OzBargain, Help Me Pick a Degree

caradpam on 19/12/2015 - 11:17
Last edited 19/12/2015 - 11:22

Hey guys.

So I just finished year 12 and received my scores this week. I managed to do well enough that I can get into pretty much anything (besides medicine) and so have so many options open during this change of preference week I'm starting to have doubts.

I have a strong background in science and maths, so I'm leaning towards engineering. Chemical or mechanical seem like the most appealing majors to me. I'd also like to do a double degree in commerce/business as I've heard it could broaden my work opportunities (but I've only done business in school in year 10 and didn't particularly like it).

From the research I've done, the courses between universities seem quite similar. I'm mainly looking at Swinburne, RMIT and Monash. I'm not sure if the Melbourne model so end up with an Master of engineering is the right way to go.

Some pros and cons:
I can get a scholarship to Swinburne to cover half the costs of the degree, but Swinburne still seems like it's developing and people don't think it's very prestigious.
RMIT is close to where I live but I have to choose my major right away.
Monash if more prestigious and has a common first year for eng but getting there takes a long time

I'd really appreciate if you guys can help me out. I'd also like to hear about any experiences you'd had, particularly in studying mechanical or chemical engineering in Victoria.

Thank you!

Education & Work

Comments

  • try2bhelpful on 19/12/2015 - 11:40
    +6

    Firstly - congratulations on your results.

    My first degree was Chemistry/Chemical Engineering Science at Monash and my second was Digital Technology at Chisholm (now also Monash). We used to call Chemical Engineering Science "bucket chemistry".

    Before you decide on a degree you need to think about what you want to do and what the future employment opportunities are in your chosen field. I went back and did my second degree because I came out in a recession in 1983, (yes I am that old), there were precious little jobs in chemistry and the up and coming field was computing (it also helped that my man was an electrical and systems engineer so we could talk geek together). I never regretted the decision as it was lucrative and a fun field to work in.

    Given it is a long time to study, and you have fees to pay, think carefully about your choice.

    • supersabroso on 23/12/2015 - 03:19
      +1

      I'm a civil engineering professional of 3 years post university, I was like you 7 years ago with almost any choice I wanted. Unless you're into research, thinking about a master of engineering is a poor choice. Most universities have an honours degree built into the standard degree. Experience is much more important than getting a masters or PhD.

      Unless you're poor, go for the more prestigious university (in your chosen field). The potential job opportunity and contacts you make at school will be far more valuable than a few thousand dollars because of a scholarship.

      • macrocephalic on 23/12/2015 - 09:31
        +1

        I disagree about the importance of a prestigious university; I studied BE at UQ (probably Queensland's most respected university) but I know plenty of people who studied at Griffith (the least respected of the top three) and they are all doing just as well as the UQ grads. The cost of your course doesn't seem so important when you're young and you don't have to pay it back until later, but when you're working full time, paying off a mortgage, and a portion of your pay is still going to a degree you finished years ago - you'll wish you saved that $25k (or whatever).

        If you go into engineering then I would highly recommend a common first year. The general skills you learn in that first year will make you a much more rounded person - even if they aren't specifically what you end up doing for in your job. I ended up doing my major in Software Engineering, but I don't regret the common first year at all.

        In terms of getting employed I would rate these things in order:

        1. Who you know
          -Network at uni: join clubs, and make friends with people in your classes.
          -Try to get some sort of work close to your field while you're studying - even if it starts as answering phones at an engineering firm.

        2. Your experience
          -Again, try to get some work close to your industry and get some basic resume filler experience.
          -Create your own projects: the more successful software engineers I know all had side projects or businesses while at uni.

        3. What you know
          -Grades are important…for your first couple of jobs. No one has looked at my degree certificate or academic transcript in many years, BUT, I did miss out on some good graduate jobs because I didn't try as hard at uni as I should have.
          -The successful students tend to group together (the same as high school), again, this comes back to the networking point.

      • Thenarrator on 23/12/2015 - 10:59

        Do you mind me asking what are your roles and positions now and where/what do you work?

  • iridiumstem on 19/12/2015 - 11:49
    +2

    If it is a double degree that you are considering, wouldn't you be able to try some of the courses and decide whether you want to drop it or not?

    I'd assume that you'd be able to try a course for a bit, if you don't like it, you would be able to drop the course before the census date without financial penalties. My 5 second google showed that Monash has a census date, if you withdraw before that, you'd not be penalised financially (even though some courses apparently penalise you by saying you've withdrawn from that course).

