Aeronautical Engineering Degree- What's it like?
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A social life is very easy during an Aero degree you just have to manage your time well, I managed to have a great time at uni just use your afternoons and the rare free mornings wisely, sunday afternoons are a great time to work as most people bugger off home for the weekends, just make sure you can be free on wednesday evenings.
As for places to study I chose QMW in East London, not as famous as Imperial but much more fun and with a better ratio females:males than most engineering uni's. It well positioned for getting into the 'Big Smoke' for those mega nights out as well. Negative points it's bloody expensive place to live.
As for places to study I chose QMW in East London, not as famous as Imperial but much more fun and with a better ratio females:males than most engineering uni's. It well positioned for getting into the 'Big Smoke' for those mega nights out as well. Negative points it's bloody expensive place to live.
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No it isn't!! It used to be London Queen Mary College, one of the colleges of the University of London, as was Westfield (which genuinely was Babe-alonia!!) when City Poly became the totally separate London City University. QMC later amalgamated with Westfield to become 'QMW' College (pronounced, so a Welsh colleague assures me, as 'come' college in Welsh - for what he describes as sound reasons!).
I don't suppose students are as well off these days at QWMC - when I was there a student grant was about £600 p.a. and hall fees were £6 per week. Sponsored RAF cadets were on about £1200 p.a. - hence we had a pretty good time. But the calculator was only just being invented, so it was still the era of the slide-rule; computer programs meant punching out Fortran cards, leaving the work overnight and picking up the print-out the next day!! Most Aero Eng practicals consisted of a few minutes experimenting followed by hours and hours of number-crunching. It must be better now as you can probably do some real work rather than just tedious data reduction!
However, I still learned more in 2 weeks flying in a couple of old DH Doves at Cranfield doing flight-testing than I ever did in 4 years at QMC!!
[This message has been edited by BEagle (edited 15 April 2001).]
I don't suppose students are as well off these days at QWMC - when I was there a student grant was about £600 p.a. and hall fees were £6 per week. Sponsored RAF cadets were on about £1200 p.a. - hence we had a pretty good time. But the calculator was only just being invented, so it was still the era of the slide-rule; computer programs meant punching out Fortran cards, leaving the work overnight and picking up the print-out the next day!! Most Aero Eng practicals consisted of a few minutes experimenting followed by hours and hours of number-crunching. It must be better now as you can probably do some real work rather than just tedious data reduction!
However, I still learned more in 2 weeks flying in a couple of old DH Doves at Cranfield doing flight-testing than I ever did in 4 years at QMC!!
[This message has been edited by BEagle (edited 15 April 2001).]
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Unfortunately, you're right, Genghis! But I was there 5 years earlier as well learning to fly Rogers Aviation's brand-new Cessna 150s. We also had a good nose around in the College of Aeronautics hangar where there were such things as a TSR2, Boulton Paul P111, Sea Hawk, CF 100 to name but a few. The circuit was also shared with a Hunter (doing some research on runway contamination) and a Morane Saulnier Paris. When I did my flight testing, the staff were looking forward to getting 3 Jetstreams to replace the old Doves - one of which had been re-possessed from a criminal!!
[This message has been edited by BEagle (edited 15 April 2001).]
[This message has been edited by BEagle (edited 15 April 2001).]
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Leslie,
Flew on BPEC from London to Manchester in October and had the jumpseat for landing... at the time of registering I was trying to think of a username, and remembered that fantastic experience... besides, I couldn't think of anything else!
Thanks for replies
G-BPEC
Flew on BPEC from London to Manchester in October and had the jumpseat for landing... at the time of registering I was trying to think of a username, and remembered that fantastic experience... besides, I couldn't think of anything else!
Thanks for replies
G-BPEC
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BEagle - that is quite enough out of you about us poor sods at Imperial College!! I am one of those poor sods - and regretting big time!!
I am a first year (just about to do end of year exams) and am throughly bored of my course. Like the others, I chose it hoping to learn about aeroplanes, but you are quite right, all I have learnt is how to pronounce the Greek alphabet!!!
If you want to be a pilot, this course will give you no advantage. About 3 weeks ago, I applied to BAs CEP scheme and am still waiting whether I have been invited to the pyschometric tests. Here's hoping so!!!
Question: Will it look bad at an interview with BA that I am seriously considering dropping out at the end of the academic year? How much of an advantage will having a degree give me?
Catch you later
I am a first year (just about to do end of year exams) and am throughly bored of my course. Like the others, I chose it hoping to learn about aeroplanes, but you are quite right, all I have learnt is how to pronounce the Greek alphabet!!!
If you want to be a pilot, this course will give you no advantage. About 3 weeks ago, I applied to BAs CEP scheme and am still waiting whether I have been invited to the pyschometric tests. Here's hoping so!!!
