Our Youth Advisory Board sent some questions to Lucia and Alex to gain insight into what it means to study engineering; what university life is really like and how they transitioned from studying A-Levels to a degree.
Lucia is a Mechanical and Electrical Engineering student and Alex is in her first year of University studying Engineering.
Why did you choose this course / to study this type of engineering? How did you narrow down the different options when you were at school?
Lucia: I thought it would be good to do a degree in two areas rather than one, so I didn’t have to narrow down my options as much. I also thought that this would be a good degree if I wanted to go into the renewable energy sector which is of interest to me. I found it very difficult to narrow down options at school as I enjoy a real range of subject areas. I chose engineering because it seemed a good compromise between science subjects and creativity with a nice practical element as well.
Alex: I always enjoyed making things when I was growing up so engineering always seemed like the right path for me. It’s important to choose a subject where you believe you’ll enjoy learning the content, as this will make you far more motivated to do your course. I chose general engineering in particular as engineering is a very interdisciplinary field and I think it’s valuable to have a broad knowledge base.
Can you offer any advice for people choosing between different options?
Lucia: look at the different units of each course that you are looking at to see if that appeals to you as that’s what you will be learning so is a good insight into a course. Go to open days and chat to lecturers and students to see what the people/ teaching/ student experience there is really like. Ask lots of questions! Pay attention to student satisfaction ratings as well, as this is a good indicator of what your experience with the university and teaching will look like. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do so took a gap year to give myself some time to evaluate things which I found useful.
Alex: If you are split between options, you should choose the option that you believe will give you the most fulfilling career when you enter the workforce. If you feel similarly about two subjects then financial prospects are also important to consider, but what you want to prioritise is up to you.
How did you manage the jump from A-level to Uni? From a social and academic point of view?
Lucia: I am lucky to have been quite a social person when I first moved to Uni and was also slightly older so was more confident in myself. However, I was very anxious the day I first moved into my hall. That was the scariest part for me, that initial idea of it but it’s easier that you think it’s going to be. In the first few weeks of living on your own it can be lonely sometimes but it’s also good cause it means you’re growing as a person. I was very lucky to get on with my flatmates, but some people don’t always and that’s ok. If you’re in halls there’s people all around, so just explore around and you’re sure to find people you get on with. Societies are also a great way to find a community/ friends. I would recommend throwing yourself into things and if you don’t like something that’s also ok.
Academically, Uni is different to school in that you have to be more self-motivated. If you don’t do the work no one is going to tell you off for it but you won’t do as well in your degree. I found to-do-lists useful to write down all the things I had to do. At first, I did fall behind because there was so much work, but I found reading weeks (like half terms) and holidays useful times to catch up. The content has gotten exponentially harder throughout, but you get through it, come out the other side and learn from your mistakes for next time.
Alex: Transitioning to university is a massive leap to take in many ways, and there will always be aspects of university life that surprise you. Firstly, you will be moving from a very structured environment (school) to having far more independence in how and when you work. It is important to discover the way you learn best if you can at school, as some people function best in shorter more intense bursts, and some function better at a more consistent pace, which is also related to the duration of the term at the university you may pick. For example, Cambridge and Oxford have very short and intense terms, which you should be aware of if you apply there. Socially as well, it’s a very difficult thing to do, especially if you are very introverted like myself. It is important to make connections as soon as you can, which can be done at Freshers Fairs, in your accommodation, at sports events or even in your lecture theatres. Many Student Unions have Instagram pages which may have links to group chats that you can join to meet other freshers, who are in the same situation as you! You should also be prepared for your previous friendships to change somewhat, some may become far stronger, and you may not talk to some people very frequently anymore.
How many contact hours do you have? Does this change depending on terms / different types of engineering selected?
Lucia: It does change depending on the term, but I am not aware of it being different for different types of engineering. In my university they give you videos to learn the content from and then lectures to consolidate your learning. In second year, first term I had maybe 5 or 6 contact hours plus tutorials which can be more pastoral or just learning useful things but not normally too intense. There are maybe 4 to 6 hours of video content to learn and exercise sheets/activities to do too.