    Not sure whether you can change your double degree to a single degree without penality though (I've heard some people doing it, but I've not heard any details on it). It's not exactly a nice conversation topic to talk about.

    You'd be better off talking to the university you wish to go to. Talk to student administration or/and the colleges you are interested in. You'd probably see whether you want to do a double degree or a single degree easier if you try it out. You'd probably be better off trying it out than realising it's not your cup of tea at few years in.

    • droptester on 21/12/2015 - 10:19

      I can help chime into some of these details as a current student. I'm doing an IT/commerce degree at Monash.

      Doing a double degree and wanting to finish it as a single degree is generally pretty easy, you just apply for an alternative finish and you simply just finish the requirements for one of the degrees. Some faculties may have slight differences, but that would be the general rule of thumb at Monash.

      Deciding on which uni depends on what field you want to go into. Some courses like commerce are pretty much the same at all unis, so you may want the prestige that comes from Monash. But other Unis have specialties in some areas so that offsets the 'prestige'

    • Davo1111 on 24/12/2015 - 00:42

      From my experience double degrees are "more strict" because the electives are generally used for the other degree.

  • kipps on 19/12/2015 - 12:59
    +3

    I did a dual degree in IT/Law. Enjoyed both subjects, though, at times, the theoretical work became boring as hell. I can't imagine how bad it would have been if I didn't actually enjoy the subject matter.

    If you don't enjoy it (ie, business), do not do it merely because you think it will improve your job prospects. You have no idea how many hours you will have to endure to get that degree over the 2-3 years it will take (even with a dual degree), and you will be likely to drop it altogether down the track.

    I suggest you focus on the areas you actually enjoy and want to do.

    I wouldn't focus on the "prestige" of the university. Find out the differences between the various courses (ie, how practical/theoretical are they, what differences are there between the curriculum offered, etc). Make an informed decision based on things that actually matter.

    Find out how flexible the uni is about adding/removing units. Dual degrees might mean that you have far fewer elective units to complete the degree, and therefore, less flexibility to achieve what you want.

    • Randxyz123 on 19/12/2015 - 13:03

      Out of interest what kind of law subjects did you do and where did you do this double degree?

      • kipps on 19/12/2015 - 13:09

        QUT Brisbane. As I did a dual degree I had no capacity to choose electives in law. I think I only had about three elective units over five years, and they were all in respect of the IT degree (which had only one major offered - Information Systems).

  • Randxyz123 on 19/12/2015 - 13:23
    +1

    As some others have said you need to talk to a career advisor. Does your school have someone? Otherwise speak to student services at a Melbourne/Monash/RMIT/Swinburne

    You certainly can do a Masters of Engineering at Melbourne, the good thing about the Melbourne model is that you do a general science degree so there will be some flexibility.

    • ItsMeAgro on 21/12/2015 - 08:48
      +17

      As some others have said you need to talk to a career advisor. Does your school have someone?

      Do useful careers advisors exist?

      The one at my high school was utterly useless.

      • [Deactivated] on 21/12/2015 - 10:58
        +8

        Yep. The advice I received from my high school career adviser was worse than useless, it was confusing and just downright terrible advice.

        • MrFrugalSpend on 24/12/2015 - 16:04
          +1

          Yes, I have to agree, no offence to career advisors, but their career isn't exactly excelling speaking to children about jobs for a living when they are talking to high achievers that could be lawyer, engineers, doctors, etc.

          My two cents on it, go into a course that leads to a career that is specific enough to get paid for technical knowledge, but general enough to have plenty of career choices and respond to changes in market conditions.

          E.g. a lawyer can branch off into various specialties, but have enough technical knowledge to be paid accordingly and not wondering what jobs they can get. Engineering is probably another good example, but has taken a beating in job opportunities lately due to economic declines.

    • caradpam on 21/12/2015 - 10:02
      +2

      The careers advisor was recommending Swinburne just because of the scholarship.

  • serpserpserp on 19/12/2015 - 13:41
    +46

    Listen, forget prestige. If it really bothers you down the line, go get a Masters for a G8 uni. But for now, concentrate on what is right for your circumstances.

    Are you relatively poor and can't afford much? Then my suggestion is to go to Swinburne. As someone who has studied at both Swinburne and a G8 uni, I can tell you that Swinburne is regarded highly enough in Engineering in Melbourne (outside of Melbourne no one cares what Uni you went to be honest, if you move to Sydney and said you did uni in Melbourne, most people stop listening at that point) and if you do well at Uni you'll get a job.

