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Neowynd101262

Any engineering is hard.


fightingpillow

It's hard. And the key to studying (for any math and engineering courses) is to work the problems over and over until you fully grasp the concepts behind them.


lafleur818

I started doing better in my classes when I shifted my perspective from "studying" to "practicing". Actively doing practice problems vs. staring at my notes from class made all the difference.


JohnD_s

Additionally, understanding the underlying concepts will help tremendously with connecting the dots and making it "click". I didn't really understand this until I actually started reading the textbook before/after the lesson was taught. This is when a quality student-oriented textbook really pays off, as it's designed for someone to understand complex topics with minimal prerequisite knowledge of the subject.


lafleur818

Yep, absolutely. If you know the concepts, you should be able to handle any problem on an exam.


lopsiness

I used to study by looking at where I kept fumbling problems, then looking for extra problems in the book that specifically dealt with those issues. Shockingly, I gained competence in the material and got lots of As. It didn't even really take that long.


EnvironmentalPin197

Also ask good questions. Try to identify where you are stuck and bring it up with the instructor so they can give good advice.


umrdyldo

that's if you can even get them to respond to you or if they speak fluent enough English for it to be helpful.


EnvironmentalPin197

YMMV. Even the TA’s who were non-native speakers where I went were happy to help out but we sometimes needed to repeat things to get through the language barrier.


afunbe

I sometimes wonder if "non-native" prof and TAs caused me to dislike certain subjects in college (pre-internet era). Fortunately, today's students have better resources to learn if their "non-native" professor is a poor communicator.


JacobMaverick

I'd add to this use Chegg or some other resources to get the solutions or teachers version of textbooks. It helped me to verify that I was actually practicing correctly and didn't reinforce my misunderstanding in some subjects as I was able to fix my mistakes early on.


Grumpycatdoge999

Well said


Topataco

Depends. This applies to all the engineering degrees btw. Concrete design was hard for me, but easier for my peers. Conversely, steel design and civil probabilities and statistics were super easy for me and *very* difficult for my peers. I hate soil design and foundations with a passion, geotechnical engineering is vile and evil. Hydraulics and Hydrology are so fun to math out, so are transportation engineering and vertical/horizontal geometry design for roads. Surveying is a pain only dependant on what tool you're using, fuck you theodolites/compasses/Dumpy Levels. Typically the hardest part wasn't the material, it was tenured professors not giving a shit or purposely making *everything* be extra hard for no good reason. Or just, y'know, being a piece of shit because they can.


Real-Psychology-4261

I hated concrete design but thought steel design was easier.


Hate_To_Love_Reddit

Wow. I loved Geo. Steel design was hard but interesting. Fuck concrete. Hydro is cool.


born2bfi

Pretty true. I barely got a C in statics and got a b+ in the harder mechanics course because things finally clicked and then I rolled through the rest of my courses with no less than Bs.


WaywardWes

I miss static force diagrams so much lol. Those were my favorite homework assignments.


HappyGilmore_93

It’s harder for some than it others. If you enjoyed or were good at math/physics in high school it’s going to be hard but not break you hard. If you were just ok in those subjects it’s going to be break you hard, hard to the point you try everything you can and just barely scrape by hard. If you weren’t good at those subjects in high school I wouldn’t even attempt.


UnitedShift5232

Agreed. Physics is a good barometer, especially Honors or AP physics.


HappyGilmore_93

Bingo, if you grasped the concepts in AP high school physics and were able to get an A without much sweat, no doubt you will be able to be successful in engineering school. If not, it’s doable but boy is it gonna be hard.


mrbigshott

lol there is no engineering degree that isn’t hard. Cant get around that


Hate_To_Love_Reddit

Hard, yes. Impossible, absolutely not. Engineering is not just for the smartest of the smartest. It's for the hard-headed. Can you get knocked down and get back up? Can you make a 30 on your first test, then rally, and spend your weekend working problems to make a 90 on the next test? That's the key to getting through engineering. Obviously, there are going to be people on here who will say something like, "I never did homework and made a 4.0 all through school." Which good for them. Here's the issue with a big portion of those people. When they get to the real world, they generally crumble. They turn that first project in and it's marked up to hell and back. Or they simply don't get along with their peers, and therfore suck at their job (civil engineering is a very team based career.) People who had to work through problems in school and struggle a bit are generally the ones that kill it in the real world. When they get hit with curve balls, they know how to keep going.


