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Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical engineering degrees offer a wide range of specializations to choose from, with diverse opportunities to contribute to the next stage in the development of modern technology. At undergraduate level, students will start with an introduction to key mechanical engineering topics, such as statics and dynamics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, stress analysis, mechanical design and technical drawing. As the course progresses, there should be more opportunities to specialize in a particular field within which mechanical engineering skills are applied, such as vehicle design, robotics, nanotechnology or energy.
Digging deeper into subject interests can help you in a number of ways:
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Confirm whether this is (or isn't) something you would be interested in enough to want to study it at university either as the focus of your degree or a minor/elective
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Give you some inspiration to use when creating your questions and topics for IA's (coursework) and your Extended Essay
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Provide you with content for your university application writing in the future, enabling you to reflect on the things you've been doing to explore your interests in a way that is academically relevant to the course or institution you are applying for.
Useful Resources
How do I apply for an Engineering Degree? | Blog | Website | This blog provides you with some useful information on applying for an Engineering degree. Some of the topics discussed include: the different engineering degree subjects, required subjects necessary for admissions, application success, top engineering universities in the UK, required grades, and other useful experience. | Click Here > | |
Engineering: a beginner's guide, by Natasha McCarthy | Book | Focusing on the impact of engineering on society and the world, McCarthy details the development of the discipline, explains what makes an engineering mind, and shows how every aspect of our lives has been engineered: from gadgets to our national infrastructure.
Long considered tinkerers, problem solvers, and visionaries, engineers hold the keys to our real and virtual future. | St. Clares Library L24 620 MCC | |
Small Things Considered: why there is no perfect design, by Henry Petroski | Book | Why has the durable paper shopping bag been largely replaced by its flimsy plastic counterpart? What circuitous chain of improvements led to such innovations as the automobile cup holder and the swiveling vegetable peeler? With the same relentless curiosity and lucid, witty prose he brought to his earlier books, Henry Petroski looks at some of our most familiar objects and reveals that they are, in fact, works in progress. For there can never be an end to the quest for the perfect design. To illustrate his thesis, Petroski tells the story of the paper drinking cup, which owes its popularity to the discovery that water glasses could carry germs. He pays tribute to the little plastic tripod that keeps pizza from sticking to the box and analyzes the numerical layouts of telephones and handheld calculators. Small Things Considered is Petroski at his most trenchant and provocative, casting his eye not only on everyday artifacts but on their users as well. | St. Clares Library L24 620 PET | |
The New Science of Strong Materials or Why You Don't Fall Through the Floor, by J.E Gordon | Book | Why isn't wood weaker that it is? Why isn't steel stronger? Why does glass sometimes shatter and sometimes bend like spring? Why do ships break in half? What is a liquid and is treacle one? All these are questions about the nature of materials. All of them are vital to engineers but also fascinating as scientific problems. During the 250 years up to the 1920s and 1930s they had been answered largely by seeing how materials behaved in practice. But materials continued to do things that they "ought" not to have done. Only in the last 40 years have these questions begun to be answered by a new approach. Material scientists have started to look more deeply into the make-up of materials. They have found many surprises; above all, perhaps, that how a material behaves depends on how perfectly - or imperfectly - its atoms are arranged. Using both SI and imperial units, Professor Gordon's account of material science is a demonstration of the sometimes curious and entertaining ways in which scientists isolate and solve problems. | St. Clares Library L24 620.1 GOR | |
ProEd | Course | Future Engineer Summer Programme (use code StClares2022 for a 20% discount) | Click Here > | |
STEM Guide | E-Magazine | A guide to careers in STEM subjects. | Click Here > | |
The Engineer | E-Magazine | The latest engineering, technology and business news and features. There are sections for different engineering disciplines | Click Here > | |
Summer Schools in Europe | Events | The most complete directory of summer courses in Europe. It includes courses for high school, undergraduate and graduate students, so ensure you read the descriptions to find options right for you. | Click Here > | |
Young Engineer Programmes | Events | Conference | Gain an immersive experience of Engineering alongside top professionals. Choose below either our Young Engineer Weekend or our Young Engineer Summer Experience. | Click Here > | |
Royal SOciety Open Science | Journal | An open journal publishing high-quality research across all of science, engineering and mathematics | Click Here > | |
Research from the University of Bristol | Journal Articles | Website | Explore cutting edge research from the different faculties and departments from the University of Bristol, including free access to their published journal articles. | Click Here > | |
Coursera | Online Course | Coursera is an online platform for distance learning. They have a range of free courses delivered by universities. Search in this section to find courses of interest to you, often these are courses you can follow at your own pace. | Click Here > | |
EdX | Online Course | The X Series courses on the EdX platform are free online courses delivered by universities and aimed at helping you explore areas of interest. | Click Here > | |
FutureLearn | Online Course | FutureLearn is a free online platform where universities from around the globe host FREE online courses you can undertake in your areas of interest. Browse courses by categories or use the search bar to find courses relevant to your interests | Click Here > | |
ProEd | Online Course | Online Future Engineer Programme | Click Here > | |
Springpod: Degree Taster Programmes | Online Course | Virtual programs helping you to explore degree subject areas before you apply which you can complete at your own pace. | Click Here > | |
I want to study engineering | Website | Problem solving activities and advice for making competitive applications for Engineering. Create a free account to track your progress. | Click Here > | |
engNRICH | Website | Mathematical activities to complement and enhance the study of engineering. | Click Here > | |
Institute of Mechanical Engineerings | Website | E-Magazine | Events | Webinar | The latest news, research, through leadership, jobs, events and training within the engineering sectors connected to mechanical engineering. The careers and education section of the site has information on scholarships and awards as well as careers within these industries. Within many of the sectors, you will find webinars and events listed | Click Here > | |
HE+ | Website | Podcast | Blog | Video | The HE+ website has supercurricular resources created and written by Cambridge students and academics including challenging activities, engaging videos, reflective questions and much more. | Click Here > | |
Springpod Virtual Work Experience | Work Experience | Virtual work experience Opportunities across a range of companies and sectors. Most of them are free. | Click Here > |
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