Wider reading for potential engineering student

[thatsnotmymask]

DS is in year 12 doing maths, further maths, physics and economics. One of his potential future degree choices is general engineering so I'd like to buy him a couple of inspiring, readable books related to that field. What would you recommend? Is there a "popular engineering" genre?

Most ex polys for a start. MN is besotted with high ranking universities (most students of engineering DO NOT go to Imperial or Cambridge) and seems to think every engineer should go to one. That is simply ludicrous.

I think most of us know what you're saying, and on other threads I'll mention a range. There's an engineering pathway for almost anyone interested!

However, it's not unreasonable to assume someone doing maths, further maths, physics and economics A levels and considering Gen Eng is most likely to be considering a subsection of the huge number of possibilities.

A side thought re 'city jobs' - maybe that's what the OPs D.C. wants. Why not... I suppose someone has to do it. So, what first degree would actually be better as a grounding for this than engineering?

Yes. There is an engineering pathway for everyone and many lower achieving DC do become excellent engineers. Some take a bit longer and some are high flyers. This country needs all of them.

Engineering is a great degree for city jobs! That is why we know plenty who did not carry on and become Engineers. 4 years of study and they do not want to actually do the job. As you say, there is room for everyone. With Economics in the mix, I would say a city job may well be on the cards. Lots of DC do FM and do not go to Imperial or Cambridge. It is required by very few courses. However ,it is true to say that maths is now becoming more important on courses but often at the expense of engineering nous.

It really is not necessary to think reading is necessary as opposed to doing! DH was always a doing something linked to engineering. School projects, extra classes at a university near to school, work experience, taking things apart and rebuilidng them, making models etc.That is the way you build up knowledge and basic understanding. Reading cannot replace that and its why engineers have labs!

Although: one very odd thing you might not know about. When DH went for MICE, (loooong time ago now) they had essay questions. The Institution suggested 50 possible questions in advance and you worked through them with your fellow grad engineers. One involved reading Machiavelli's "The Prince". He had to read it! Fortunately the examiners did not use that question. You might think this was a very odd way in which to decide who should be Chartered or not. CPD was part of the process but essay writing was tested.

Oh and for the record: DH is a Fellow of 3 Engineering Institutions and has been an employer for 40 years. He does have some knowledge of what makes a decent engineer.

I don't follow the previous poster. My suggestion of looking at the course options offered by Imperial was because it is a specialist science university so offers a very wide range of options. Hence a useful list of what might be available.

Each University has its strengths, so Imperial will be good for engineering applications around mining and Surrey for Automative. London South Bank is an example of a University with lower entry requirements but a good reputation.

In terms of doing other things, this happens in all degrees, but Engineering is as good a place as any. Law, banking, Civil Service, even post graduate mathematical economics. That said, I understand it is a tough degree if you are not sufficiently interested in engineering itself.

Erm, Durham, Bristol, Exeter, Cardiff do not interview for engineering. These are not ex polys. Of course you don't have to go to Oxbridge or Imperial to be an outstanding engineer, no one is saying that. You need to have an enquiring mind, problem solving ability, flexible approach, strong interpersonal skills, be good at maths and physics obviously, be genuinely interested in the world around you and of course reading, watching engineering programmes, visits, work experience etc are all part of that. Reading is just part of the bigger picture.

The OP asked for reading recommendations. I’m keenly following as I have a son with an interest in engineering although a few years away from university applications.

Thanks for the recommendations at the beginning of the thread.

😊

If he's a few years away from applications, Juno, then (if you haven't already) take a look at the Smallpeice website to see what they're doing (I fear maybe not their usual range of residentials), also the Arkwright scholarship scheme.

MrsEricBana: It wasn’t me who said they interviewed! I know Oxbridge do and other posters obviously thought more did. Another poster thought they should. I’m perfectly well aware of RG and not RG too. The continual reference to Imperial and Cambridge does leave out other possibilities. Imperial is not the best source of info. The Engineering Council is or the individual Institutions. But if a poster isn’t an engineer, they wouldn’t know that.