    It sounds like you live at home with your parents in Melbourne, so you have no costs to cover anyway. So really just go for the degree that sounds the most interesting to YOU because if you do a degree for prestige reasons and hate it, you will regret going to uni and may do poorly.

    Remember, you can always start at one uni and change if it isn't for you. Being able to go to uni straight out of high school is an absolute privilege that not everyone gets afforded. So taking an extra year or two throughout your uni stage of life to get the education that is right for you is no big deal (although your peers will tell you otherwise).

    • Randxyz123 on 19/12/2015 - 14:01
      +12

      The most sensible comment

    • Dsquall on 21/12/2015 - 23:05

      This x1000 (ex-comm/law student from a Go8 uni). Do what you're passionate about, if you don't have a passion yet follow one your interests, you'll eventually find what you love.

      Also with regards to double degrees, only do it if you're interested in both, don't do a double because everyone else is and you think by not doing it you're somehow losing out on something. It's like making use of an offer where an additional product is offered at reduced price, whether or not it is an actual bargain depends on whether or not you need can gain anything out of this added product. You may say in the case of an added degree you save time, which can be true. However, if you're uncertain about what you want to do in the future, locking yourself into a double degree can often result in wasting time rather than gaining it. It's easy enough to finish a 2-3 years bachelors and once you've gained more of an understanding of what you enjoy complete a masters in whatever you want, if you're doing a double degree you can potentially come out 4-5 years later disliking both of your qualifications.

  • Google Chrome on 19/12/2015 - 13:46
    +3

    I completed my engineering degree(chemical) at Monash a few years ago. I have to say I was really lucky to be selected for a graduate position really early in my degree. Now I work for the company earning around 150k. The option I suggest you take is to do Engineering/Commerce at Monash as you would be in a very good position to secure a job if you were to apply for a job in either of the field, places are competitive so you need to have good grades and extracurriculars, otherwise you need connections through networking nights that regularly come up throughout the year in uni.

    PS. This year i was also asked to participate in recruitment selection for next year (common for employees to be asked to do this at least once). When filtering through applications, candidates are already separated into 2 piles depending on the university they went to…

    • serpserpserp on 20/12/2015 - 12:37
      +2

      Are you saying that one pile is people being discriminated against for not going to a particular uni? Remember that one businesses prejudices is not the entire workforce. I would honestly dislike working for a company that hired people from only one or two universities. They'd all think the same way and the diversity would be limiting.

      • Google Chrome on 20/12/2015 - 13:17
        +1

        Nah mate, it's actually for the exact opposite reason. Around the same number of candidates is selected out of both piles but the selection criteria is different. As long as you are in a pile then your odds of being selected is much higher than being in one big pool of candidates. That's just how my company recruits and it follows in line with many other big companies of its size.

    • Roney on 20/12/2015 - 15:25

      The same here. I was picked for a well-paid job in WA after completing Chem Eng degree at Monash. I haven't come across many from non-G8 uni in here.

  • Vampyr on 19/12/2015 - 15:17
    +10

    Don't do Mech Eng at RMIT. It's not a good course.

    My advice to you, is to write an email to someone in a job you ultimately would want and ask if you can have a 10 minute conversation with them about their job/career etc. Write down a list of questions. Most people would be happy to give their time to an aspiring xxxx.

    Don't do it and find out later that your idea what you would be doing on the day to day is different to reality..

    • ojm on 21/12/2015 - 09:40

      Why do you say mechanical engineering is bad at RMIT?

      • Vampyr on 21/12/2015 - 12:39
        +3

        Mostly poor quality lecturers / tutors.

    • Clear on 21/12/2015 - 11:58
      +2

      I've never actually seen anyone say anything good about RMIT…

    • andyfc on 21/12/2015 - 18:54
      +2

      Agreed, I started Electrical Eng at RMIT, it was pretty woeful, I initially chose it because of its great rep for electronic/electrical engineering. Ended up transferring to Swinburne (Mechanical), absolutely fantastic. I was very impressed with the quality of teaching (especially in final 2 years!), facilities, practicals etc. Have a few mates from Monash at it didn't seem like there was any difference.

      • dltra on 22/12/2015 - 13:20

        no difference between Monash/Swinburne or Monash/RMIT eng? studying electrical eng at Monash atm

        • andyfc on 23/12/2015 - 17:59

          Swinburne/Monash.

          I work with a Monash Mech Grad, and I am a Swinburne Mech Grad. Both were very happy with respective uni's.

        • dltra on 24/12/2015 - 00:20

          @andyfc: ah cool. makes me feel somewhat better about finally choosing Monash over RMIT a few years back haha

    • TurkishDelight on 22/12/2015 - 01:01
      +2

      Don't do Mech Eng at RMIT. It's not a good course.

