Studying in England! :-)
 

Hello everybody

I'm doing my last year in the secondary school. So next year it's time for higher education! And I would like to study in England.

The plan is to do a Bachelor in mechanical engineering. I've heard that Sheffield University is a good place, but it is a bit far to go home. Not that I would go home every weekend, but if I would go home it's quite expensive.

So I've got some questions:

1. Where are the good universities for mechanical engineering? (The closer to Dover, London the better :))
2. How high is the level of mechanical engineering in England?
3. If you want to do mechanical engineering, at what level do you need to finish secondary school?

Any further info is always welcome.

Thanks
Simon Bettens

I've got some mates who graduated from Loughborough uni in Mech Eng, that seems to be good. Sheffield is a nice uni, your best bet would be to go for a visit to them on open days (or arrange your own if you can).

As for levels, its generally A-Level or equivalent (GNVQ's etc) to get in, so 6th form or higher education college. Mech Eng is quite high levels to get into. Take a look at the UCAS website, order some prospectuses and that will give you more info.

Imperial College in London has a pretty good reputation for Mech Eng. An A-level student would probably need very, very good results to get in, and a wealthy family to cover the living/tuition costs!

Sheffield is not very close to Dover but probably easier to get in to and more affordable.

Hi

Thanks for your replies.

Loughborough is indeed closer to Belguim, but it's still quite far.
If I do go that far, I think it's easier to go to Sheffield because it's closer to Mancherster. And I can go to Manchester by plain with a reasonably priced flight.

Is there something like student discount for public transport (maybe also for flights) in England?

What is the usual price for a room for a student?

If anyone has information, just post it! :)

Thanks!
Simon

I graduated in Mech Eng. from the University of Hertfordshire many years ago. They had quite a decent Engineering Department back then, doing Aerospace & Vehicle too. Not sure what it's like nowadays, but does have the advantage of being just North of London, so easy to get to Dover.

Imperial College in London definitely has a good reputation. If you've got the grades Cambridge University is good of course (assuming they offer undergraduate Mech. Eng.?) and a nice city to live in.

Good luck with whatever you do, and good thinking posting on here. That wasn't an option when I was your age! :D

This is the university league table for mechanical engineering (weirdly it's not sorted by best to worst but the position is next to the uni to the left). Out of interest, why would the north or south of England make that much difference to distance from home when you are from Belgium??

http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/gug/...ect=MECHANICAL

Also, I went to Newcastle and did a maths degree so know they have a good mechanical engineering dept. In hindsight I wish that was the degree I did

just a thought a uni up north and u could get a ferry from HULL straight to belgium

Found the 2010 league table and it's sorted by rank...

http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/tol_...21&y=13&sub=43

Don't just check the league tables for the best Engineering school. After three years of study, when you are so young, you may change your mind on which career you want to pursue afterwards.

Make a compromise and go to a good engineering school that will also help you do something else if things change.

For example the company i work for, when appliing for a job there, it is very advantageous to have gone to a top university and studied a numerical degree (this includes engineering). In the UK there are about eight on this list (Cambridge and Oxford being the obvious two).

It's mainly the time that it takes to get home. Around london it's easy to take the train to London and then take the eurostar to Brussels. If I have to do that from the north, I come home saturday evening (because I also have to take a train from Brussels to home) and I have to leave at home on sunday morning to be back on time. And that's not really worth the effort..

That's indeed a good option. The ferry also goes over night, so I can travel friday and sunday night.

@ShiftF9er: That's true, but isn't it very hard to get into such a top university? Isn't it easier to go to a university that's just below those top universities?

Thanks for all replies!

Simon

I did my degree in Mech Eng at Newcastle, very very good dept, although I did my BA through sheffield, not as good from a personal perpective.
Loughbrough is good I hear.

DELETED

In all honesty if you are studying at University you are unlikely to go home for a weekend, especially if you are studying in another country. You are more likely to go home for Christmas / Easter / Summer, and then the journey time isn't such a concern.

out of interest what do you do?

Bath looks very good, distance Bath-London is acceptable :) 1h30/13£
London-Brussels 1h51/€55.
This trip will be faster and cheaper then my father studying in Leuven 20 years ago :D

Simon

Hi Simon,

As I told you at the EIR, Sheffield will certainly be a nice place to go to. But as Alfonzo said, I very much doubt you'd be coming back home for week ends, you may do that a couple of times, but then you'll realise it's not worth the effort and money. Besides, you'll be too busy going racing at week ends.

Indeed, racing every weekend will take enough time :D
Is there a track close to Bath?

Simon

Hi Simon,

As Fabs said, that's not really worth the trip so often to go home as it is costly and you will get tired. Better bring your RC stuff and go playing with the big boys, hence you'll also some tricks in this area.
I hear northern UK get more tracks than the south. True?

I can't give advice for any university as I only did a post grad program but definitively a lot of fun learning things in UK as also enjoying the country. I wish I can go back there sooner or later to work.

All the best