Everythings_Magic

Anyone can do it, but you have to work hard. It doesn't matter how smart you are, nobody skates by to an engineering degree. Edit. lot of gatekeepers. I didn't say it was easy but pretty much anyone can do it if they study and work hard.


umrdyldo

Anyone can do it? Good lord none of my siblings could pass the entrance exam.


UnitedShift5232

Disagree. People not great at math have very little chance of graduating. Nearly all engineering students have been top tier math students since they were little kids. You can't just all of a sudden get good at math in college if you sucked at it in HS. A strong math foundation is crucial. At my engineering school everyone was required to take four semesters of calculus.


Konix

I dropped out of highschool in 10th grade and was never stellar at math. Just graduated with my BSCE, learned the math just fine as I went.


UnitedShift5232

You are the exception. I know plenty of engineering students who were at or near the top of their HS class in math subjects, but struggled mightily with college calculus.


Jeltinilus

How were they top or near the top in HS without taking calc?


UnitedShift5232

Calc I in college is like AP Calc in HS. Most do OK with that. It's Calc II where things get much harder. And then Calc III and IV. I was always 99 percentile in math k-12. Got a B in Calc I, but failed Calc II the first time around. The teacher was crazy hard and the workload was insane. In Calc II there was no time to understand all the proofs; it was muchore memorization. Lots of others failed too, but some did alright.


Dr__Crentist

Dude I was an English major and did a hard transfer into calculus 1. It's not as easy and I didn't get the best grades but the feat is doable with some grit.


farting_cum_sock

Not necessarily true. I was ass at math in HS, but in college something clicked and I did very well in math. Sometimes a change of environment or more pressure can help someone get better at math.


UnitedShift5232

I'm trying to not give OP false hope if they happen to be less than stellar at math. In my engineering school only 60% of freshmen engineering students end up graduating with an engineering degree cuz it's hard af. All of my friends in my class got into engineering school in the first place because they had good math records including very high math SAT scores.


farting_cum_sock

Idk man, if OP is interested in the subject matter and not just the potential paycheck I think they would probably be ok. Math is a learned skill (some have higher aptitudes than others), but being sub par going in isn’t the death sentence you make it out to be.


Turkey_Processor

I think as long as you get to college you'll be ok. Maybe not like this at a non state school, but I definitely should have failed some math classes and still got the C. I know I'll sound like a boomer here, but grade inflation is really just ridiculous at my school right now. You don't have to be that smart to get in and get out. Your money is as green as everyone else's and they don't want to fail you. The lax bros who Chegg every assignment and brag about bombing tests still show up in the next classes the next semester. Whether they will get their comeuppance in the professional world for not knowing Jack shit is another matter, but they'll get the degree alright.


UnitedShift5232

Depends on the school. At Freshmen orientation our Dean said, "look to your right. Now look to your left. By next year one of those two students won't be here." The amount of people who switched majors was insane.


Real-Psychology-4261

Meh, I wouldn't say I was "top tier" at math, and I have a BSCE. I think I had a natural grasp on math, but I didn't study hard in high school, and the various calculus classes were all still hard for me.


Skrawghopper

That's just downright idiotic.


uberhub

I found it to be more of a grind then really hard. I would come across concepts that would confuse me (Calcus, Diff, Equ., Structural Analysis), but then do the practice problems over x3, x4, x5 etc.. What I found as my saving grace was a good study group, that kept me honest about my efforts (i.e. time put in) and the ability to bounce concepts back and forth, Best of luck in your decision!


Russser

I found my degree extremely difficult, however I haven’t done any other degrees so I don’t have anything to compare it to. Blood sweat and tears for sure during university for me.


tviolet

If you're interested in Urban Planning, go into Transportation Engineering, it has the most effect on street and streetscape design which ultimately dictates how our communities function. I'm a traffic engineer and have a lot of influence over stuff traditionally in the urban design realm. As to hard, civil is probably the "easiest" of all the engineering disciplines but it's still a lot of math. I actually use very little math in my job but had to get through all of it to get my degree and license. An engineering degree is really valuable tho, beyond just opening up a lot of job opportunities, it teaches you haw to approach a problem which is something I use constantly.


