Studying Civil Engineering at Uni – a student’s guide
Interested in studying civil engineering at university or wondering what the subject involves? If so, then read on…
Seb has just completed his 2nd year of a civil engineering degree at Manchester University. He’s currently working at the JPS office for a few weeks during his summer holidays to gain some valuable work experience, and money too! Seb has been working with us as a student since his A levels three years ago. At college, Seb studied A levels in Maths, Physics and Design and Technology and an AS in Music. We asked him to share with us his experience of what it’s like to study civil engineering and what his plans are for the future.
What is civil engineering?
Studying for a degree in civil engineering involves developing the knowledge to design, build, and maintain infrastructure like bridges, roads, and buildings. The modules studied vary from uni to uni but the majority will involve mathematics and physics and their practical application. As a civil engineering student, you will study different areas of civil engineering, such as highways, geo-technic and structural engineering and also useful skills such as construction and project management
Why civil engineering?
I chose to study civil engineering because of the wide range of career opportunities it offers after graduation. I enjoy the subject and its impact on society and the way it shapes the world around us. I am also quite a creative person and like a good challenge, and I thought that civil engineering would be the perfect subject for this.
Why Manchester University?
I chose Manchester Uni for many reasons, such as the course facilities and the high employability rate after graduation. I also like the city itself; as Manchester is historically an industrial city, the architecture is very interesting. In addition, Manchester has been experiencing significant investment and development in recent years, There has therefore been many opportunities for civil engineering students, such as construction site visits. The social aspect of Manchester is not lacking either, there are hundreds of pubs and bars scattered across the city and plenty of activities for students.
A typical day a civil engineering student
My typical weekday almost always starts with an early morning (for a student) and a good breakfast. After getting myself ready, I make my way over to the first lecture of the day and take notes during the lecture to study afterwards. Lunch usually takes place at around 1:00pm and there is a number of places where I can eat, however, most of the time I make a packed lunch.
After lunch, lectures usually resume until around 4:00pm, after which, I head to the sports center to play sports with friends. Manchester offers a range of sports activities for everyone, I personally like to play squash.
At 8:00pm, I have dinner, usually my flat mate and I cook together to save time, and then begin to prepare for the next day. I head to bed at around 10:00 pm and read a book for an hour before falling asleep.
During exam season, there are no lectures and so I have to work independently and put the majority of my time into studying. Time management is important for me during this time, that’s why I tend to batch cook to save time.
Favourite module?
My favourite module in uni is Design. This topic is a full semester group coursework where students are tasked with designing a structure. I enjoy the module because there is always more than 1 solution to the project. We work as a team, and have to use our own initiative to solve the problems that are presented to us. It’s a bit closer to real life situations than other topics.
What surprised you about the course?
I was surprised about the pace at which I learnt information. I have probably learnt more in 2 years at uni than the rest of my time in education!
What are your future plans?
I plan to graduate university with a Masters degree and work towards a chartership.
Any advice for civil engineering students starting in September?
Any advice for civil engineering students starting in September?One of the things I should have done before I arrived at university was to research the place before I arrived, especially in a big city. I turned up to Manchester and realised I didn’t know where anything was!
Another tip is to speak with the 2nd or 3rd year students about where they go so that you can find all of the good spots at your uni.
I would also suggest that you start thinking about work experience as soon as possible as it gets more and more difficult in later years to apply as you have less time and become more busy the further you are into the course.
For further info, here’s a link to a civil engineering subject guide:
JPS welcomes many work experience students every year ranging from a few days to Summer placements. We can not always guarantee a placement, however we welcome any interested students to get in touch with us via our website or email https://jpstructural.co.uk/contact/
We wish Seb every luck in his 3rd year at university.
