There are so many different branches of engineering, it can be tricky to work out which brand is right for us. Here are some stories from Stemette Society members on how they chose their engineering niche and advice for those who are trying to find their engineering niche.
What subjects do you recommend for someone interested in Engineering?
As a starter, I’d recommend Maths as it is a purely problem-solving subject. (HOWEVER, IT IS NOT ALWAYS NECESSARY). I enjoyed maths so much I did Further Maths :). Then, since I wanted to do aerospace, Physics was the next logical option. It was actually my love for physics that got me into engineering. Then, the rest is up to you! Once again, subjects you enjoy will be more beneficial to you, however, if there is a subject requirement for a University/Btech/Apprenticeship, then see whether you’d be happy studying it.
– Tatjana, Aerospace Engineering student
Top universities for engineering often ask for Maths (and usually Further Maths or Maths HL if you take the IB) as well as Physics. Depending on what kind of engineering you want to do, Chemistry may also be recommended but it isn’t a do-or-die option. If you plan on taking another route to the industry (e.g. Apprenticeships), do what works for you, but keep your end goal in mind (in the same way that you wouldn’t take only languages and then realise you don’t want to go into Linguistics in a couple of years time).
– Lydia, IB student
When I had a little look into what subjects I would need to be an engineer, physics and maths are really important, but also (if you know what area of engineering you want to do) a specific subject such as Biology (for a Biomedical Engineer) or Chemistry (for a Chemical Engineer).
– Maddie, GCSE student
Should you do general engineering and then specialise OR specialise in a part of engineering from the start?
For me personally, I chose Mechanical Engineering as it is quite broad in terms of the range of content covered such as energy conversions, thermodynamics, mechanics..etc. I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to specialise in whilst studying my A-levels, and so this course has really helped me make more informed decisions of where I would like to be stationed after I’ve graduated. However, if you know exactly what field of engineering you would like to work in in the future then that’s equally great! There is no problem in choosing to specialise at the very start if you are confident in what you wish to do after you have graduated. Whether you choose to specialise or not, I would advise doing lots of research on the modules that you may have to study on the engineering route that you wish to pursue. Different universities may specialise in different areas of engineering, and this will become more apparent in the 3rd/4th year of the degree course, where you have the opportunity to choose some of your modules from a given list. It is useful to know what these modules are in advance to see whether they are of interest to you and are along the lines of what you wish to specialise in.
– Jada, student
If you know you like the overall concept of engineering, but don’t know where you want to go exactly, I’d highly recommend staying general. You will learn such a wide range of things that you’re bound to find something that interests you, then you can specialize in the future. If you’re like me, I knew when I was 12 Aerospace was the one for me, so almost all my University options were Aerospace Engineering courses. But even within that, you can specialize. I’m now specialising in spacecraft engineering, then most likely spacecraft propulsion. In our sister Mechanical Engineering course, you can specialise in Mechatronics, Automation, Robotics etc. You can always specialise more…you can make something infinitely niche and complicated. So find out how deep your interest goes, then go from there.
– Tatjana, Aerospace Engineering student
What can you do with a Chemical Engineering degree?
With a Chemical Engineering degree, you can go into anything from Pharmaceuticals, Renewable Energy, Nuclear Energy, the food industry…you name it. Chemical Engineers create the combination of fuels needed in rocket engines (again, totally not biased). I recommend checking our the IChemE website for an extensive list.
– Tatjana, Aerospace Engineering student
For more information regarding Engineering check out: EngineeringUK >>