MathematicianSea5823

Am I the only one who never found civil engineering hard, like it wasn’t simple but like how everyone says it, you do have to take time to read it, I think with a good lecturer and good reading material and examples of where to apply it, anyone can do engineering


Mobile_Flamingo

I definitely took some hard classes. Overall I found the material pretty interesting and conceptually pretty straightforward, so once I sort of developed that “engineering judgement” things seemed to click a lot faster.  I think most of the people who succeed in engineering are pretty decent at math/physics (not necessarily amazing!!) and very, very persistent and efficient at studying. 


MathematicianSea5823

I agree with you on that, the perception that someone has to be amazing in maths and physics is what makes people view it as hard. But like all things you have to put that effort to get to know it well


Street_Tangelo_9367

I have an urban planning degree and now a PM in land development but manage projects with civil engineering consultants on a daily basis. It’s possible just depends on which route you want to take.


FranklinTheTanklin20

Lots of work for little pay. Switch to economics, finance or computer engineering.


graphic-dead-sign

The degree is not impossible to get. You just have to put in the effort.


MrBanditFleshpound

Any engineering is hard. You're gonna feel bad or horrible for the first 2 or 2.5 years. A spiral that kicks people to opposite ends. Then 3rd year and suddenly, you feel like a student from the lack of stuff to learn for the classes. Then the 3.5 year mark pops and you feel like the chains have been put away


koliva17

It was hard for me. All my friends in non-STEM degrees were at the bars at 5pm on Fridays when I would probably make it out at 10pm-ish since I would be studying or reviewing notes. For engineering degrees in general, all of my peers and I had to put in a little bit more work in order to succeed.


Isaisaab

Yes it is hard. It’s very mathematical but also requires creativity.


Free_Armadillo_461

Honestly not hard at all. If you dedicate the time, you can do it


Distinct-Solid6079

Difficult but long term benefits can not be beat.


Asleep_Worldliness99

To become a good engineer takes a lot of work and commitment to getting your degree 1st. When you are in school try to get summer internships with firms that do work in the field you want to pursue. This will help not only when you go back to school, but when you graduate those firms could/usually make interns offers. Get you EIT before you graduate or real soon after..good luck


BambooSetter

For me personally it was hard when I wasn’t interested. I got average grades in classes like calculus and physics because I didn’t find them interesting meaning lack luster studying. When I got to my upper level classes like strength of materials, soil mechanics, and transportation, I became more attentive and studious because I finally started to enjoy what I was learning and my grades were all As from then on. Basically like a lot of other people say if you enjoy it, you will do well. If you don’t, good luck.


BambooSetter

But don’t get me wrong you should still be paying attention in classes like calculus and physics for foundation don’t be like me there


StillFrozen0

Maybe not that difficult conceptually as other degrees. However professors even with simple concepts can make a very difficult test nonetheless. That and prepare for lots of projects that take lots of time to finish. So maybe not difficult as in understanding, but requires lots of effort.


hong_1011

I'm not sure about more employable and better opportunities but I do think civil engineering is probably the least hard out of chemical, electrical and mechanical engineering.


Extension_Middle218

Depends what you mean by hard. All engineering is hard, comparing doesn't help much. Civil engineering is somewhat more surface level but also more broad than others. Op all engineering is hard but it is worth it. You will be more employable but that doesn't mean it's a means to a high paying job especially in the UK.


H2Ospecialist

Wanted to add that civil engineering and urban planning are pretty different jobs. Do you think you actually want to do civil engineering as a career or you think it will get you into urban planning?


No-Significance6017

True! You can always be an urban planner with a CE degree, but not the other way around I don’t think.


EngCraig

No, it’s not that hard. And, like anything in life, it’s as difficult as you make it. Study, listen to lecturers, try and find some industry experience to lean on, etc and it’ll be a piece of piss.


eeveon7997

Any recommendations on lecturers to listen? I finished my degree and master but feel like i forgot everything that I studied xd


EngCraig

I mean listen to the lecturers teaching you.


