Semester 2 has finally come to an end! Fair warning, it goes extremely fast, everyone I’ve talked to thought so as well. Maybe its just us getting older and time going faster but be prepared to be utterly confused as to how you are already a month into the semester. Anyways, this post is going to be a more in depth summary on the papers mech do this sem, I didn’t do ENGGEN 204 this year, so go check out some posts from the other specs as they have gone into it better than I could.
MECHENG 211
This was quite a challenging course however, I did find it very interesting. You learn all about thermodynamics, fluid dynamics and heat transfer. You have fortnightly quizzes, 2 lab reports, a test and a big ole exam. The amount of assessments during the semester is very manageable, however ensure you are revising the content regularly due to the high volume of it and the many equations you have to learn. I started using the textbook later on the sem and wish I used it earlier, I know textbooks can kind of be a pain to buy and remember to use but you can often find online pdfs if you don’t mind not having a physical copy. The lecture notes are obviously great and have what you need to know but especially for a few of the more confusing topics, the textbook seriously helps cement the information in your brain. The lecturers are all really lovely and entertaining as well.
MECHENG 222
This is another hard course unfortunately. I found this one the most challenging however its different for everyone. One big tip would be to keep up, seriously. Cramming for this course is not fun and will cause you lots of stress that could have been prevented (clearly I am speaking from experience…). Lihua and Hazim were both great and are super helpful and understanding if you have any questions or concerns. This is also the last course with Hazim!!! </3
This has quite a few more assessments during the semester, we had weekly 2 hour long quizzes 🙁 two tests, two projects, a lab report and an exam. Each course can change year to year so this may not be your experience next year. The first bit of the course is with Lihua and you learn all about coordinate systems and kinematics. The rest of the course taught by Hazim, is about vibration analysis and kinetics. Practice questions are your best friend in this course, that’s pretty basic for engineering but they really do help. The topics are connected in this course so it helps to understand one before learning a new one.
MECHENG 236
Yay MECHENG 235 2.0! Just kidding, sort of.. I enjoyed this course more than 235 as the design project topic I found more interesting. The project is a whopping semester long! This course is pretty manageable, it does however, test your time management and preparation for obstacles. The last week of the project can get quite hectic so plan ahead to minimise your stress levels. It also means when it comes to the end, you can work on tidying up your project and submission to make it the best it can be! Also, go to lectures!
The labs are great for more of a practical application of the content. It’s a good course for gaining more experience working as a team on mechanical problems. The design expo at the very end of semester is pretty cool too, you get to see everyone’s finalised designs.
Final note: If you are struggling in this semester, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Part 2 is a big step up, and semester 2 can be a little trickier to keep the motivation up at times. There are heaps of resources, you can ask the lecturers for help, go to the assistance centres, ask your friends and peers, book in to office hours and go to the tutorials.
– Sophie