      This.

    • Powershopz on 22/12/2015 - 12:43
      +1

      I'm quite curious as to why everyone's hanging shit on RMIT? When did you guys study? I did Mech Eng between 2006-2011 and thought the courses was ok. Yes, there were some crappy lecturers but you get that at all unis.

      • ThadtheChad on 23/12/2015 - 08:54

        +1

        I did my post-grad studies at RMIT (in Mathematics). Found the course to be really good; also most of the lecturers were amazing.

        Very curious to hear why the Engg depts are screwing the pooch.

  • caradpam on 19/12/2015 - 15:35
    +1

    Thanks for your help so far guys, I really appreciate it.

    So now I'm probably thinking more Swinburne or Monash.
    I'm not particularly poor, but I do like the idea of the Swinburne scholarship. However, I can only do mechanical as it is the only major that interest me.
    I also like the idea of the Monash common first year, but I don't really want to pass up the opportunity for the scholarship if both courses are somewhat similar.

      • Google Chrome on 19/12/2015 - 17:17
        +3

        What's wrong with Monash? I rate Monash and Rmit higher than Melbourne when it comes to Engineering.

      • [Deactivated] on 19/12/2015 - 17:58

        I think you'll find that Monash is more highly regarded than UNSW. Agreed that USYD and Melbourne Uni are the most prestigious.

      • pandabun on 20/12/2015 - 10:24
        +3

        When I was finishing high school and while in uni, I thought that graduating from Usyd was awesome. 15 years later, when we meet new people, we never ask what uni they are from but we do ask what kind of education background they have / degree / course etc.

        I know someone who transferred from Usyd to Macq Uni so he could do distance learning. When he graduated, he got a position at Macq Bank. What I'm saying is your results matter more than the uni name.

        • [Deactivated] on 20/12/2015 - 10:28

          Do you even participate in any of USYD's alumni events or have a strong network? It seems like you never took advantage of the opportunities USYD had. You just did your degree and that was it. The results mattered only for my first job. After that my employers did not care.

          I suppose Monash is quite good having looked at its programs and research in engineering.

        • captobvious on 20/12/2015 - 11:26
          +2

          The results really only matter for your graduate year. after 10 years of working it comes down to your quals, experience and references. Not forgetting how well someone does in the interview.

          Most if not all the Australian universities teach their students to an acceptable standard, generally employers here are not university snobs, you'll probably find there is more an issue with gender equality, racism and age discrimination which would be more of an issue than where you graduated.

          However there is the "Quality" of graduates and I have interviewed applicants who have graduated from universities like Oxford, Cambridge etc that are just absolutely brilliant people and depending on the role its not very often they don't get short listed.

        • GameChanger on 20/12/2015 - 11:30

          @btdroppedbox: I think after 1 year your university becomes irrelevant ;). I think the top tier Uni's here don't compared to Oxford simply because they attract the best minds from all over the world.

        • Eivad on 21/12/2015 - 08:45

          @btdroppedbox: In my profession the results and your university still matter 5 years into the workforce. I wish it didn't, though.

        • ThadtheChad on 23/12/2015 - 08:56

          @Eivad:

          Really? Definitely doesn't appear to be the norm in most cases.

          If you don't mind my asking, what would your profession be?

        • ThadtheChad on 23/12/2015 - 09:13

          @tendollar:

          My sister did her Master's specialisation (power engineering) from USYD and then subsequently did another Master's specialisation from UC Santa Clara.

          The quality of courseware, lecturers, infrastructure and the overall university experience was significantly better than USYD. She was living with me while doing her course, and based on my observations of her daily coursework (and interactions with lecturers) it really didn't seem any better than RMIT (where I did my studies) tbh. Also, my course was a whopping 20k cheaper.

          The whole 'Go8' thing is a bit of a sham, IMHO. It's a pseudo Ivy-League; the intention is to ramp up brand-value akin to the Ivy-league universities, while not having the "substance" (funding, support, infrastructure, quality of courseware etc) of an Ivy-leage university.

          @OP
          In my personal experience, it really does not matter what Uni you go to. My first employer (a big 4 bank) didn't even ask during the interview process. The most important thing is to do something that you really are passionate about… and it needs to have a good "demand" in the job market. Also, while in Uni, network as much as you can. Take part in IEEE events, attend expos etc.

          Lastly, study while you're in Uni. Don't faff about. You've made the decision to go there, so make it worthwhile. You'll reap the rewards later. :)

  • Hotpotcorn on 19/12/2015 - 16:21
    +1

    What atar did u get?