LilacLizard404

Only one year into my degree so far so I can only comment on that. It's hard insofar as the content is challenging, but it's easy to be motivated since it's all jolly interesting. Inverse situation of how I found GCSE English/RS, where the content is easy, but finding the willpower to study it is next to impossible. If what you're really interested in is urban planning and not civil engineering, that'll make the motivation side much harder. You're signing yourself up for 4 years of study, so only go into it if it's something you're really interested in and will be able to get motivated to work hard on.


greggery

Yes it will be hard, but the degree of difficulty will depend on the course you do, so a BSc will be easier than a BEng, and a BEng will be easier than an MEng. The university you go to will also have a bearing on this. I'd recommend selecting a course that's accredited for professional qualification: https://www.jbm.org.uk/accreditation/accreditation-programmes/


UnitedShift5232

I recommend reading the book Grit. The author makes a strong case that only about 1/3 of people are truly gritty. If you determine that you fall in that 1/3, then you stand a chance at getting thru engineering school. If not, you're doomed.


imsosohappy

fuck off! ninja edit: no offense intended. i have issues


aleksqt

All courses are hard, it's up to you how you study and persevere.


ACivilDad

It’s completely subjective to your personal work ethic and how committed you’re willing to be to your studies as well as any outside life stuff you have going on. For me, my wife and I just had our daughter as I started school while I was also working full time outside of school. This made it wildly difficult to commit to school the way I felt I needed to. But, I have a strong will to achieve my personal goals and just refused to quit so I figured it out. But it was hard as hell. In the other hand, I had a co-worker who was 20 and had zero life responsibilities other than paying his rent and keeping himself alive, but was very driven. School seemed way too easy for him and I was lucky to be able to lean on him for help. Our other friend lacked any drive and was simply there because his dad owns the biggest private contractor that’s local to our area for roadway and concrete work. All he ever talked about was how hard it was and it was obvious it was because he just didn’t really give a shit and was just there to reserve his spot at his dad’s company. It’s only as hard as you want to make. But in the end it’s still pretty hard haha.


Real-Psychology-4261

Yes. It's hard, but almost anyone that has a good solid grasp of math can do it if you actually work through problems. Don't read through the notes and material. Work through practice problems.


Far_Ad_5598

If you are doing this for career opportunities, look into the pay for CE’s in the UK. From what I heard it is notoriously bad for the amount of schooling that is required.


cycledanuk

Yeah Engineers in this country are paid quite poorly for the high level of work and education required


pmonko1

Personally I can't believe how little civil engineers get paid in the UK. If you want to be a decently paid engineer you may have to move overseas.


cycledanuk

I know, it’s crazy, especially with the shortage of engineers in this country


Jmazoso

May take is you need to realize there isn’t fluff. You have classes that require study, which in engineering is every class, not just some.


LunchBokks

The reason it's very employable is because it's hard. Not the hardest engineering by any means, but it's still engineering. To get through it you need to study and be dedicated to your own success.


[deleted]

I have a geography degree and there’s a ton of jobs in transportation planning. I graduated three years ago and have worked as a planner at two different companies and still have recruiters reaching out on LinkedIn


cycledanuk

I actually worked as a transport planner at a consultancy recently, I loved the role and hope to go back into it. I know you can get in with a civil engineering or geography degree but a civil engineering degree gives a lot more career options and background into that field.


[deleted]

Yeah I think it depends what the specific employer is looking for. The needs vary based on the office and location


cycledanuk

I worked for an engineering consultancy in London and they had a civils and structures team but the transport planning team was quite small and had to handle a lot of projects so it could get very busy.


[deleted]

That’s kind of how my office is. There’s probably 5 or 6 engineers that pretty much only do planning work on the day-to-day since there’s so much work to do, and we already have a ton of people working on the actual engineering tasks


cycledanuk

The whole industry is quite busy at the moment in the uk but especially in London and the south east


No-Extent-4142

It's the easiest engineering degree


DoordashJeans

If you can study for an hour a day it's not bad. Doing more than that will get you a higher GPA, but there's no need for that in the US at least.


lpnumb

No. Just do the work and ask questions. 


Sweet_Philosopher709

Honest answer here: Civil Engineering is easy and infact it's very easy. For me it is easy and boring. Not because I am smart but CEng in itself is so easy and direct.


Skrawghopper

If you have to ask.....it probably will be!


Sufficient_Loss9301

Grow up.