11. My Final Exams for Semester 1, 2013

It's always a huge relief to finish exams. My exams for this semester were dragged out over two weeks so exam period seemed longer than ever. I definitely favour spread out exams over back to back exams (which I experienced in second year). Overall, I felt that I was able to manage my time for exam study efficiently this semester. I found that doing little things like dancing to my favourite beats right before an exam helps relieve my pre-exam stress.

The easiest way to reflect on this semester's exams is probably chronologically.

• CVEN3201: Geotechnics was by far the most interesting subject to study this semester. The main reason for this was being able to relate to real life situations such as observing loads being applied on retaining walls. Doing past papers from 2008-2012 really aided my understanding in the subject. Preparations for this exam was quite straightforward since the course was so well-designed with sufficient amount of resources. No worked solutions (only final answer) for the past papers were not provided which I found beneficial as I was forced to test my understanding. My final exam consisted of 4 questions (the previous papers had 5). I was pretty bummed out that they missed out on covering the Lateral Earth Pressure topic as that would have been easy marks for me. Question 2 addressed the Cone Penetration Test (CPT) which we only covered briefly in the course. The consensus from my cohort was that it took us by surprise. Apart from that, the rest of the paper were very similar to the past papers.


• CVEN3501: Water Resources was quite straightforward, 50% theory, 50% calculations. Not too confident for the multiple choice section but all in all, a decent test.


• CVEN2301: Each question in Mechanics of Solids took quite a bit of time to complete. No difficult concepts to wrap my head around except getting through the calculations. Having to use my brain for three hour straight really drained my brain juice. By the end of the test, I was exhausted. 


• CVEN3401: By the time, my Transport exam came around, I was glad that it was almost over. Pretty straightforward exam. The second traffic question was deceiving as the Network system looked quite complicated and I thought I would have to spend a good half hour on it but upon closer inspection, it was actually the easiest test in the paper and it only took 5 minutes to complete. Relief! Someone forgot to supply us a graph for us to complete the last question so it was cancelled. The marks were then distributed within the pavement design section. Slightly irritated that happened as I had went through a very similar question the night before and was quite capable of obtaining the marks for that question. 

That brings Semester 1, 2013 to a close. I have work lined up everyday (except weekends) in the holidays. Most engineering internship applications open during the break so I will probably be looking into those as well. All the best to my peers who are also applying for jobs.

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6. Preface of Semester 1, 2013

Semester has commenced and I'll be taking on three 3rd year subject and one 2nd year subject; CVEN2301: Mechanics of Solids, CVEN3201: Applied Geotechnics and Engineering Geology, CVEN3401: Sustainable Transport and Highway Engineering and CVEN3501: Water Resources Engineering.

First week back was mild. The introductory routine was made for each course, thankfully they were all brief which meant that we could promptly start the course content in the first lecture(s). Solids was just revision of centroids and second moment of area from CVEN1300. There are many small assessments in this course which helps you keep on track throughout the entire semester which include four quizzes, a midsem and finals. Moving onto 3201, the course is split into two parts, Geology and Geotechnics. The first six weeks is spent on geology so first week involved revision of high school geography - plate tectonics and the rock cycle, nothing too straining. Similarly, water resources is also very theoretical first week, focused mostly on the water cycle. Highlight of the week was definitely transport. Our lecturer, Travis Waller is excellent. He's American, quirky and makes traffic interesting with his real-life examples. Noting that, I have considered looking into Transport as my major, this was my first taste of the sweet journey (down the road). This course is split into three sections, Traffic, Road Design and Pavement Design. There are only three assignments throughout the semester so I definitely look forward to those.

Overall, my first week back was quite pleasant and we shall see how everything pans out as we move along the semester.

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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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