Question: Will it look bad at an interview with BA that I am seriously considering dropping out at the end of the academic year? How much of an advantage will having a degree give me?
Catch you later
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Question: Will it look bad at an interview with BA that I am seriously considering dropping out at the end of the academic year?
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Question: Will it look bad at an interview with BA that I am seriously considering dropping out at the end of the academic year?
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The key, I think, is to justify it in a way that shows that you are doing it for a well thought-out reason. Don't say "I quit because I didn't like it" - that looks bad. Show that you know what you want to do and that you know why the degree isn't going to help to get there. That way you can sell thigns quite differently - we all make stupid choices, and you are doing something about yours. Try and put a positive spin on what you've done while at uni, though, if you can.
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Not sure! I have so much going around in my head at the moment, I can't think straight.
I have exams, I have friends who want to go flat hunting for next year - but I am not sure I'll be here, and don't want to back out at the last minute. I also have the dreadful thought of what if BA reject me outright!
Besides, I not sure anywhere would seem as good after London. Also, not sure Aero is actually the right degree for me.
I have exams, I have friends who want to go flat hunting for next year - but I am not sure I'll be here, and don't want to back out at the last minute. I also have the dreadful thought of what if BA reject me outright!
Besides, I not sure anywhere would seem as good after London. Also, not sure Aero is actually the right degree for me.
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If you want a degree in Aerospace Eng, great; If you just want 3 years at uni, and a degree at the end, it'd consider other options. Engineers have to work the hardest at uni, at around 30hr's a week in lectures/tutorials! (Compared to social studies at around 8). I went to the University of Hertfordshire, and really loved my time there. Unfortunatly, I failed the degree, cos I was lazy, and spent most of my time gliding, and working to pay for the gliding. I've been able to achieve what I've wanted without the degree, but I do wish I'd got one.
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Hi there
I am in my first year doing aero at QUB. I have to be honest most of the people in my class signed up thinking it would be a real exciting degree. I have to tell you they were wrong, very very wrong and so was I! Most of the course has little and I mean little relevance to aircraft. It looks good on a CV if you want a job in aerospace. Other than that get real life experience if you can. Youll get more out of it!
I am in my first year doing aero at QUB. I have to be honest most of the people in my class signed up thinking it would be a real exciting degree. I have to tell you they were wrong, very very wrong and so was I! Most of the course has little and I mean little relevance to aircraft. It looks good on a CV if you want a job in aerospace. Other than that get real life experience if you can. Youll get more out of it!
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So then, is it just me or do no Aero degrees in the UK bare any relevance to aircraft! This seems utterly stupid. I don't know about what it is like at QUB, but the majority of 1st years at Imperial have considered quitting at some stage this year!
I am seriously considering contacting the RAeS and asking/complaining about this. Surely a more aircraft orientated would:
1) Give people who want to be Aero engineers more useful experience
2) Keep them interested!
It seems that the unis are more interested in providing degrees that will resort in 100% employment at the end - i.e because they are so mathematical that the City want you to work for them!! This is not what an engineering degree should provide.
Give me your thoughts, it would be good to talk to the RAeS and be able to say that it is not just Imperial that feel like this!
I am seriously considering contacting the RAeS and asking/complaining about this. Surely a more aircraft orientated would:
1) Give people who want to be Aero engineers more useful experience
2) Keep them interested!
It seems that the unis are more interested in providing degrees that will resort in 100% employment at the end - i.e because they are so mathematical that the City want you to work for them!! This is not what an engineering degree should provide.
Give me your thoughts, it would be good to talk to the RAeS and be able to say that it is not just Imperial that feel like this!
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Hello!!!
I am in my first year of Aeromechanical Systems Engineering at Cranfield University. There isn't as much 'plane-talk' as most of use would like (well infact, we haven't even seen anything as such-just a few planes in the hangers, and a few helicopters landing on the field). We have been assured that aviation will form some of this degree though!
The first year runs a par with the mechanical engineering degrees and parts of the electrical engineering degrees. Suppose we have to start with the basics though.
At this place, they really like design; -although it is only one module, one particular lecturer gives us obseen amounts of work to be done using AutoCAD - pretty much the evil of all evil-you can spend 6 hours on his work and you'll still only get 3/10 !!!
As others have said, there is a lot to do on these Aero. degrees (they are all the same with just different names really) and we certainly don't get as much free time as anyone else.
If you intend doing any engineering degree, make sure your Maths is up to scratch-there is a lot of it.
Best of luck
Jason
I am in my first year of Aeromechanical Systems Engineering at Cranfield University. There isn't as much 'plane-talk' as most of use would like (well infact, we haven't even seen anything as such-just a few planes in the hangers, and a few helicopters landing on the field). We have been assured that aviation will form some of this degree though!
The first year runs a par with the mechanical engineering degrees and parts of the electrical engineering degrees. Suppose we have to start with the basics though.