Alex: In a typical week, I have 11 on hour lectures in the mornings Monday-Friday and 2-3 hours of supervisions per week including weekends. We then have roughly 4 hours in the lab doing experiments, with some long-term projects being performed in our own time. You will likely have to spend a few hours per week revising your recently taught content.
What’s your lifestyle like as an engineering student? Do you have social time / time for societies as well as studying?
Lucia: You do have time for social things and societies but planning your time to make sure you get everything done is important. I would say in early years you have time and then as the years go on less time but still you have spare time.
Alex: Lifestyle as an engineer will always be busy, no matter which university you study at. I’ve been able to find time to continue my passion for rowing as it is usually at a time of day that doesn’t clash with my academic commitments. There will always be time to do social events whether as part of a society, sporting or social, but it is important to figure out how much time it is reasonable to allocate to socialisation so that your academics aren’t affected.
How different is each year at uni? In what way? Academically and socially?
Lucia: Each year is more intense in terms of workload and each year counts more towards your final degree than the last. This becomes more stressful, but you get through it. Socially you have less time to do things as the workload increases but you still find time. I would say get involved in societies as soon as you can as it is possible but more difficult to get as involved in later years.
Alex: I think that different years at university are generally fairly separate, but being in a college environment allows more mixing. Academically, as far as I’m aware you get even more independence as you go through the years, as having some structure in the first year is important so that people can adjust to the different studying style properly.
Does your course lead you to an exact career or give you a wide range of options?
Lucia: There are a lot of areas of engineering so there is a range of options to chose from as an engineer with this degree. You can also go to other areas. Some people go into finance, banking, academia. I think a lot of jobs don’t require a specific degree either so there’s options.
Alex: As my course is general, it allows me to have much more flexibility in which role I end up in. For most STEM degrees however, they are often highly specialised so are more of a fixed route into the workforce. With all things though, people’s careers frequently go in a direction they didn’t expect but which may ultimately be more fulfilling.
What do you see yourself doing after your studies? What does an engineer do?
Lucia: There are a range of things that an engineer does from practically fixing things/switching components to modelling systems or concepts to coding to streamlining workflows and system processes.
Alex: After my studies, I am not sure what I want to do, as there are multiple appealing options. I may enter the workforce straight away as I wish to make as much positive change as I can to the world around me, but entering academia is alluring as I would be able to push the boundaries of our knowledge. I think making a decision on the route you wish to take should be thought out for a long period of time, towards the latter end of your degree.
Do you work whilst at University or is it not recommended during term time?
Lucia: I don’t tend to work in term time as I like to focus on my studies and have time off when I’m not doing that, but you can work. This might be more difficult in later years.
Alex: I do not work during term time as this would be too much of a time commitment for my situation, but there are some people who work part time jobs, such as at bars, if they need the additional financial support that having a job offers. It is good to discuss with your tutor/academic support network if they think it is feasible for you to work alongside your studies.
What’s missing from the Univeristy websites / social media today? What do they not tell you before you go?
Lucia: The engineering degree does have practical parts but also has a big theoretical/concept learning side. This is course dependent. I would suggest looking at how you are examined, look at if there’s more coursework or exams, if your first year counts towards your degree etc and what appeals to you most. Also, where you are and if you like it is an important factor, as is student satisfaction ratings, so don’t dismiss these things. University is built up to be this amazing time in your life, but you can also try things and feel like you should be enjoying it when you don’t and that’s ok. You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to but it’s also good to try things. I would also say that first year learning can be quite generic sometimes as it gives you a good base of learning to go onwards in later years. For engineering there are lots of sponsored degree apprenticeships.
Alex: I think the main issue with university social media in particular is only showing the positive sides of studying there. Obviously, they will want to attract new students by presenting a nice facade, but university is not all positive. It is incredibly rewarding to look back and think about all the new things I have learned this year, but it came at the cost of a lot of time, effort, struggles and setbacks. Should you be struggling particularly much, it would be better if universities were honest with how their students felt and advertised services and resources available to help you.
