Any civil engineers here? Am looking at becoming a CE at uni and have no idea what to expect in the course...

Any civil engineers here? Am looking at becoming a CE at uni and have no idea what to expect in the course. Is the maths hard? Was the course overall hard?

Whats it like actually being a civil engineer?

I'm a mech eng student (graduating this december) so I can speak on behalf of that degree.

The math is hard. Anybody who tell you otherwise is blatantly lying to you. The entire degree is hard. It's intensely challenging, and it will make you want to quit. No student at my uni has been immune to that, but that's what makes the profession so incredible.

I took calc 1, 2, 3, linear algebra, differential equations, numerical methods (using matlab), and system dynamics and controls (which is sort of like linear algebra and physics combined).

The challenge shouldn't discourage you though. It's a wonderful feeling to look back at what I've done in the last four years and know that I did it.
Being "naturally good" at math isn't required, either. I'm certainly not one of those people. Uni has a...unique way of allowing you to grow into a person who /is/ a "naturally good" math person. Idk how else to explain that haha

Do you have to be very creative? Ive worked with some civil engineers before, but I was just a lab technician, it was 100% hands on. No theory or creativity required

You'll learn all the theory you need to know. The education behind engineering is all oriented around giving you a unique perspective on problem solving. Creativity comes into play when you're solving a real world problem. Idk if I'd say its so much creativity as intuition that matters there though

(same guy)
For example: in an internship I had I was designing a safety system that would prevent a mass of around 30,000lb from being lifted too high. If i hadn't gone to uni for mech eng then I wouldn't have had an eye for what part moves where and how the forces were likely to interact. Your innate ability to put pieces of information together will be the limiting factor on the "creativity" behind your work, but as far as the reservoir of information you pull from that *enables* your creativity/intuition you learn from school.
I'd also say that I legitimately think differently than I did four years ago, too. It kinda transforms your brain.

tbh Sup Forums is probably the most useless place to ask a question like this though. I'd go onto either /r/engineering, /r/civilengineering, or /r/engineeringstudents for more about what it's like.

My experience is my own, I can't speak on behalf of everybody else too haha.

Best of luck to you, mate. If you want to pursue it then do it. The only person in the world who can tell you that you can't do it is you.

Cheers.

It's not your job to be creative, that will mostly be up to the architect. You just have to make sure that his shit doesn't fall apart.

That said, creative input from you can certainly be a bonus, but is not expected, and will be unwanted depending on who you're working with.

Civil engineering is the second weakest for of engineering, right behind environmental engineering.

Electrical and computer engineering is God-tier

industrial "engineer" detected

Cheers mate. I'll as there
If it's just analyzing mix designs and stuff that would be great (my old job I literally taught CEs). It's mix designs x money + cost saving that concerns me.

If you have an actual personality, you won't fit in well in any field of engineering.

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Electrical, actually.

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Engineering drop out detected

op the maths is hard work! its not easy and requires some serious studying to learn all the requirements. Its not so bad when you qualify and get a job as there you can consult books, ask questions and seek help..during exams? nope you need to know it by heart

>It's mix designs x money + cost saving that concerns me.

This may or may not be within your scope. Architects tend to do this part and be aware of the costs and construction times and limitations of the materials they choose, there are classes specifically to teach them how to manage this part of a project. If not, they usually check this with the developer/constructor and not just with the CE. This is where your input may be appreciated though, you should have a much more extensive knowledge on the physical properties of materials than an architect (they just read brochures). But like I said, it's usually not expected.

Analyzing designs, structural and material analysis and the like is the bulk of your duties as a CE and what is truly expected of that profession.

Design was another thing I was massively concerned about, I'm fucking useless at any sort of design (as well as the other things I listed).

Thanks lads for all your help. Greatly appreciated.

Civil is one of the easiest engineering degrees. I have heard it is not as easy to find a job in general, but most of the CEs I know have contacts with city management so they already have a job lined up.