General questions about engineering Please help!! (1 Viewer)

[Opportunistic]

So I'm in year 11 at the moment and need a few questions answered. I want to pursue engineering as a career and all help is appreciated! My subjects are: Adv English, Mathematics, Physics, Chem and economics.

1. I'm not doing Ext 1 Maths. Am I going to find engineering difficult? Will I need to enrol in a bridging course?

2. Will I be able to gain an appropriate ATAR for my course? Ie 91 ATAR for engineering at UNSW

Thanks!!!

 

[Menomaths]

So I'm in year 11 at the moment and need a few questions answered. I want to pursue engineering as a career and all help is appreciated! My subjects are: Adv English, Mathematics, Physics, Chem and economics.

1. I'm not doing Ext 1 Maths. Am I going to find engineering difficult? Will I need to enrol in a bridging course?

2. Will I be able to gain an appropriate ATAR for my course? Ie 91 ATAR for engineering at UNSW

Thanks!!!

1. I think you have to do a bridging course, I'm going to do it
2. It entirely depends on you, put in the effort and you will, laze around and you wont. Simple.

 

[Opportunistic]

1. I think you have to do a bridging course, I'm going to do it
2. It entirely depends on you, put in the effort and you will, laze around and you wont. Simple.

Sorry I meant will I be able to get an appropriate ATAR based on my subjects? I've been hearing from others that it'd be pretty hard for me to get a 90+ ATAR with those subjects. Is it true?

 

[Menomaths]

Sorry I meant will I be able to get an appropriate ATAR based on my subjects? I've been hearing from others that it'd be pretty hard for me to get a 90+ ATAR with those subjects. Is it true?

What the... On my behalf go and slap that person.
All your subjects are extremely good subjects in terms of scaling.

 

[R4diance]

Sorry I meant will I be able to get an appropriate ATAR based on my subjects? I've been hearing from others that it'd be pretty hard for me to get a 90+ ATAR with those subjects. Is it true?

That isn't true - Physics, Chemistry and Economics are among the best scalers, given you do well at them of course.

 

[Opportunistic]

What the... On my behalf go and slap that person.
All your subjects are extremely good subjects in terms of scaling.

So, in short, you're saying that it's a very real possibility that I would be able to get an ATAR high enough to do engineering and that it would be possible for me to put up with the level of mathematics required? THANKS !!

 

[Menomaths]

So, in short, you're saying that it's a very real possibility that I would be able to get an ATAR high enough to do engineering and that it would be possible for me to put up with the level of mathematics required? THANKS !!

It is possible to get 99.95 with a bunch of bad scaling subjects, so yeah, it is very much possible to get 91 ATAR with your subjects. I'm also doing the same subjects as you, apart from Eco, replace that with bio and downgrade from Advance to Standard, aaand I'm also aiming for 91 ATAR Just make sure you study hard.
From what I've read some people say bridging courses are useless, if that's the case then you can just learn of youtube or something, it's no biggie.

 

[Opportunistic]

It is possible to get 99.95 with a bunch of bad scaling subjects, so yeah, it is very much possible to get 91 ATAR with your subjects. I'm also doing the same subjects as you, apart from Eco, replace that with bio and downgrade from Advance to Standard, aaand I'm also aiming for 91 ATAR Just make sure you study hard.
From what I've read some people say bridging courses are useless, if that's the case then you can just learn of youtube or something, it's no biggie.

Wow thanks so much !!

Anyone else out there want to shed light on my situation?

 

[brent012]

It will be fine, but do a bridging course. I went pretty bad in 2u maths and first year engineering (UTS) maths wasn't too bad. I don't think the UTS mathematics subjects are quite as rigorous or difficult as UNSWs though, but on the other hand we do cover a lot more stuff in that time.

Your subjects won't limit your ATAR at all.

 

[D94]

1. I'm not doing Ext 1 Maths. Am I going to find engineering difficult? Will I need to enrol in a bridging course?

You won't find it easy or as easy as those who have done Ext 1 and especially Ext 2. Whether you will find it difficult will depend on how hard you study, especially since you are at a disadvantage compared to many of your potential peers.

2. Will I be able to gain an appropriate ATAR for my course? Ie 91 ATAR for engineering at UNSW

If I were to say 'no', you would probably still attempt to achieve 91+, so it depends on you. It's possible to achieve any ATAR with any combination of subjects, and many do the same or similar combination as you and achieve high ATARs. But remember, ATAR cutoffs are based on supply and demand. It may be that next year, there is a massive increase in demand, but not much supply, raising the cutoff to say 95. That 91 is only indicative, and based on previous years' cutoffs. It does not determine next year's cutoff.

 

[Opportunistic]

You won't find it easy or as easy as those who have done Ext 1 and especially Ext 2. Whether you will find it difficult will depend on how hard you study, especially since you are at a disadvantage compared to many of your potential peers.


If I were to say 'no', you would probably still attempt to achieve 91+, so it depends on you. It's possible to achieve any ATAR with any combination of subjects, and many do the same or similar combination as you and achieve high ATARs. But remember, ATAR cutoffs are based on supply and demand. It may be that next year, there is a massive increase in demand, but not much supply, raising the cutoff to say 95. That 91 is only indicative, and based on previous years' cutoffs. It does not determine next year's cutoff.