At this place, they really like design; -although it is only one module, one particular lecturer gives us obseen amounts of work to be done using AutoCAD - pretty much the evil of all evil-you can spend 6 hours on his work and you'll still only get 3/10 !!!
As others have said, there is a lot to do on these Aero. degrees (they are all the same with just different names really) and we certainly don't get as much free time as anyone else.
If you intend doing any engineering degree, make sure your Maths is up to scratch-there is a lot of it.
Best of luck
Jason
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Jason
In first year they all like design..its time consuming and very tedious, and after spending 6 hours on Autocad, your drawing comes back assessed with red pen all over it! Welcome to the world of aeronautical engineering!!!!
Im a finalist at Loughborough. Design drove me insane in my first year.
Good luck with your exams!
JT8
In first year they all like design..its time consuming and very tedious, and after spending 6 hours on Autocad, your drawing comes back assessed with red pen all over it! Welcome to the world of aeronautical engineering!!!!
Im a finalist at Loughborough. Design drove me insane in my first year.
Good luck with your exams!
JT8
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Hi there every1,
I am doing Aero Engineering at Glasgow Uni and I am just about to finish my second year in the course. I think what I am going to say is going to be very similar as to what every1 has already said. In one word, the course is BORING!!!! It is very very very very very very very difficult and a lot of work is needed to get through it. First year is a breeze, but second year - what a difference! It is one of the hardest courses in the uni and as everyone esle said - it is very frustrating. Sometime the course has absolutely nothing to do with a/c at all. Sometimes I doubt whether I will get to the end of 4th year, but i guess i can only struggle along. The maths and aerodynamics are very easy, but it's the mechanics (i.e. Statics and Dynamics), which are the hardest subjects. I am going to do my PPL this summer over in Florida at EFT, if it's any good. (Any1 have ay info on EFT by the way - it would be very helpful). I don't think this course will give you an advantage to getting in with BA either. BA just look generally for a degree, as they know the Aeronautical Engineering has basically **** at all to do with flying an a/c. However, I must point out that I am looking forward to saying I have a degree in Aeronautical Engnineering. It is a highly respected course and not everyone has a degree in it, so I will feel priviliged to have it. (I am this close to dropping it though lol). Again I will point out that if you want to be a pilot, think about doing another course (i.e. mathematics or something), but if you want to be an engineer in aerospace then this course is for you, but you will have to put the work in. I have been very lazy through 2nd year and am going to suffer for it, in 2 days when my exams start, but I have my fingers crossed. By the way just one more point - if you are planning on studying Aero at glasgow uni - the lecturers are sh*te!!! They havent got a clue hoe to teach, but then thats the same on any course. Good luck to everyone on or thinking about joining the course, coz its no easy. I just have to hope BA let me in this summer. I am going to try very very hard to get in this year though. Wish me luck with them and my PPL (remember any thoughts on EFT, either email me or post here).
Happy Flying everyone
Rossco xx
I am doing Aero Engineering at Glasgow Uni and I am just about to finish my second year in the course. I think what I am going to say is going to be very similar as to what every1 has already said. In one word, the course is BORING!!!! It is very very very very very very very difficult and a lot of work is needed to get through it. First year is a breeze, but second year - what a difference! It is one of the hardest courses in the uni and as everyone esle said - it is very frustrating. Sometime the course has absolutely nothing to do with a/c at all. Sometimes I doubt whether I will get to the end of 4th year, but i guess i can only struggle along. The maths and aerodynamics are very easy, but it's the mechanics (i.e. Statics and Dynamics), which are the hardest subjects. I am going to do my PPL this summer over in Florida at EFT, if it's any good. (Any1 have ay info on EFT by the way - it would be very helpful). I don't think this course will give you an advantage to getting in with BA either. BA just look generally for a degree, as they know the Aeronautical Engineering has basically **** at all to do with flying an a/c. However, I must point out that I am looking forward to saying I have a degree in Aeronautical Engnineering. It is a highly respected course and not everyone has a degree in it, so I will feel priviliged to have it. (I am this close to dropping it though lol). Again I will point out that if you want to be a pilot, think about doing another course (i.e. mathematics or something), but if you want to be an engineer in aerospace then this course is for you, but you will have to put the work in. I have been very lazy through 2nd year and am going to suffer for it, in 2 days when my exams start, but I have my fingers crossed. By the way just one more point - if you are planning on studying Aero at glasgow uni - the lecturers are sh*te!!! They havent got a clue hoe to teach, but then thats the same on any course. Good luck to everyone on or thinking about joining the course, coz its no easy. I just have to hope BA let me in this summer. I am going to try very very hard to get in this year though. Wish me luck with them and my PPL (remember any thoughts on EFT, either email me or post here).
Happy Flying everyone
Rossco xx