Which topics are best to focus on in my spare time for engineering?

[bigmike94]

Summary: Which are the best engineering topics to really focus on during my spare time to prepare for the real world.

Im on a physics and engineering degree, but will hopefully be doing a masters in engineering, my engineering modules are all the standard broad ones that most engineering routes have like statics and dynamics etc etc with a focus on mechanical engineering. I want my masters to be in civil engineering or aerospace/aeronautical engineering. Most likely civil.

I understand that once you graduate a lot of the maths and physics are solved via computers and I’ve got all the maths and physics covered anyway within my degree modules and self study stuff.

I am quite a practical person and I do normally need logical reasons to do things, I do enjoy maths and physics though even if some of the problems just aren’t based on anything you’ll see in the real world.

So my question is what topics will be better to really master in my spare time to become a good engineer in the real world? It’s hard to give an example because I don’t know but let’s say material science, soil mechanics, fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, structural analysis etc etc.

Which topics can’t be solved using a computer and that I’ll need to have good knowledge on? (Please don’t be tempted to say everything as like I said I already have it all covered in my degree including differential equations, multivariable calculus, linear algebra, physics etc)

Thanks in advance.

 

[berkeman]

Do you have good experience taking 3D CAD designs to CNC milling and/or 3D printer fabrication?

What kind of FEA work have you done? What kinds of mechanical systems and structures have you done FEA analyses of?

 

[Lnewqban]

If you are inclined to Civil, then focus on structural analysis and practical solutions that you can observe in concrete and metal structures, especially the ones loaded by huge bending loads, which are the most difficult to deal with.
Get familiar with construction methods (steel reinforcing, welding, cast in place, soil bearing improvement via piles, etc.

 

[bigmike94]

Do you have good experience taking 3D CAD designs to CNC milling and/or 3D printer fabrication?

What kind of FEA work have you done? What kinds of mechanical systems and structures have you done FEA analyses of?

So far none of them but they actually are included within some modules next year, but if there is a way of studying that stuff outside of uni I would be more than happy to do that, especially if you’re saying it’s important, how would I go about self studying that? I can’t afford software worth £000’s btw, if it costs that is?

 

[anorlunda]

I understand that once you graduate a lot of the maths and physics are solved via computers and I’ve got all the maths and physics covered anyway within my degree modules and self study stuff.

In my opinion, problem framing and problem solving are the most valuable tools. Computers can solve the equations, but engineers need to figure out which equations or physical principles to apply, then adapt them to the problem.

But my friend works with accident analysis. In that case, observation plus thorough knowledge of the applicable codes are the keys to success.

I've also know engineers who work with engineering and law at the same time.

Still others are into manufacturing engineering.

My brother makes silicon crystals to be made into chips. He needs, chemistry, crystallography, and materials science.

Study what appeals to you most. You're more likely to get skilled at those things. Then jobs you can't imagine today will follow.

 

[bigmike94]

If you are inclined to Civil, then focus on structural analysis and practical solutions that you can observe in concrete and metal structures, especially the ones loaded by huge bending loads, which are the most difficult to deal with.
Get familiar with construction methods (steel reinforcing, welding, cast in place, soil bearing improvement via piles, etc.

Thank you for your reply! Is there any textbooks you’d recommend that covers some of that stuff?

 

[bigmike94]

In my opinion, problem framing and problem solving are the most valuable tools. Computers can solve the equations, but engineers need to figure out which equations or physical principles to apply, then adapt them to the problem.

But my friend works with accident analysis. In that case, observation plus thorough knowledge of the applicable codes are the keys to success.

I've also know engineers who work with engineering and law at the same time.

Still others are into manufacturing engineering.

My brother makes silicon crystals to be made into chips. He needs, chemistry, crystallography, and materials science.

Study what appeals to you most. You're more likely to get skilled at those things. Then jobs you can't imagine today will follow.

Thank you that’s good advice. I did a very small section on fluid mechanics in a physics textbook and it really interested me, I also enjoyed statics and dynamics, & thermodynamics sounds so cool to me.

 

[anorlunda]

thermodynamics sounds so cool to me.

I recommend this video course for self study. It is highly stimulating and educational. Leonard Susskind is a superb teacher.

 

[bigmike94]

I recommend this video course for self study. It is highly stimulating and educational. Leonard Susskind is a superb teacher.

Ive heard good things about him! I’m about to study Lagrangian mechanics and he has a playlist on that also. Thank you

 

[Lnewqban]

Thank you for your reply! Is there any textbooks you’d recommend that covers some of that stuff?

Please, see:
https://mathalino.com/reviewer/engineering-mechanics/engineering-mechanics

 

[berkeman]

So far none of them but they actually are included within some modules next year, but if there is a way of studying that stuff outside of uni I would be more than happy to do that, especially if you’re saying it’s important, how would I go about self studying that? I can’t afford software worth £000’s btw, if it costs that is?

What 3D printers and CNC milling machines do you have access to currently as part of your Engineering curriculum? There are several software packages that offer student discounts, and probably some that are free for creating 3D printer files:

https://www.autodesk.com/education/edu-software/overview?sorting=featured&filters=individual

https://www.tinkercad.com/

https://www.makerbot.com/

 

[bigmike94]

What 3D printers and CNC milling machines do you have access to currently as part of your Engineering curriculum? There are several software packages that offer student discounts, and probably some that are free for creating 3D printer files:

https://www.autodesk.com/education/edu-software/overview?sorting=featured&filters=individual

https://www.tinkercad.com/

https://www.makerbot.com/

Ah sorry i didn’t mean the 3D printing stuff I was referring to the FEA things, I have seen them mentioned in future modules I have

 

[berkeman]

Ah sorry i didn’t mean the 3D printing stuff I was referring to the FEA things, I have seen them mentioned in future modules I have

Okay, fair enough. I'm just saying that the MEs that I've worked with have increasingly used 3D printing as part of the prototype validation and optimization process. It's pretty amazing what they can do (including involving us EEs in the overall enclosure/structure designs to optimize everything).

On the FEA front, I'll page @FEAnalyst

 

[symbolipoint]

Study what appeals to you most. You're more likely to get skilled at those things. Then jobs you can't imagine today will follow.

That is about the best advice possible, because any more accurate recommendations are too difficult without the person himself finding them.

 

[FEAnalyst]

@berkeman Thanks for pinging me.

@bigmike94 When it comes to FEA, you can start with CAD-embedded analysis modules if you have access to any CAD software. There are also some free and open-source solutions. I would recommend CalculiX since it’s the most user-friendly and versatile FOSS code. You will have to practice a lot but also learn the basics of the FEM theory. There are lots of books about that but they are often too complex for beginners. "Finite Element Analysis for Mechanical Engineers" by D. Madier can be a good start. There’s also an older book titled "Building Better Products with Finite Element Analysis" by V. Adams.

 

[MidgetDwarf]

some schools have an engineering club, which gives students access to 3d printing. look to see if such thing exist at your institution. moreover, your school/department may include a subscription of math lab/ solid works/ auto cad, or any other software for free.

 

[Frabjous]

You must have a school in mind for getting a master’s in civil engineering at. Check out what they expect their undergraduates to know.

I went a googling. Here is a two-page description of what one US university expects of it’s CE undergraduates.
https://rice.app.box.com/s/bzx99ux4p9e43v6xrl1pnpj6ku9irz4m