    • caradpam on 19/12/2015 - 16:42
      +4

      98.55, so I could probably be able to get into any eng course.

      • Hotpotcorn on 19/12/2015 - 18:28

        any tips for vce?

        • mrham on 20/12/2015 - 23:32

          Study. Don't stress about the result. Let the score take care of itself.

        • anonymous01 on 21/12/2015 - 01:11
          +5

          @mrham: I did that.. the second and third part I mean.. didn't work out well for me.

        • mrham on 21/12/2015 - 01:46
          +1

          @anonymous01: I should have said study hard ;-)

        • centrelink on 21/12/2015 - 02:50
          -5

          @mrham:
          Yep, studying hard is the best way. You'd be retarded if you got a poor score from studying 24/7.

      • [Deactivated] on 21/12/2015 - 14:16
        +1

        I was going to say business/management plus something else like logistics, IT, law, economics would take you far but I didn't realise your score was so high.

        If I had that score I would be applying for a B grade medical course and then try to slip into the medicine stream. Also consider Biomedical engineering. Or just do medicine at a B grade uni.

        Edit: Massive growth in health is expected. Probably our only growing industry.

        • caradpam on 21/12/2015 - 15:01

          What would you consider a B-Grade uni?

          At the moment my first preference is at Monash. If I choose the right subjects in a science degree I should be able to get into medicine.

        • Pyrock on 21/12/2015 - 19:18

          @caradpam:

          If you are actually interested in Medicine then most med courses are post grad (like the Melbourne model) - except for Monash(which is apparently going to change somewhat soon)

          With an ATAR like that you shouldn't have any trouble meeting the requirements to get into Med but the trouble is that it is a long path to go down (3 years undergrad and 4 years postgrad) so if you dont think you will like the content - Do not pursue this path as you will likely get bored and not do too well.

          I got a pretty decent ATAR (Enter back then) and went through the Melbourne model - doing a Bachelor of Biomed at Melbourne uni and once i finished that i realized that i didnt like that content enough to survive another 4 years of it.

          If you do decide to follow the Med path though, i will tell you this;
          The "standards" at universities like Melbourne Uni are a lot higher than other universities.
          I had many other friends doing quite similar courses at different unis and they had a much easier time getting the same marks than we did at Melbourne.
          Their assessments were often a lot more relaxed and the amount of content that you needed to know was less. I had a couple of friends who actually felt that they weren't learning enough at their uni in certain subjects - so they borrowed all my lecture notes to get more content.

      • iamapineapple on 22/12/2015 - 08:53

        Bro, if you did the UMAT, your hopes for medicine are not gone, if that is something you would genuinely like to do.

        • Thenarrator on 23/12/2015 - 11:04
          +1

          UMATs fuarkked.. i got 43 or something

  • [Deactivated] on 19/12/2015 - 16:27
    +1

    Engineering (Mechanical)/Commerce

    Get a job in finance if you suck at design work and get bored of the engineering design process and learn lots of moneysssss.

    • Powershopz on 22/12/2015 - 12:46

      Haha this is exactly what I did.

      It's a messed up world where you can move to a finance/business strategic role and get paid more for doing easier work.

      • Thenarrator on 23/12/2015 - 11:06
        -1

        no you cant.. if you work for 5 years in engineering and u jump into finance, you start of as a beginner finance grad doing basic analysis and get a standard 50k-60k salary.. you cant go into a fiannce position that requires 5 years of finance experience… what Im trying to say is, you start fresh as soon as you make the transition.

  • rawm on 19/12/2015 - 16:37
    +15

    90 or 180 are my favourites. 360 makes me dizzy.

    • blitz on 19/12/2015 - 19:28
      +12

      Acute joke there.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 20/12/2015 - 20:44
        +9

        Too bad the obtuse won't get it.

  • captobvious on 19/12/2015 - 16:39
    +3

    ADFA. After high school I took a gap year and was undecided, there was the possibility i could walk into a job at the family business but I decided to sign up to the ADF. Best decision i made, I've seen a few war zones, i've seen half the world, i got my degree and my masters degree all payed for and I got payed while doing them, played with lots of awesome toys, i got all the experience i needed and i made many life long friends that i could bet my life on. Sorry this does sound like the ad but there is a lot of truth to it, There are many perks like housing and benefits but there was the constant postings, away from home that eventually got too much for me and my family so I pulled the pin and went into reserves instead. It was okay in my younger single years

    The skills i gained and the qualifications i attained have been very beneficial in my civilian life. Something to consider if you are up for an adventure, its not for everyone but could be an option. If you are looking at an engineering degree then you cant go wrong.

