Sorry for the late reply, I spent yestarday prepairing for an interview
that I sat today.
Cheers Ian!
Crazy131 - I did mention Coventry in my list!
'Aside from Brookes (and Nottingham) I know people on various
engineering courses at Universities such as Brunel, Cranfield,
Kingston, ****Coventry****, Sussex, Swansea and Hertfordshire. How many
of them do 'Motorsport' courses I am not sure, but he could source a
good engineering degree at any one of these universities'
I know Coventry has a good reputation! Infact I think (might be wrong)
that Coventry actually has more 'hands on' practical work than Brookes
(if you are not involved with Formula Student).
Dave (DBaldwin) - if I am honest I did not do a placement year because
I didnt get my backside into gear fast enough! I waited until I had
finished my second year exams (May) until I started applying, and
because my fellow students, and those from other Universities sensibly
started looking around January, I didnt manage to even get an interview
as it seemed all the placements I applied for had been taken!
Valuable lesson learned!
I agree a placement should be invaluable experience, however I do know
some people who went on placements and found they used none of their
engineering knowledge and thus struggled when they came back for their
final year. On the other hand I know people who had palcements with F1
teams, graduated and now have a permanent contract with said F1 team! I
think getting a placement is also about getting the 'right' placement.
However a placement year, regardless of what it is really boosts a CV
and is one of the flaws of mine.
Jack - Glad to hear someone is still propping up the bar in my absence!
I certainly did my fair share of 'being a student' too in my early
years at Brookes! If you are high flying whilst doing so then hats off
to you! I wasnt! I found I had to quickly forget how to 'be a student'
when I got into my final year to save my degree, and was even less of a
'student' in my Masters year! Formula Student is a big commitment, but
I would strongly advise getting involved. Formula Student is by far and
away the biggest selling point on my CV.
Rob F1 - Excelent points, I have to admit I was under the assumption
that Baldwin was interested in Motorsport and Engineering, put 2 and 3
together and got 5!
If you are not interested in the engineering side, forget doing the
engineering degree!
I agree that Masters is going to become the 'norm' as so many students
are now undertaking them straight after the BEng or bypassing the
undergraduate route and going straight onto the MEng. Hence why I spent
the last year obtaining one!
Davidmc - When I started my degree (year 1) there were over 150 students in my year, people were sitting on the stairs in lecture theatres as there were not sufficient seats to accomodate everyone. I graduated after my third year with less than 20 other students. The drop out rate was enormous after the first few weeks, and the numbers dwindled as the years went by. The engineering degree definatelly sorts the men from the boys!
Also you say a degree isnt necisarry? Well I think that depends on what you want to do! Sweep the floor, drive the truck then yes, your right! But if you want to do anything regarding the design of the car or race engineering then unless you already have experience in Formula 1.
or is this where I am going wrong? I dont think so because Renault (cringes... and hopes they do not pull out of the sport!) have just taken on no less than eight Brookes Postgraduates that studied with me last year! And I know one person who is now a design engineer at Force India whom I worked with this year. One of the students who graduated with a BEng went back to her position she held at Red Bull Racing on a placement year. And thats all I have been informed about, and thats just from Brookes alone! In a time when 'cost cutting' is coming into effect, teams are folding and there are plenty of 'experienced' people out there. Seems like a good method of getting into the sport to me!
Doink - There is little substitute to being at the right place at the right time. But it is what you can actually 'do' that keeps you in that place!
Roat Rat - I have no idea about how much influence foreign languages have. I can see it definatelly being an added bonus.
Chris Adams
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Motorsport education by 'DBaldwin' (07 Nov 2009 @ 18:37)
