soon to be a DR of engineering

[BrokenBiker]

well, I say soon, will be a good few years yet.

I have just paid my money and enrolled on a bachelor of engineering (honours)[BEng] course. once done, I hope to complete the masters [MEng], then eventually Ph.D (engineering).

ever since I was a child old enough to realise that engineering was cool and a job in engineering is what I wanted, i have been set on being Dr. Preston.

and to top it all, i will be only member of my family that either of my parents are aware of that has been to any form of university.

i know it will be hard, it will take a long time, it will require a lot of dedication and hard work, cost a fair bit of money and completely wear me out, but at the end of it, i will have achieved my life goal, and that is my motivation.

even if i never get a job because of the qualification, i will still be happy knowing that i have it and what i went through to get it.

and most of all, i can go back to my degrading high school teachers that told me i would never make anything more than a shelf stacker. i have already seen 2 of them while out and about and both were left speechless when i told them i was an electrician running my own business successfully.

now its time to take it further. i did hope that this would be done through the company i now machine for, but during my apprenticeship with them i saw their true colours, and they didn't like the fact that i argued back when i knew i was right and they were telling me otherwise. after a few of these incidents and me proving them wrong, they terminated my contract as an apprentice due to 'lack of evidence towards the course'. as it happens i still have all of the evidence sat in my drawer.

so, i am doing it myself, and im doing it for me the way i want to do it

 

[SBK]

Hats off to you pal,will take a lot of hard work and dedication.
Wish I had realised what I wanted earlier in life.

 

[chunkolini]

Top marks Brokenbiker.
it is hard work doing things your own way, but so much more motivating than going to college because it is expected.
Good luck.

 

[dannyp]

I have just paid my money and enrolled on a bachelor of engineering (honours)[BEng] course. once done, I hope to complete the masters [MEng], then eventually Ph.D (engineering).

ever since I was a child old enough to realise that engineering was cool and a job in engineering is what I wanted,


something i hope to do some day, now more to prove a point than anything else as i dought i'll ever get a job worth doing in engineering but hey

 

[BrokenBiker]

strangely i like hard work. i am of the strange breed where no matter what i am doing, i will research every single bit of it.

motor bikes for example. i spent a good few days finding documentaries about bike builders, racers, the engineering involved and so on, then spent nearly 2 months watching them all over and over, all because i wanted to sit my bike test.

within 3 days of finding out my missus was pregnant, i knew as much as can be known about every eventuality.

when doing the HNC course for my apprenticeship i spent more time doing my own research than i did doing the assignments. the main assignement that was handed out in the first year most people returned with around 10-12 pages or research, i returned with 109, plus appendixes. this is when the issue with being told i was wrong arose. i knew all of my research was original and genuine, and most of all, correct. i was told it was all crap, so i sat the tutor down and asked him to personally go through it all with me and highlight where i had gone wrong. 3 and a half hours later he had nothing to say and had no choice to pass it. later he even commented to another tutor that he had learnt quite a bit from my research (yet he still felt the need to try and fail me)

i do not profess to be the most intelligent person in the world, and i know i never will be, but to have a doctorate in engineering is an amazing goal, and once at that level i will rest happily knowing that i could have done a hell of a lot worse in life

 

[nodeward]

i started my BEng this year, i must say its alot different to HND/HNC but like anything as long as you are willing to put the work in you shouldnt have to much trouble, im finding it quite interesting as well.

as for a career in engineering this is the right time to go for it, our company just cant employ enough, they have recruitment days and no one turns up! its mad really, dont know why its not a popular choice. having been an apprentice/practical background is a bonus as well there are so many guys that come straight from uni and just havent got a clue as they have never got there hands dirty.

 

[DrNik]

blimey my doctor-ship was far less work and effort, amazing what you can buy on ebay, lol

 

[BrokenBiker]

i started my BEng this year, i must say its alot different to HND/HNC but like anything as long as you are willing to put the work in you shouldnt have to much trouble, im finding it quite interesting as well.

as for a career in engineering this is the right time to go for it, our company just cant employ enough, they have recruitment days and no one turns up! its mad really, dont know why its not a popular choice. having been an apprentice/practical background is a bonus as well there are so many guys that come straight from uni and just havent got a clue as they have never got there hands dirty.

the company i machine for just seems to employ engineers that don't want to get their hands dirty. we have one guy that designs all the specialist work holding equipment for the lathes. he has always got a pair of gloves on, and always carrying a rag. i have even seen him clean his gloves off with the rag after not touching anything. as for an engineer, he is a good drafstman, but he doesn't seem to have much knowledge of how his machinery works, or how to solve problems

blimey my doctor-ship was far less work and effort, amazing what you can buy on ebay, lol

lol i wish it was that simple lol

 

[atomant48]

Good on you. I have done 2/3 of what you're setting out on and it is a great experience. Just keep your eyes out on the rest of the world while you're at it as some real interesting jobs could come up. It's a degree path that (hopefully)! teaches you to think rather than just teaching you "stuff". Best of luck!

