Hey!!! Welcome back:))
Drum roll, please…..It’s PART 2 of how to choose your spec! Part 1 in this series was all about how I wish I chose my spec. Part 2 is how I actually chose it… In the end, I reckon I still made the right choice, but I just did it with more stress and character growth moments than there needed to be. Hey, you live, and you learn 😆
Hopefully, my spec-choosing journey can give you all some insights into your own spec choices and maybe even some reasons to consider specialising in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
You know the drill by now: an Ellie pic and then down to business.
Ellie’s horse-girl moment
🌀 Chapter 1: WAIT, there are more than three specialisations?
Maybe it’s just me, but I was shocked to learn that Civil, Mechanical and Software aren’t the only three specialisations. You’re telling me I have to choose between 10 specs, some, even with their own sub-specialisations? *Cue indecision. This was my awakening to the long spec-choosing journey ahead with what felt like more iterations than the engineering design process.
🌀 Chapter 2: Just going by vibes
As I accepted the sheer amount of specs out there, I started exploring a few that caught my eye. However, I made the classic mistake of just going by, for lack of another way to put it, vibes (limited research and going off of a vague definition of the spec).
For example, when I heard about Humanitarian Engineering, I was sold. Note, by “heard about” I mean all I knew was that it had something to do with humanitarian aid. This caught my eye, because one of the main reasons I decided to study engineering was the opportunities it provides to develop and implement solutions to critical sustainability issues, such as climate change (if it seems crazy that I just used engineering and sustainability in the same sentence, or if you just want to learn more about this check out my Storytime: Civil Engineering and Sustainability post!).
Inevitably, when I looked for “Humanitarian Engineering” on the UoA specialisation list, I couldn’t find it. After some quick research, I realised that Humanitarian Engineering isn’t a specialisation option, but rather a career route any engineering specialisation can take to use their engineering skills for humanitarian aid. I definitely didn’t rule out Humanitarian Engineering (I’m still sold), but unfortunately, it wasn’t going to help me with my spec choice.
Later, I heard about Environmental Engineering and instantly thought we were soulmates. Let me be clear, I didn’t know what Environmental Engineers do. I just, very scientifically, determined from the name that it gives off “saving the environment, stopping climate change and putting sustainability into engineering” vibes.
However, as I answered all the “So what spec are you thinking?” questions we part ones receive with “Environmental Engineering”, I got replies along the lines of “So wastewater is your thing?” or “I also wanted to do that, but it wasn’t what I thought it was…” ( if the replies weren’t “That’s the best one!” (from other Civil/Environmental students)). From there, I became unsure again. Maybe Environmental Engineering wasn’t what I thought it was either. (note- if you are also confused about Environmental Engineering as part one me was, check out my Civil Engineering: Finally Explained in Layman’s Terms!” blog post).
🌀 Chapter 3: I need more sources than: just trust me, bro
I was getting tired of everyone trying to convince me their own spec was the best (no bias, of course ;)) and me always getting slightly convinced. It was time to do my own research. *Cue montage:
I went to Part One Spec Nights, watched “What is engineering” videos (I still don’t know), watched “A Day in the Life of” videos, read up on the UoA Engineering website, looked at the courses that different specs have to take and even looked at the research topics covered by different specs. Through this, I realised Environmental Engineering actually does sound really cool and is heavily linked to sustainability- not in the way I initially thought, but in a pollution-mitigation, resource-recovery, site-remediation and water-quality kind of way. I also made a shocking discovery….
🌀 Chapter 4: WAIT, are you telling me all specs are linked to sustainability?
Yes, all engineering specialisations are in some way linked to sustainability. This is great news, but, at the time, not so great for narrowing down my spec choice. So, I started relying more heavily on which part one courses I enjoyed to make my spec choice. At the time, I hadn’t done much coding, and it didn’t really seem like my thing, so I just wrote off all the specs that involved lots of it. Goodbye, Mechatronics, Electrical, Software, EngSci….wow, it’s getting easier to finally make a choice!
🌀 Chapter 5: HOLDUP, I like coding?
Yep, bring back all those specs I had just ruled out. I liked coding (please don’t judge me). I really enjoyed the whole problem-solving on steroids aspect of it. Oh, and I also liked ELECTENG 101 (please, please don’t judge)…. Maybe Mechatronics was for me? Maybe even Electrical…..yep back to square one.
🌀 Chapter 6: Stalemate
With some pondering, a bit more research and I reached my final two options: Mechatronics vs Civil and Environmental.
Civil and Environmental because:
- Environmental tackles sustainability issues that I’m passionate about + involves some chemistry and even microbiology? How good.
- Civil is super broad, so if Environmental actually isn’t for me, there’s geotech, coastal, water, even transport
- It involves site visits- actually getting outside (just sitting at a desk ain’t for me)
- It is one of the oldest and largest specs out there, which means there are lots of job opportunities globally
Mechatronics because:
- It sounds cool (jk, but actually, Mechatronics does sound so cool, right?)
- Involves coding and electrical, which I enjoy!
- Robotics? That’s cool kid material
- Mechatronics skills can be applied to such a massive range of topics- from industrial to renewable energy to biomedical- ie it’s also super broad
It was tough to choose between these two specs because they are both so different. Honestly, I was at a bit of a stalemate.
🌀 Chapter 7: The final countdown:
It always amazes me what deadline pressure can accomplish. As the spec choice due date drew nearer, the last-minute motivation set in, and I made my choice.
In the end, it came down to the WHAT vs the HOW.
Civil covered the “what” of what I wanted to do with engineering- it tackles aspects of sustainability that I’m passionate about, such as green infrastructure, waste management and pollution. However, Mechatronics covered the “how” of what I wanted to do with engineering- lots of coding and maybe even some circuit problem-solving.
In the end, I decided that it was easier to bring the HOW to the WHAT. In other words, it seemed easier to learn coding skills myself and bring that to the Civil job rather than to try to get involved in Civil topics with Mechatronics skills. However looking back, I think both options could have worked because engineering specs are very interconnected. The due date demanded only one choice, though, and for me, that was Civil and Environmental Engineering.
🌀 Chapter 8: Happily (ever after?)
So far, I’ve really been enjoying Civil, especially the Environmental side of it. I feel like I can’t say happily ever after yet, though, because I’m not even finished with my second year. Since I can’t say “happily ever after” yet, let’s just leave it at “happily”.
Thanks!!
See you in the next one 🙂
Ankia
This post has been lacking in Ellie pics: one more to send you off:
