Aspiring boat designer/engineer

[freesail]

Hi all!

I wasn't very sure where to post this, so I decided to post in the most general section of the forum. Please move this to the correct section as desired.

I'm a 2nd year aerospace engineering student from Melbourne, Australia, but have always had an interest in cars and boats. I was wondering if there are people on professional designers/engineers on the forum who could give me some career advice, and what resources would be handy to help me take up boat designing much more seriously (My designs so far have been restricted to sketching on a small pad I carry around with me).

Would it also be worth doing a Masters in Naval Engineering after I finish my degree, or would it be very difficult to get into this field of engineering with my current degree?

[harlemriverman]

don't confuse hobbies with careers and college is not a candy store. you started aerospace engineering for a reason -- have a better reason for changing direction.

my undergraduate grades, balance, and focus are what opened doors to a career. the fact that i studied engineering and pursued that career, in that discipline, is coincidental to my particular focus but i could have gone down any number of career paths with pretty much any engineering discipline so long as i had the grades, balance and focus.

what i did with that engineering career is what ultimately took me to a graduate school and a curricula that i needed to further my career, not the other way around.

[freesail]

My problem is that I have a feeling I picked aerospace for the wrong reasons.

When I was deciding on my uni courses, I spoke with the course advisers, and decided to go down the aerospace route because their advice was the aerospace engineering course was essentially the same as the mechanical one with a few extra bits and pieces, and that I had the grade to do it.

However, I'm finding classes at university quiet difficult to understand as the lecturers have talked in very specific aircraft terms that I don't understand. For example, when they were talking about aerodynamics in terms of an aeroplane, I didn't understand a thing. However, when I read about the same concepts in a book about race car aerodynamics, it all made perfect sense.

Since I don't know many people in engineering (No one else in my family is an engineer), I'd like to get some more advice from others who are "in the door" already.

[joz]

Freesail

If you are looking at a degree then you have to look at AMC in Tassie or Uni of NSW or Curtain Uni in WA etc, However there are some TAFE schools in NSW that does boat design on a part time and full time basis. As you are aware there are no schools in Melbourne for boat design, maybe you should look at correspondence schools in the States.

Doing Aero Enginerring Freesail you can also design boats from it, Melvin and Morrelli in the US are Aero Engineers and yet they design boats for a living, Also there are people how studied at Southampton Institute in boat design now work for Westland in the UK designing Military Helicopters.

Maybe you should have a talk to your Instructor so he/she can help you with your problem.

[freesail]

Awesome! I just wanted to make sure I ended up with a degree which will allow me to do what I love.

[safewalrus]

What do you love? boats, planes, or dockyard cranes! think about it and make your decission, looks to me like the course is just getting a wee bit hard? You want to be a big man with letters after your name but you don't want to work for them!

You've made your bed, lie in it, at least till your qualified, then make some money, then think again! If you do you will have something to fall back on if it all goes wrong. If you jump from course to course because it gets hard you'll end up with bugger all and a waste of time!

Right now you've read all that what you want to do?...................well go and do it! If it all works out well done see you were right..........if it don't see above!

[MikeJohns]

You need to talk to RINA and or IEAust about what you can register as, don't talk to your course adviser, they never know and they want to keep students regardless . If you go down a middle road you will only ever be an associate rather than a full member.

In this field it is always worth changing undergrad courses rather than pursuing a post grad qualification to try and meet the criteria.

My advice is (if you are engineering degree material) to enroll at the AMC , apply for cross credits do an extra year or two and graduate with a fully recognised degree in NA/ME. You'll love every minute of it and you will get a rewarding position immediately upon graduation.

IMHO
Cheers

when I Read your post, your dilemma I can onlyl think how fortunate you are to have a choice
My boys 18--21 dont have such luxury, because like their father they have no higher math abilty
Rest assured, and I'M sure you know anyways, that most people are uneasy about their choice of career.
Iam suprised though that you say you dont relate hydro with aero, they are so similar
have you thought about looking at Airbus or, one of those big concerns

[freesail]

I guess I'm just confused because there's so much choice out there these days, its difficult for me to pinpoint exactly what to do. But after speaking to a mechanical engineering friend of mine, I've come to realize that the industry is very flexible and that I can move between fields relatively easily.

But during this uni break, I've been thinking very hard about my uni course, and I think I may well complete this first degree, than move into an area that I enjoy later on.

I guess I had thoughts about quitting because I was getting very stressed about exams and studies.
I had a very serious traffic accident earlier in the year, and subsequently missed many lectures and tutorials due to medical treatments. I was extremely worried about whether I'd pass all my units due to how far behind I was, but now that I have my results (passed everything) I've been able to calm down a lot more and think very clearly about what I want in life.

I don't want to appear, and nor am I, one of those people who just quit when life gets tough. I'm more than happy to admit to having thoughts of just quitting engineering altogether during this very tough period of my life, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

Thanks to everyone's responses so far!

EDIT: Its refreshing to hear comments like those by safewalrus rather than the usual crap I get from course advisors who try too hard to be polite and don't get to the point of what they're trying to say.

[safewalrus]

Why thankee for the compliment Freesail, and after your comment above, now that you've had a good look at where your going, warts and all, I'm sure you'll make it whatever you decide! I'd wish you good luck but I kinda guess you'll not need it! But **** good luck anyway (we all need a chunk of luck no matter what we do!)

Just remember to step back occasionally - does wonders for your head!

[freesail]

Anybody got some good book recommendations? Saw some on this website, but stupid amazon won't ship to Australia.

[masalai]

Get the name/author and IBD number, or whatever it is called and your university bookshop should be able to get it.... Best of luck for your studies and future...

[freesail]

thanks. I'm actually starting to look for some fluid mechanics and thermodynamics books as I just started my university unit on it, and I have a feeling the lecturer is one of those lazy as hell types.

[safewalrus]

sorry freesail the only fluid dynamics I understand is the free surface effect of a pint of beer - you gotta get rid of it quick ( in a seaman like manner of course) or it will roll you over!!

[harlemriverman]

You're not trying hard enough if you find thermodynamics and fluid mechanics "lazy" and why on earth would you want some book other than the one your professor intends to test you from? Grades man, grades! Knock them out of the park, get a good job with a respectable firm, listen well, work very hard, and maybe just maybe you'll learn something about what those courses are really trying to teach you.