    • [Deactivated] on 19/12/2015 - 18:27

      ADFA train technicians not REAL engineers. Their engineering degree is a joke

      The benefits are excellent, though.

  • imtahir7 on 19/12/2015 - 17:50

    my bro just finished year 12.

    he got 89.35. planning on going to melb commerce needs 88 as he went to an under rep school.

    looking at actuarial studies. basically full math, really tough course but pays really well.

    i went to swinburne doing a bachelor of business.

    unis fine cant complain. prestige only matters for your first job as its hardest to get after that no one gives a toss or so they say.

    im still studying at latrobe now.

    melbourne is the best uni ranked as a whole in melb but you should look at the course and see what the course itself is ranked.

    the whole everywhere else is shit besides monash and melb is just garbage.

    • currentfad on 20/12/2015 - 11:41
      +7

      Not trying to be rude but 89.35 + actuarial studies = no way in hell. I do actl at UNSW with a bunch of mates who all got 98-99+ after doing extension 2 math in year 12 and most of us are sitting on distinction, with a couple dropping out on credit.

      • imtahir7 on 20/12/2015 - 12:53
        +1

        i dont doubt for a second it will be ridiculously tough. i dont think he realises how tough it will be.

        but he wants to give it a go. doesnt work out he can change majors with the credit hes got and move somewhere else.

        i have a few friends who say the exam for the professional body is so bloody hard some have failed 3 or more times.

        • Google Chrome on 20/12/2015 - 13:44

          Many acturial students don't end up working in acturial firms because these companies only hire 1-2 each. Some only hire acturial graduates every few years because there is simply no job openings or any more room to fit in graduates. So as a result many of them end up applying for the other streams and because the subjects are ridiculous tough, their GPA/WAM won't look very nice.

        • X35rgfF45 on 22/12/2015 - 17:49

          While this is true, employers know how difficult actuarial is so as long as you meet the arbitrary cutoff you should be fine.

        • GameChanger on 22/12/2015 - 20:49

          @UnknownCamper: Employers do not nor care about the difficulty especially firms in other industries that don't know what actuarials does.

        • X35rgfF45 on 22/12/2015 - 21:33

          I don't think employers are as stupid as you think they are, sure some of them might be, but larger graduate employers know that majors like like engineering, law, and actuarial are more difficult than stuff like accounting and sociology.

        • GameChanger on 22/12/2015 - 21:43

          @UnknownCamper: You do know the larger the employer the greater chance the first barrier is HR. Difficulty means squat to most employers, even though a pass average could be equivalent to a Distinction in Accounting, the D Accounting student will be get past the first hurdle.

          Many HR departments will be like if you can't achieve a good mark, then you weren't good enough for that course.

      • Bargain Hunter 007 on 22/12/2015 - 11:03
        +1

        I got 87 and studied Civil & Infrastructure Engineering at RMIT, I scraped in with that score.

        Proceeded to get 3.6 GPA (slightly more HD's and D's.. 1 Credit for the course), which put me in the top 5%. Substantially better than a lot of the people who get very high ENTER/ ATAR scores - some who got 99's and barely passed.

        Uni is a different ball game than high school, do not think that a good ATAR will mean you will do well at uni, especially if you went to a prestigious high school (I did not).

        • GameChanger on 22/12/2015 - 21:45
          +1

          Spot on mate, school is bs system that favors students who are jack numerous subjects. Once you get into Uni the people who have a real passion for a course can excel.

    • slix_88 on 21/12/2015 - 15:09

      I'm a qualified actuary working for a big 4 consultancy in the field.

      Actuarial Studies is certainly a rewarding career but it should come with massive disclaimers! It's by no means a simple degree, let alone the studies one would need to undertake in their path to Fellowship.

      89.35 is a good ATAR but I'm not sure if it's high enough. Did he get 90+ for both Maths Extension subjects (or whatever the equivalent is in Melbourne)? If not, then he should consider looking at other options. From my personal experience, I saw a large amount of actuarial students reluctantly yet forcibly transfer unis and degrees after their first year, losing precious time, stress and money; I would say about 40% of my cohort (all 96+ ATARs as that is the requirement at my uni) dropped the major. Of the remaining 60%, approximately half ended up with a job requiring an actuarial major of which another 30-40% have now attained their credentials as fully qualified actuaries (after 4 years of work experience).

