberts Haritonov

      Caroline Roberts Haritonov answered on 12 Mar 2012:


      I agree with Robin, in that you will get the most out of life if you choose a career that fits with your skills and your interests. Engineering degree courses are much tougher than a lot of other courses, but at the end of it you have the basic set of skills that make you employable as a graduate engineer. Many other degrees teach you facts, but then you need to train to do a job after that when you graduate. Engineering degrees teach you the facts and start you on the training process to do the job too.

      A good encouragement into engineering is that many of the big engineering companies sponsor students through University. That means you get help with fees/living expenses at University, plus the chance for paid summer jobs with the company – as well as topping up the bank account these give excellent experience, so you can see before you even graduate if you think you will enjoy engineering in the real world and if you will like working for your sponsoring company. When you graduate, your sponsoring company will know you well and if you have done well, they are very likely to offer you a permanent job.

    • Photo: Becky Selwyn

      Becky Selwyn answered on 13 Mar 2012:


      Yes, I do think it takes a lot of work. But I also think it is worth it. And most of the work is really enjoyable – a lot of my university work involved doing projects with other people and working together to solve problems. Some of them were really fun, like the one where we had to design and build a vehicle that could climb hills and then swim across a pond, then climb out of the pond and go down a hill. A lot of the projects turn into fun competitions so the fastest vehicle wins, or the one that used the least raw materials to construct. So although learning the theory can be hard work, the way you get to apply it feels more enjoyable than hard work.

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