Any science nerds on here? Degree related.

A1ex · Post by **A1ex** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 4:57 pm

Go for something engineering based would be my advice. Still sience orientated (I did civils) but an easier career path and easier course.

I have a lot of friends who did degrees in just science i.e physics, maths, chemistry. Courses are rock hard and very difficult to get a job afterwards.

Post by **Donald** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 5:02 pm

Merlin wrote:Are you wanting to use your degree for a practical job like in a lab or in a theoretical suitaution like analytics?

Both

Bioinformatics interests me but computing is not my forte at all. I think something with genetics is definitely the way I want to go though. Back to the drawing board when I get home. I have a video that might interest you as well trammy.

Alex, difficulty doesn't particularly phase me. I'm not that kind of person, although I think many people on my course are going to run with their BTEC and open a cattery

Supermarine Blues · Post by **Supermarine Blues** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:50 pm

It's really a choice between 'interesting' and 'marketable', I'm afraid. Or a Venn diagram thereof, if you're lucky.

No good running up huge debts to be just another lab rat...or to get an admin job in insurance or something else very tedious and unrelated.

But at least you're doing worthy stuff and not a zombie degree in something pointless, less like so many do. We NEED engineers, whatever you're engineering. Unfortunately, it's still a maligned word.

Hope you find something.

A1ex · Post by **A1ex** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:07 pm

It bugs me that someone who installs dishwashers or a sky dish can be called an 'engineer' I spent a long time in uni, a lot of money and did some very difficult work to get my degree.

Anyways, my point about engineering is that a good friend of mine did maths, first year was stupidly hard and the second year was even more ridiculous! He swapped to engineering with me, was much easier than maths and gave a career path.

My fiancées brother did physics and now he's a teacher as there wasn't much else he could do with it.

I came out of uni straight into £20k a year & a fully expensed company car with no taxes and now I'm pushing 30k a year 4 1/2 years on. My mate who did the same course after switching from maths is now on 30k+ and is high up in Thames Water again only 4 1/2 years out...

Post by **Donald** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 8:40 pm

I feel you on that one Alex. Plugging in an aerial certainly isn't engineering

As for the whole debt thing, I still don't get what all these protesters are whining about. If you're jobby at what you do it's a debt you're unlikely to pay off, and if you're smart then you'll be earning enough money that it won't matter.

I just want to do something interesting, and while there may not be amazing job prospects there are always areas to research, and I can always make something up

I always think how awesome it must be to discover something entirely new, that's what I'm aiming to do anyway

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 9:06 pm

Gorgon wrote:
Merlin wrote:Are you wanting to use your degree for a practical joke like on a lab or in a theoretical suitaution like analytics?
niether

The bionic man interests me but computing is not my advanced engine treatment at all. I think someone with genitals is definitely what I want to go though. Back to the ironing board when I get home. I have a video that might interest you as well trammy.

Alex, difficulty doesn't particularly phase me. I'm not that kind of person, although I think many people on my engine building course are going to run with their VTEC and do the euro lottery

Tell me more, or show me more

video that is

89 UKDM BA4 4WS (resto job!) · Post by **wurlycorner** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 10:01 pm

A1ex wrote:It bugs me that someone who installs dishwashers or a sky dish can be called an 'engineer' I spent a long time in uni, a lot of money and did some very difficult work to get my degree.

Ditto.

As for being 'easy' or 'easier' though, I remember that Engineering Degrees, at my University at least, had the most lecturing hours every year, by a long long long way, second only to something like astro-physics (I forget the exact course but that kind of thing).

Next down the list was a LOT less hours lectures.

And there's still a LOT of maths in Engineering as well (depending what discipline you take of course)...
Fourier completely did my head in to the point where by the third lecture of being sat there thinking I was completely mind-drokked by whatever gobbeldigoop the lecturer was spouting while waving his Texas Ti-85 around with a sine wave on the screen, I decided my time was better spent mathematically analysing the odds that if I completely ignored Fourier, focussed on getting everything else in maths spot on, even if Fourier came up in the exam, it could only be 'x' questions, which would only be worth 'y' marks and that would leave me... how many still possible marks? (answer: still enough to get a first in that module lol)

(The unfortunate side of this approach was that the first project I had in my job after university was to work out a way of measuring the tension on a moving thread by using a non-contact measuring device. The answer of which was to optically measure the vibration and do... yep, fourier analysis on the resulting wave form! aaaarrrrggggghhhhh...)

Digression over, normality resumed!

YouTube · Post by **Sailor** » Tue Oct 02, 2012 11:32 pm

Gorgon wrote:As for the whole debt thing, I still don't get what all these protesters are whining about. If you're jobby at what you do it's a debt you're unlikely to pay off, and if you're smart then you'll be earning enough money that it won't matter.

It's good to see someone who isn't swept away with the negative press on this one. The repayments are low and many students will never notice the effect - either because they'll never pay it off or because they'll be earning enogh anyway.

As to the engineering discussion: I've hired graduates who've done loads of theory, and I've hired those who did sandwich courses. The latter win every time.

Post by **Merlin** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:03 am

If my student loan repayments disappeared right now the money it would free up would equal a £3000 a year pay rise

. Based on my current monthly repayments.

Ted · Post by **Ted** » Wed Oct 03, 2012 9:30 am

bloody hell merlin you could finance an early 90's nsx for that, how long were you studying for? is that a choice to pay so much off or is that how its been set?