Is Civil Engineering at RMIT up your alley? You’ve got the basics from ourrecent article, but we think it’s super important to get an in-depth look at what this degree is really like.
To make things easier for you, we had a chat with Bachelor of Engineering (Civil and Infrastructure) graduate, Eve, to find out what she thought of the degree.
Keep reading to learn her tips!
您为什么要在RMIT学习土木工程学位？
Top 3 Pros of a Civil Engineering Degree
土木工程学位的前三名
您不应该犯的错误
Things to Know Before Starting RMIT Civil Engineering
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying RMIT Civil Engineering
Potential Career Paths
您为什么要在RMIT学习土木工程学位？
Eve loved how well her degree equipped her for practical work outside of uni.Perhaps this is something you would also love and benefit from if you are passionate about civil engineering.
Top 3 Pros of a Civil Engineering degree
#1: University clubs
There’sa number of clubs that students can enjoyat RMIT! Eve has been involved with theCivil Engineering Students Association (CESA), which organises professional and social events for students.
“[There’s an] annual Industry Night, networking events, office tours and site visits toprovide students with an understanding of available work opportunities and obtain a broader understanding of how the industry operates.[CESA also runs] BBQs, dinner and drinks over games to meet other like-minded students in the same course,” Eve said.
Eve also founded a club which is pretty cool in our opinion!
“TheFemales in RMIT Engineering (FIRE)club which I founded in 2019 ensures an opportunity to connect with fellow women in other engineering courses across all year levels. It isestimated that women make 12% of the engineering industry and so the club is aimed at engaging, supporting and empowering the current cohort of female engineering students。”
#2: Laboratories
This is a really practical degree, where studentsengage in building and problem solvingthat mimics a professional workplace.
“Every semester there would be a subject or two which includes a hands-on laboratory lesson.This could include making concrete, testing structural elements through non-destructive methods, soil tests or steel beam making,” Eve explained.
She really enjoyed howthese labs allowed students to test their theories and work collaboratively.
#3: Industry expertise
在RMIT学习，您将达到meet, listen to and be taught by people who know the tricks of the trade.这不仅是学习的好方法 - 它为学生提供了网络的机会。
“The lecturers often get industry speakers including current engineers or managers working in the industry.These sessions provide students with a great opportunity to ask questions, understand available to them opportunities and what their own career could look like,” Eve said.
As Eve pointed out, this certainly is a way to get on-track for future work opportunities!
Top 3 Cons of a Civil Engineering degree
Though Eve loved her degree, she did share with us some elements that weren’t so great. (Spoiler: most of these are practical elements!)
＃1：位置，位置，位置！
RMIT has a number of campuses — the largest based in Melbourne city. However,some classes can be located elsewhere.
“Thelaboratory classes are located in Bundoora, which might be a location issue for many students,” Eve said.
However,她学会了如何充分利用这次。“I found the travel time useful for focusing on myself. I’d read a book on the tram while commuting or on a few occasions I coordinated labs with a friend and while having a chat, carpooled to class.”
It’sroughly an hour between the city campus and Bundoora, so this is something students need to keep in mind when timetabling classes!
#2: Evacuations
原来，there’s some strange alarm systems going on at RMIT。This isn’t a massive deal, but it could be inconvenient, especially in peak exam season!
“Theoccasional emergency evacuations from the library located in Building 10, are mostly due to system tests or false alarms。当我们碰巧有一个特别烦人study room booked out for a few hours with a group of friends. However, the alarm was always a good excuse to have a break from study and catch up for a coffee. Better safe than sorry!” Eve said.
#3: Elective choice
Because RMIT engineering is so tailored,there aren’t always the subjects available that students would most like to take.This one is a little complex… We’ll let Eve explain it.
“Personally… I decided to pursue a career in construction [late in my course, and so]没有多少量身定制的选修课可供选择。由于土木工程课程具有各种各样的学科，因此与纪律相关的选修课有限pushes students to study one or two courses which might not be directly related to your chosen career path.