Do you think that an average 2U student like I am will be able to cope with the level of engineering maths? What happens if I fail maths ?!!!

EDIT: And thanks for all the help guys!

 

[brent012]

If you fail maths you have to repeat it (at UNSW, I believe first sem is Maths 1A). Besides having to do it again (lost time and money) and the negative affect on your grades and transcript, you may run into problems with prereqs. If you repeatedly fail then you will run into big problems. I know a guy who failed first sem maths three times now, it may be a little different at each uni but he needs to get the subject coordinator to sign off on something to do it again and is thinking of transferring into another course without maths. (Soft Eng -> IT)

If you feel really unprepared or worried there is always this option: https://www.maths.unsw.edu.au/courses/math1011-fundamentals-mathematics-b

 

[nerdasdasd]

Do you think that an average 2U student like I am will be able to cope with the level of engineering maths? What happens if I fail maths ?!!!

EDIT: And thanks for all the help guys!

Well then don't fail maths.... Simple.

 

[Zaap]

if you're worried about your ATAR do engineering at UTS instead. The atar cut off for a lot of the engineering courses like mechanical and electrical are only 85, or 80 with 5 bonus points

 

[Opportunistic]

If you fail maths you have to repeat it (at UNSW, I believe first sem is Maths 1A). Besides having to do it again (lost time and money) and the negative affect on your grades and transcript, you may run into problems with prereqs. If you repeatedly fail then you will run into big problems. I know a guy who failed first sem maths three times now, it may be a little different at each uni but he needs to get the subject coordinator to sign off on something to do it again and is thinking of transferring into another course without maths. (Soft Eng -> IT)

If you feel really unprepared or worried there is always this option: https://www.maths.unsw.edu.au/courses/math1011-fundamentals-mathematics-b

But wouldn't this make my timetable for Uni extremely congested? I've seen timetables with 32 hour weeks and they don't even have this fundamentals course.

 

[Opportunistic]

That's really encouraging @ nerdasdasd

 

[brent012]

if you're worried about your ATAR do engineering at UTS instead. The atar cut off for a lot of the engineering courses like mechanical and electrical are only 85, or 80 with 5 bonus points

+5 more for doing the engineering questionaire, and possibly 10 for EAS. But you need at least 69 ATAR to be eligible for any bonus points or get a UTS offer. I think the cut offs are a little higher than 85 though. (I feel compelled to mention that I didn't need any of the bonus points lol)

But wouldn't this make my timetable for Uni extremely congested? I've seen timetables with 32 hour weeks and they don't even have this fundamentals course.

You do fundamentals instead of Math 1A, not alongside it.

 

[Menomaths]

+5 more for doing the engineering questionaire, and possibly 10 for EAS. But you need at least 69 ATAR to be eligible for any bonus points or get a UTS offer. I think the cut offs are a little higher than 85 though. (I feel compelled to mention that I didn't need any of the bonus points lol)


You do fundamentals instead of Math 1A, not alongside it.

It's 86 for Mechanical iirc, +5 for doing a questionnaire? That's rather generous lol.

 

[D94]

If you feel really unprepared or worried there is always this option: https://www.maths.unsw.edu.au/courses/math1011-fundamentals-mathematics-b

No, "fundamentals" at UNSW are probably different to fundamentals at UTS. That course is generally for students who intend on transferring to engineering or science but don't have the necessary HSC maths understanding. Any student who is doing engineering should not take that course. A bridging course is more appropriate.

Do you think that an average 2U student like I am will be able to cope with the level of engineering maths? What happens if I fail maths ?!!!

The average 2U student will probably get a HSC mark of around 80. You will need a better level of understanding than that, considering Ext 1 is assumed and Ext 2 is recommended. The average 2U student, on face value, would not be able to cope with the level of maths in engineering. If you fail maths, you must repeat it. You will obviously be behind your starting cohort, be in more debt and you'll probably feel bad.

If you work hard to build your understanding of maths, even try to understand Ext 1 and 2 concepts before uni begins, you will definitely find it less foreign when lecturers begin with Ext 2 stuff on the first day.

 

[brent012]

It's 86 for Mechanical iirc, +5 for doing a questionnaire? That's rather generous lol.

Oh ok, they were a bit higher for 2012 entry. The 5 isn't for completing it, they mark it.

No, "fundamentals" at UNSW are probably different to fundamentals at UTS. That course is generally for students who intend on transferring to engineering or science but don't have the necessary HSC maths understanding. Any student who is doing engineering should not take that course. A bridging course is more appropriate.

Fair enough, it seemed similar from the site. Though I don't really see the difference between a student transferring without the necessary knowledge and a student starting without the necessary knowledge, unless it's a "wam booster".

There is a maths exam before you can start at UTS, if you fail you are put in foundations and not allowed to do mathematical modelling 1. If not you could choose to do it I guess. Foundation maths at UTS was apparently just a slow bridging course essentially.