4. UNSW Student Ambassador Scheme for 2013

If you follow UNSW Faculty of Engineering on Facebook, you would have seen a post about the Student Ambassador Scheme for 2013. Pretty hard to miss, especially with the red jumpers and rhetorical questions. If you don't follow them, jump on the bandwagon and do so.

It's an amazing opportunity to interact with your peers whilst spreading the engineering love to young ones that are just looking for some guidance. I have a few friends that are a part of this scheme and they tell me it's a rewarding experience. It involves appearing at a few events each year such as UNSW O-week and travelling to a few high schools, sprinkling engineering dust wherever you go. Of course, everyone wonders about the pay. I am unable to disclose the exact pay rate but let's just say, there won't be any complaints. Not to mention it looks great on your resume.

I had a browse through the application form. Let's just say, it's not a form for the weak-minded. It includes many pitstops: Personal Information, UNSW Educational Information, High School Educational Information, Personal Statement which includes six questions, Contact details of referee, a copy of your Academic Transcript and Resume (optional). Most of it is relatively easy to fill out, the only section that may require some thought is the Personal Statement section. These questions are pretty generic for an engineering-related application form and after filling out a few of these, you'll realise that.

Why did you choose to study engineering at UNSW? Why did you select your program? How are you involved in UNSW Community Life? Have you previously undertaken a leadership/advisory role? If so, please provide details. Please give an example when you have demonstrated excellent customer service skills. What makes you a suitable candidate for this role?

Answering these questions not only brings you one step closer to this job but it allows you to reflect on yourself and the choices you make/have made. For example, if some of the questions stumped you, it may be a wake-up call to be more proactive so the next time you come across a similar question, you will take it - head on.

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3. The Transition - It's never too late

It took me two and a half years. I had the run of the mill with accounting, economic and biological science courses and none of it was just doing it for me. Floating around and having no clue about career prospects frightened me. Alas, the face of engineering came to my rescue and it was good riddance to that foggy part of my life.

During the start of the transition, I found the engineering course different and much more difficult. The prerequisite mathematics and science courses consisted of lengthy weekly homework sets and laboratory classes which gave little flavor of the interesting parts. Of course, I knew nothing great is ever presented to you on a silver platter and this was all part of building my foundation to becoming a kickass engineer one day.

Settling into my new course took some time to readjust (timetable hours, homework load, class structure) and I admit that I did struggle a little to keep up in the beginning. Each person adapts to change differently and I found that even though I was certain about my choice, a part of me was still questioning the decision I had made to transfer to civil engineering. Not questions about my 'calling' but more about adapting to a new environment. Of course, this is all part of the transition process.

Now that I have grown accustomed to my new course, I notice a stark contrast between engineering and business students. Engineering students integrate group forums and a large collection of resources into their learning. There is also a strong emphasis on teamwork and communication. Each subject had a group work component whether it be a six-person design project (ENGG1000) or pairing up in laboratory classes (PHYS1121).

Having only four hundred in a cohort, it is easier for the civil engineering students to interact with each other compared to the 1200+ kids in business. All in all, CE kids are friendly, willing open to help a newcomer like me settle in and learn the ins and outs of all things civil.

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2. Engineering - The Ninja Profession

I came across this inspirational piece the other day. It really highlights how rewarding it is to work in the engineering sector and what it really means to be an engineer.

" Engineering has been called the 'invisible' or 'stealth' profession. It is the career of fulfillment and satisfaction. Engineers use their imagination and analytical skills to design, invent and build structures that matter. They are team players with independent minds who turn ideas into reality. Many become licensed professional engineers in order to better protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. By dreaming up creative and practical solutions, engineers are changing the world all the time. 

The greatest inventors of the past were creative, intelligent thinkers who imagined solutions. This embodies engineering today. Engineers are called upon to answer difficult technical problems that involve creating solutions that require innovation and invention. Engineers are modern-day inventors. "

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1. My Backstory and Why I Started This Blog

In a society with such an abundant and diverse pool of occupations, we are constantly being asked about our careers and the choices we make for that career. From a young age, we aspire to be someone great; to be recognised for our actions. And though the decisions we make then don't affect us directly, we essentially pave the way to our future profession whether it be through the hobbies we develop or finding tasks we excel at.
I wasn't someone who knew from the get go what I wanted to do with my life. At times I envied those who identified their 'calling' at an early age because they were able to work towards their goal while I was still searching. During my high school life, I would pick careers that sounded cool or jobs that rumoured to pay well. I was naive, young and not well acquainted with career prospects. I would constantly be unsatisfied with my choice as none of the professions I chose truly interested me.

Coming from an all girl school, I was never exposed to engineering. It was rarely talked about as it was a 'male dominated' profession (which is something I want to address in a later blog post). I knew very little what an engineer did.

As a result of my uncertainty, I chose to pursue a profession in the business sector as I believed it would be a 'safe' option. I began my university life meeting so many people from various degrees. Listening to their stories really opened my eyes. In particular, I became good friends with an Engineering Student Ambassador. Soon after, I found myself sitting in on his Construction lectures in my breaks which I found more interesting than my accounting classes. The more I exposed myself to engineering, the more I realised that this was it - my 'calling'. Needless to say, I felt a huge sense of relief, a huge burden off my shoulders was lifted. This is where my journey as a civil engineer began.

Since settling into my civil engineering degree, I have been thankful everyday for the change I made and now that I've come to terms with what I do, I want to share my experiences with other students out there that are interested in pursuing engineering or even for current engineering students who enjoy a good read. From here on in, I will be posting anything civil related that tickles my fancy and I hope that I can provide an inside eye to what civil engineering is all about.

And hopefully one day, I'll make a kickass engineer!

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