“However looking back on my own experience, this influenced me to be a more well-rounded engineer.All engineering disciplines are intertwined and it is crucial to understand their own complexities。”
Any regrets?
“I regret not looking more into the semester-long exchanges available overseas.As I progressed in my degree the subjects got more and more complex and in-depth, leaving less opportunity to study them online while completing a semester abroad with no implication to the duration of the course.”
RMIT offers many overseas exchanges, which you can check outhere。如果您想扩大世界观，那么他们可以参与其中。
It wasn’t all bad for Eve though —she still got involved in short-term exchanges.
“Istill had an opportunity to complete a university elective about Sustainability in Bordeaux in Franceover 2 weeks in summer and a 2 week longBuilding Information Modelling (BIM) study tour to Chengdu in China,” she said.
And Eve’s regret still has a great lesson involved.“I’d highly recommend to anyone starting their university journey to take advantage of such opportunities and have a plan going forward.Even though the degree is 4 years long, those years will fly by quickly!”
What do you wish you had known before starting Civil Engineering at RMIT?
“I wish I understood the value of volunteering and the work experiences provided me with from the very beginning.They have been a great way to connect with like minded students, industry professionals and develop my soft skills. There are plenty of organisations to participate in whether externally or internally to RMIT and it’s certainly worth getting involved,” said Eve.
What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities?
As we’ve mentioned before,this is a really hands-on degree，这说明了RMIT的实际精神。
“The Civil Engineering degree全面涵盖技术知识库。However compared to other universities, it alsoprovides its students with a practical view on the taught material,” Eve said.
This practical aspect obviously works as a teaching method, because Eve recalled in detail one of the laboratories she partook in.
“[One example is] the subject on concrete structures, which involved making concrete, fixing reinforcement and casting a concrete beam. Then14天后，混凝土硬化和固化后，学生又回来测试了光束以破坏和分析故障模式。
“Being able toexperience the subject in a hands-on environment deepens the student’s understandingof the subject,” she explained.
What inspired you to choose Civil Engineering at RMIT?
Eve had plenty of answers for this question!
The first reason she chose RMIT was location。总部设在CBD的核心,RMIT主要。他们真是干劲冲天s is convenient to get to via public transport. It’s also rightnear great cafes, museums and entertainment venues, which makes socialising super easy!
Word of mouthwas also really important for Eve.
“Both my sister and my brother-in-law attended RMIT University after they finished high school.They strongly recommended the degree. Now, one could say history is repeating itself, as having such a great RMIT experience myself I couldn’t recommend it more!”
Finally, Eve explained why she chose Civil Engineering at RMIT over any other course.
“I wanted to play a part in creating the world around us.土木工程师通过确保建筑物的结构安全并创建我们每天使用的基础设施，设计和建造我们生活和工作的地方to commute or go on a holiday such as the roads and railways,” she said.
What are the possible career paths?
整体工程学位opens you up to some great employment opportunities.
但是，公民和基础设施专业是进入特定工作领域的好方法，例如：
-
- Water engineering(flood modelling)
- Civil Engineering(drainage design, water catchments)
- Transport engineering(road and rail design)
- Structural Engineering(high rise Buildings, residential housing, current condition assessments)
- Geotechnical Engineering（结构基础的设计，土壤能力/强度的识别）
- Construction(on-site build of structures/infrastructure)
An Engineering degree could take you to many different places. You might beon the job in the middle of a construction site, or working from an office!
Hopefully this article has given you a great insight into a diverse degree that offers exciting futures for graduates like Eve.
Lucinda Garbutt-Younghopes to one day be writing for a big-shot newspaper… or maybe just for a friendly magazine in the arts sector. Right now, she is enjoying studying a Bachelor of Public Communication (Public Relations and Journalism) at UTS while she writes on the side. She also loves making coffees for people in her job as a barista, and loves nothing more than a sun shower.