Yes, the OP asked about reading but by and large it’s somewhat irrelevant. Hardly anyone interviews so little point. By y12, doing something and being motivated by actual projects well get you a lot further. Hence suggesting this. No one when going for a job will he asked what they have read unless it’s technical press (as I originally suggested) or detailed analysis of a project (which I also suggested). It’s not very realistic to think that books enhance engineering ability. (You could read The Prince though as ICE thought it was useful back in the day.)

They won't be asked what they've read but reading is informative and mind expanding...

MrsEricBana: It wasn’t me who said they interviewed! I know Oxbridge do and other posters obviously thought more did.

Interviews only came up because MrsEB said they didn't; I merely wanted to point out that some others than oxbridge do. I don't see what the fact that this is possibly the exception rather than the rule has to do with whether someone wants to read about engineering, I don't think anyone else suggested it had any bearing. the purpose is to learn more about subjects of potential interest - the OPs DS is at the stage of working out what he might want to do. Some of the books mentioned could help him figure that out.

Agree

Thanks @ErrolTheDragon for recommending Smallpiece and Arkwright. I’ll check them out.

Yes, the OP asked about reading but by and large it’s somewhat irrelevant

Er, no it’s not! The OP didn’t say she wanted her DC to read up in prep for interviews. It’s a reasonable interpretation but so is the assumption that she wants to encourage his interest or research into whether he wants to do it.

Back on topic, these are some titles that DS found interesting, as a future automotive engineer/aerodynamicist with a passion for F1:
How to build a car by Adrian Newey
The perfect car by Nick Skeens
Race car aerodynamics by Joseph Katz

He applied for general and aeronautical initially but focussed and researched the courses further during lockdown and changed to automotive about 3 hours before the UCAS acceptance deadline. It’s worth knowing that some unis have a common first and second year for mechanical/aero/auto and specialise in the third and fourth year (The four year MEng course is standard for getting chartered) and allow you to swap to a different named degree at that point, which does allow some flexibility.

In the days when Exeter used to interview its Engineering applicants, DH was an interviewer. He was less interested in what prospective students had read and more interested in their practical skills. His specialism was Electronics; he would far rather have an in-depth discussion about something a student had designed and built in Lego than reading a book.

This links back to @Guymere's points. It is all very well churning out well-qualified graduates, but their problem-solving and practical skills were the ones that would land them the best jobs in industry. It's a shame Exeter themselves failed to recognise this, but that's a whole other thread...

It's not really an either/or. DD needed to read when she was designing her EPQ project, for instance.

Thank you Malbecfan. What grads should be able to do and what is churned out are two different things. People who don’t actually do the job simply don’t know the difference.

Every automotive engineer wants to work in F1. Competition is beyond fierce. Definitely get work experience with a lesser form of motor racing.

Elon Musk says that ‘Structures: Or Why Things Don't Fall Down’ by J.E. Gordon is a good book for budding engineers. It’s got quite a chatty tone, not dry like a formal textbook.

For my own DS, I seem to remember buying ‘The Way Things Work Now’ by David Macaulay. The book is visually rich with lots of diagrams - ostensibly aimed at children but it gives a good overview and I think even adults would get a lot out of it.

I have to admit, though, that DS - who has just started an engineering course at university - is not much of a reader! He was never strongly motivated by books, possibly in keeping with a lot of engineers.

When he was in 6th form, his interest was further piqued by watching a MOOC on the particular branch of engineering he was keen on, getting a chance to play with CAD packages and messing around on Minecraft, constructing stuff, either alone or in a group of friends.

I think I'd send him to Waterstones with a voucher. As a civil engineer I like reading industrial history, The Victorian City, histories of the railways, that kind of thing. But if he tends towards computers/electronics it might not be of much interest.

I think one of the issues is that the DS doesn’t know what interests him.

I think DD has more 'popular maths' books than engineering related - but they probably wouldn't serve the OPs objective.

Every automotive engineer wants to work in F1. Competition is beyond fierce. Definitely get work experience with a lesser form of motor racing.

Not sure that is a given (and I'm ignoring the slightly odd tone). DS is interested in green technologies. Formula Student racing team, either using conventional or electric power, is a great option for getting hands on experience.

Also check out headstart courses- I know some ran virtually this year. Also Big Bang science fair, again on line this year.
And the institutes- imech e, Inst of electrical engineers etc.
www.engineeringuk.com/