  • InfraRed on 19/12/2015 - 19:55
    +7

    Go where your interests take you.

    Personally, I recommended against Mech Eng. Sh*t job prospects but since you got 98 you might be ok as long as you double your efforts now. Join extra curricular things, volunteer for stuff, look for a part time job with an engineering company (doesn't have to be an engineering job I.e. factory work)

    I did Mech Eng + Commerce and it took me basically a year for an internship which I had to beg for and got lucky and that only lasted 2 months. I'm still looking for eng work now. I finished with a Distinction average, part time experience, volunteer work and extra curics. So I stress DONT BE ANOTHER STATISTIC! WORK HARD NOW!

  • GameChanger on 19/12/2015 - 20:57
    +2

    Stay AWAY from Chemical engineering, the job prospects are actually worse than an freaking Arts degree. Unless you can get 1st Class honors and willing to move the degree may as well be thrown in the bin.

    Also don't look at rankings of uni the cream at the top at any University is ranked above the middle at a G8 from the small sample size of people I know.

    • karu on 22/12/2015 - 04:34
      +1

      Can confirm. Credit Chemical Engineering/Commerce student from a G8 university and working at a service desk.

      Kill me.

      • GameChanger on 24/12/2015 - 19:06

        Yeah it sucks! Know countless people in the same situation.

        You think you will find something even relating to any of those degrees?

    • Powershopz on 22/12/2015 - 12:50
      +1

      I use to work with a guy who did chem eng at Melbourne. He then went on to do his PHD on explosive slurry compounds for mining. It took him 7 years (including the time he spent on hid PHD) to find a job after he graduated his bachelors and even then he had to move to WA for it.

      • ThadtheChad on 23/12/2015 - 09:18

        He's probably making an absolute f**kton though?

        Knew some chem enggs during my time in WA, were making 200-250k while I was a tiny fraction in comparison.

  • jpv on 19/12/2015 - 21:20
    +1

    Congrats! I just finished my degree at RMIT. I did a Bachelor of Engineering (Computer and Networks)/Bachelor of Computer Science. Doing the double degree was a very smart choice but it does increase your workload. You will be overloading one semester a year so instead of doing 8 subjects per year, you will be doing 9. On the bright side, you will have both the technical and business perspective if you complete a double degree with commerce.

    At RMIT, first and second year are very broad. For example if you choose to do Electrical Engineering, you will be placed with Computer, Network, Electronic, Telecommunication engineers for the first 2 years. After that, you will start majoring in what you want to do.

    From what I hear from friends, the chances of getting a job in Civil and Chemical Engineering are very hard. My mate graduated last year from Civil Engineering and he still hasn't found a job. With this said, everyone has different experiences.

    Some tips I can give you are to find an internship ASAP. If there are extra curricular events with tech companies, join them. I.E. Become a Google ambassador, join the Telstra University Challenge.

    Good luck in the future. Remember, you're better of changing degrees in your first year than completing something that you'll hate doing.

    • Clear on 21/12/2015 - 12:02

      I did a similar degree myself and now working at a major international teleco. Double degree of IT and Engeering is the way to go.

  • DeafMutePretender on 20/12/2015 - 06:15
    +1

    Any basis on the claim that even the engineering field is facing an oversupply of engineering degree graduates?

    • GameChanger on 20/12/2015 - 11:21
      +3

      I know in WA this is the case.

      Here are some statistics Curtin took in 600, UWA 300, ECU 70 and Murdoch 70 thats 1000+ engineering graduates. Even with a failure rate of 50% 500 graduates!

      These numbers are far too high to meet the demand of the market, especially in engineering.

      • Funky Moose on 21/12/2015 - 20:08

        Meh, doesn't really matter though. In 5 years time the job market will be totally different…

        • GameChanger on 21/12/2015 - 20:24

          Not really because off shoring work is progressing a ridiculous rate, if anything the graduate market will get worst.

          End of day everything is a business and hiring decisions are made from a financial point of view.

        • Funky Moose on 21/12/2015 - 21:42

          @GameChanger: That applies to almost every industry and has been happening since the first time something 'made in Japan' displaced a locally made good. Its been 50+ years and the sky has yet to fall.

          The particular problem in engineering is due to everyone chasing the boom (and signing up to do engineering) and then the boom ending. In 5 years time that problem will have played out.

        • GameChanger on 21/12/2015 - 22:25

          @Funky Moose: Nope, what is going to occur over the next decades is disruption to white collar jobs not seen since manufacturing days. Uni's offer an out dated system, that will fail graduates/ already has.

    • Vampyr on 22/12/2015 - 07:35

      Such an oversupply. I get annoyed at universities advertising mechanical engineering courses when there are so many grads working odd jobs who would give anything for a foot in the door. They are a business, so I get it.

      I think the government should give subsidies to courses for things we need and none to those we have an excess of, on sliding scale.

  • activ8 on 20/12/2015 - 07:06
    +2

    I've worked as a chemical engineer for the past 15 years in a large oil and gas company. I don't know how the graduates finishing now find jobs. There are a lot of experienced engineers who have been made redundant since 2009. I'd recommend you choose a degree that has good employment prospects.

    • caradpam on 20/12/2015 - 07:50
      +1

      In your opinion which degree has the best job prospects?

      • GameChanger on 20/12/2015 - 11:07
        +3

        The best prospects are your parents contacts, you can study any degree and land a job if your parents have contacts in the industry.

        Otherwise you enter a game of probability where you need good marks and EC to get an interview and only to get rejected by some dumb HR who thinks its a dating game lol

        • caradpam on 20/12/2015 - 16:51

          That's an issue though. My mum's a teacher's aide at a primary school and my dad's a network engineer. Dad would have some contacts but I don't really have a passion for IT and networks like that.

  • davidmwilliams on 20/12/2015 - 07:36
    +7

    "Prestige" is irrelevant. Once you have a degree and are applying for jobs you won't be telling people about your HSC results. Similarly, after a few years working and applying for new jobs you won't even be going into detail about your degree, merely that you have one, because it is your experience that will matter more then.

    Take the course which interests you the most and which you have the greatest drive for.

    • johnno07 on 20/12/2015 - 21:12

      Not sure why you got downvoted for this. This is completely true. Pick something you enjoy and can excel at. Doesn't matter if something has a 100% chance of employment at the end, if every morning is a toss up between going to work, or jumping off the nearest bridge. On the flip side, even if something has a very low chance of employment, if you are passionate about it and can excel at it (and sell yourself effectively) then chances are you'll land on your feet.

  • User167511 on 20/12/2015 - 11:43

    Job prospectivity is a key matter.

    Chemical Engineers face some declining prospects as the world moves away from oil gas and coal except for where there can be cost effective processes for making fossil fuel systems clean. That's proving tough and uneconomic versus alternative renewables.

    One field in engineering that I can guarantee you is going to boom is electrical because soon everything is going to be powered by it. Sure it has to be generated and at the moment that's largely using chemical processes but if COP21 is followed (the jury is out of that one!) there is going to be a massive swing against fossil fuelled power and particularly brown coal - which is looming as a huge issue (read opportunity) for Victoria where you live since that state has the biggest use of brown coal in the country.

    Hope this gives you some insight and inspiration.

    Another boom area is the Internet of things (IOT) as we go down to the micro level in sensing, monitoring, controlling and actuating everyday devices and things not yet dreamed of. The world is your oyster.

    By the way, I'm a mechanical engineer!

    • GameChanger on 20/12/2015 - 12:05
      +1

      A boom doesn't necessarily translate to a boom in the graduate market, its the engineers with experience that reap the most benefits. And with globalization experienced engineers are imported.

  • serpserpserp on 20/12/2015 - 12:45
    +1

    It has been asked here before and I haven't seen an answer. WHY do you want to do mech/chem engineering??? WHAT job do you see yourself doing in the future? You need to be BOLD and think about your dream job right now and then decide what degree you will do based off that. Different uni's have different links to specialties in industry so that is also important in your decision. You need to answer this what is my dream job question before we can help you more.

    • caradpam on 20/12/2015 - 15:01

      Well, that's the big issue really. I'm not entirely sure about the particular job I want to do, but since I'm good at maths/science and engineering makes use of this knowledge then I would probably want to do an engineering degree. Then, in this degree particularly at Monash, I could have a go at these subjects to see what I enjoy and then make a decision based on the work that I would do at uni.

      I was also lead to believe that there would be a relatively high number of jobs available in engineering.

      However, now I'm beginning to have second thoughts. Even though I do enjoy maths and physics, I think I enjoy chemistry and biology even more. I always had thoughts about becoming a doctor or specialist, but the post-grad pathway is kind of deterring me from that career. Also, if I do happen to fail, I get the feeling that I might be even worse off with just a biomed/science degree.

      I like the idea of being involved in large scale production of food or pharmaceuticals and maybe even brewing, but I'm not sure if I need a chem/mech eng degree for that.

      I would be willing to try an engineering/biomed double degree at Monash and possibly choose to continue one degree in the next year.

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