 

[CompoSimmonite]

Will you be working to fund course fees and living expenses or using student loan facility ?
My son (29 / previously worked for 8 years) finished his degree and wanted to do his masters this year but simply can't afford. The student loan system doesn't apply to Masters so you either need the cash or end up with a type of deferred loan that repayments start after the course finishes. That means even whilst doing Ph.D you will be repaying the Masters loan at the same time !
In the end my son is selling his possessions (around 5000 DVD's and few thousand CD's) to live on whilst he gains GCSE's in a science and maths at college this year and starts teacher training next.

Paul H

 

[BrokenBiker]

Good on you. I have done 2/3 of what you're setting out on and it is a great experience. Just keep your eyes out on the rest of the world while you're at it as some real interesting jobs could come up. It's a degree path that (hopefully)! teaches you to think rather than just teaching you "stuff". Best of luck!

couldn't agree more. i am confident that my current employer wont entertain having me as an engineer, but i regularly browse the job listings and there are plenty of employers looking for people with BEng or higher, and a lot willing to help you progress with it.

plus there is that element of learning to think rather than memorising mundane info that is forgotten after the end exam

 

[BrokenBiker]

Will you be working to fund course fees and living expenses or using student loan facility ?
My son (29 / previously worked for 8 years) finished his degree and wanted to do his masters this year but simply can't afford. The student loan system doesn't apply to Masters so you either need the cash or end up with a type of deferred loan that repayments start after the course finishes. That means even whilst doing Ph.D you will be repaying the Masters loan at the same time !
In the end my son is selling his possessions (around 5000 DVD's and few thousand CD's) to live on whilst he gains GCSE's in a science and maths at college this year and starts teacher training next.

Paul H

yes i will be working alongside the course in order to fund myself. i am in the lucky position where my missus is a nurse, so she earns fairly good money, and i am working both as a machinist earning around 1600 a month, and doing work for myself earning whatever comes my way. i also have the support of my father who only wants me to succeed and is willing to help in any way he can.

 

[julianthegypsy]

My son decided at age 15 that he wanted to be an aeronautical engineer. He is now in his third year at university and planning his masters and his doctorate. He tells me that if you enrol on a course that goes straight through to a masters, you can still use the student loan as its your first degree. He also says that getting funding for a doctorate isn't difficult as you can teach undergraduates in return for fees etc. I hope he's right!

 

[tlovatt]

A Few ramblings:

I have just paid my money and enrolled on a bachelor of engineering (honours)[BEng] course. once done, I hope to complete the masters [MEng], then eventually Ph.D (engineering).

A separate masters is normally an MSc as a postgraduate qualification or an MEng if you do a combined 4 year course (may have changed since my day?). The MEng 4 year course is a lower status qualification than a separate BEng and MSc but the MSc requires more work (normally 180 credits vs 120 and a longer year)

ever since I was a child old enough to realise that engineering was cool and a job in engineering is what I wanted, i have been set on being Dr. Preston.

and to top it all, i will be only member of my family that either of my parents are aware of that has been to any form of university.

i know it will be hard, it will take a long time, it will require a lot of dedication and hard work, cost a fair bit of money and completely wear me out, but at the end of it, i will have achieved my life goal, and that is my motivation.

Think carefully about the Phd, your employability and average salary will drop significantly - I had intended originally to go for Dr status, but when I looked at the figures (more years of low income followed by a lifetime of lower earnings) I decided against it - IMHO better to get in to industry as a graduate engineer (keep in mind you will have a few years of fairly low earnings after your degree) and gain experience. Also as a Phd you will normally specialise which is something I did not want to do.

even if i never get a job because of the qualification, i will still be happy knowing that i have it and what i went through to get it.

Getting your first job is normally easyish (especially if you are going as a mature student), once you have 5 or 6 years working experience you will probably find yourself in demand. I have a degree (Mechatronic Engineering) and some post grad qualifications (Management) and having been made redundant, even in the current climate it does not take long to find a new job (even one that paid a bit more), during the pre-crash years I had little difficulty finding new jobs when I wanted a pay rise!

so, i am doing it myself, and im doing it for me the way i want to do it

Good luck

 

[Luke]

Have you considered Chartership, rather than a PhD?

I'd say Chartership demonstrates the more rounded capabilities of a professional Engineer, more than a PhD, which is perhaps associated more with Academia.

Which Discipline(s) are you interested in?

 

[tlovatt]

To get CEng status you will normally need a 4 year degree, you can go for IEng status with a 3 year degree if it is accredited.

 

[Luke]

It depends on who you apply for Chartership with. My point is that Chartership is about a lot more than just a degree, whether it be B.Eng or M.Eng.

 

[brewdexta]

Nice one BB, go for it. I went the apprenticeship route, working for BT for 14 years, then got voluntary redundancy and immediately enrolled on a BSc in Comp Science, no regrets, I've enjoyed both approaches and think doing the apprenticeship has helped me in my subsequent career more than just going from school, to Uni then work.

 

[CompoSimmonite]

yes i will be working alongside the course in order to fund myself. i am in the lucky position where my missus is a nurse, so she earns fairly good money, and i am working both as a machinist earning around 1600 a month, and doing work for myself earning whatever comes my way. i also have the support of my father who only wants me to succeed and is willing to help in any way he can.

That's good news.
My son was very disappointed in not being able to afford to do his masters. My wife and I are early retired plus have a younger daughter at college so can't assist our son much other than him living at home and not having to pay board etc.


Paul h

 

[cobcorsa]

If you keep that attitude you WILL succeed. Fair play