Hi, I'm currently studying my AS levels and with exams coming to an end I'm having to look to my future and think seriously about university. I'm hoping that help can be provided by people with much more experience than me . I'm currently thinking of going to study Civil engineering, hopefully with water engineering as part of the study. I'm pretty much set on going to do an engineering / design course as they're pretty much what I've been interested in for all my life and what I've been best at too. Engineering seems a more viable route to take as it seems like a better career and I'm not that confident in my ability to draw (fast enough) for a design course. The preference to do a civil engineering course partly because I want to leave a mark on the world worried: perhaps not a great trait but I do, I'd love to be able to point at something and say I had a part in it) and looking to the future I feel that civil engineering would hold me in better stead whatever may happen (say reliable fuel sources run out, for example) than a design course would or other engineering courses such as aeronautics or electronics. I am currently studying: Maths (C1, C2, M1, with C3, C4 and I think S1 next year) - Predicted A Further Maths (FP1, D1, M2, planning to drop next year) - Predicted B (not going to happen though) Physics - Predicted B Product Design (pretty much resistant materials with a bit more graphics) - Predicted B So, I need to start thinking what open days to be going on... Currently I'm thinking of going to Sheffield and Loughborough for open days as they seem to do well on league tables, fill the above and Loughborough has been recommended by my design teacher. I also might go to Manchester for an open day but I think that's a bit too close to home to go to university The other factor for me going to Uni will be that I'd really like to go and live in a city / with access to a city or big town - I live in a village and it make going out and going to gigs pretty hard and nothing is really near me... What're peoples thoughts on the above? And can anyone recommend other Uni's to consider or recommend useful websites to help? Am I Crazy? Any and every piece of advice will be greatly appriciated .
how about Edinburgh uni, nice city to live in and think the civil engineering departments pretty good, or Aberdeen had a wave engineering course when I was looking at engineering years ago no idea what its like now
If you're keen on living in a city, check out Imperial College or UCL. Both have excellent engineering departments (Imperial more so, being specialist) and good reputation internationally should you want to work outside the UK in the future. I'd also advise sticking with Further Maths rather than Product Design. Admissions tutors will prefer it and it'll put you in good stead for the sort of maths you'll get in the first year of an engineering degree.
I had checked out Imperial College before but I'm not too certain if I could achieve it's or UCL's entry requirements - once I have my AS results it'll be clearer though I suppose. But thanks for the advice . Edinburgh however does look very good. Thanks
apparently Bristol is rather good, but I have no idea, as I have a place at Kingston to study aero, but people have said that it is rather good.
Going to Loughborough to study Mech Eng this year. The only advice I'd give is to go on as many open days as possible and to go with the uni that feels 'right'. I was absolutely confident that I'd be applying to Soton, but went on an open day and felt really uncomfortable. Its strange how much similarly performing unis differ.
I'd advise against Imperial. A couple of my mates went to study engineering there, and aren't enjoying it.
Ditto. My flatmates went to Bristol and did aero (one is just finishing his PHD), and they said it was pretty decent there. Plus, with the fact that you'd be living somewhere new for at least 3 years, you'll want a good place to be in. In which case, Bristol is also pretty good, most stuff is within walking distance, and living costs wouldn't be too bad, especially in comparison to any London colleges. Edit - And now that I come to think of it, resident Bit-Tech-er alastor is currently doing a masters in civil engineering at Bristol. I think. Ask him what it's like.
Thank you everyone for you help Bristol seems to be asking for AAA for Civil engineering - which I don't know if I could get but we'll see after AS results day. Ok, So currently the plan for open days is: 18th June - Last exam 19th June - Edinburgh 20th June - Manchester 25th June - Loughborough 6th July - Sheffield 12th to 17th July - Headstart engineering taster week Going to be a fun couple of weeks
Nah, I'm away for quite a bit these next few days, then I'll be gone! Graduating suddenly doesn't seem so awesome.
I do hope they have updated the civ eng building at Edinburgh as it was the ugliest building on Campus when I was there.
Brizzle, Newcastle or Nottingham IMO. Very much regretted not accepting bristols offer, and visited both the latters to see friends and both the cities are lovely, particularly Newcastle. Don't, whatever you do, goto Surrey. Shocking uni - very much regret coming here! Are you sure you want to be a civvy? Have met plenty of them and they seem to lead quite a boring degree - aero is alot more exciting, along with mech.
Nice of you to remember I applied for Bristol, Southampton, Cardiff, UCL, Imperial and City and visited almost all of them. Southampton was great; well respected for the course and a nice place, the campus is a bit away from the town but not miles away. Cardiff is a reasonable city, pretty decent uni as well but I wasn't really "feeling" it. Probably both worth a look though. Imperial and UCL were clearly top places; Imperial is possibly the most respected for engineering but I preferred UCL. Ultimately I didn't fancy living in London and being saddled with the extra debt. So Bristol is where I chose; very well respected department (so much so that my interviewer at Imperial said that he thought Bristol was for snobs ), good course, great city and location. Definitely worth looking in to. I did maths and further maths, physics and IT to A2, all my offers were ABB except City which was 300pts (BBB). I hate to say it but Civil is probably easier than Mech and Aero, at least it seems to be here, so that's probably something to keep in mind. Hope that's been of some help, good luck with your AS exams
forgetting of course that "mech's love men" on for Newcastle tho!!! Did me Offshore Engineering in the toon!
Nottingham's a good uni, my brother's there (doing an engineering(ish) degree) and is loving it. Also they have the best acts at the end of year parties.
