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architecture vs. civil engineering (1 Viewer)

daman

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i cant seem to decide between the two. i've read all the course descriptions and spoken to all the academics and still the two courses seem too good to differentiate between. like they both appeal to my tastes.

ive put engineering as my first preference however i always wanted to be an architecture and recently ive been watching this show on tv, "property ladder" on the lifestyle channel (kickass show), and now im leaning towards property development.

the thing i didnt like about architecture was the artistic side of it like the dandy drawing stuff because i aint good at it and i dont enjoy things im not good at

the thing i like about civil engineering was the planning/development of large urban areas

just in case i live my life in regret of not taking up architecture i was wondering if i could hear the students opinions on their courses

so finally: what are the good and bad points of civil engineering and architecture?
 

elfm

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be prepared for a lot of calculating and number work if you end up doing civil engineering. I'm finding the course pretty cool so far, but I've only just finished 1st year.

Architects basically get all the credit for everything, while civil engineers have to do all the hard work :p

probably the good thing with civil engineering is that you can major is several different streams of civil engineering. one you might be interested in is project/construction management

civil engineering is also in very high demand in australia and throughout the world, but i don't know much about architecture. starting pay is about 45k

edit: have you looked at B. Planning? It looks like it would suit your interests well
 

Numero Uno

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Lifestyle channel owns !! so does Property ladder revisited , those guys make a fortune :S

Personally i would recommend civil engineering as Elfm said they'res a shortage of civil engineers and the pays is pretty good, especially after a few years experience it rises considerably.
 

KD

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elfm said:
edit: have you looked at B. Planning? It looks like it would suit your interests well
If you want to run/own/manage the company doing the development then Civil would be the better bet.
 

daman

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yeh i have considered planning, it was one of the three degrees that i had trouble in finally choosing from (civil, architecture and planning), but i decided against it.

thanks for the advice guys keep it coming

also in the "property ladder revisited" all these property developers are newbs (i realise this is the angle the shows producers are trying to take) however do you think that this is an accurate representation of the difficulty of entering into this market. like all these people succeed is this likely?

p.s sarah beeny has got big tits!
 
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Numero Uno

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Well yeh in property ladder revisted they're all newbs
yesturday the indian dude seemed to being alright for himself he seemed to have found an efficient formula for creating new development, though today i wouldnt say the english lady went too well, she seems to be in debt to the bank, as she wasnt able to get a decent return on her properties.

So i wouldnt say this is an accurate representation, after all renevating a house/property would undertake a large work load, and many months to complete ,the organisation involved is also a killer.
 

daman

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ok here's my situation: i will probably do engineering business at uts and i think ill do pretty well at uni however im not 100% sure i will like it. also i do not have the uai to do architecture and am not too sure if i am suited to it. so really im not sure about anything.

i am one of those people who cant make defintie decisions but always wonders what would happen if i took the other option

if i do not like engineering some time in the first/second year would it be quite easy for me to transfer into architecture considering that im performing well at my degree but did not have the required uai for the course initially?

cheers
 

daman

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ok here's my situation: i will probably do engineering business at uts and i think ill do pretty well at uni however im not 100% sure i will like it. also i do not have the uai to do architecture and am not too sure if i am suited to it. so really im not sure about anything.

i am one of those people who cant make defintie decisions but always wonders what would happen if i took the other option

if i do not like engineering some time in the first/second year would it be quite easy for me to transfer into architecture considering that im performing well at my degree but did not have the required uai for the course initially?

cheers
 

elfm

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Yes it's possible to do transfers. AFAIK, they take half of your HSC and half of your uni marks when they consider 1st year transfers. However, you'll then be put back a year and furthermore entirely waste a year of your life.

meh, I'll just direct you to a page that pretty much answers your query. It's actually answered by many people in their respective professions so it should be helpful. You need an overclockers.com.au forum account to view it:
http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=353193

edit: oh and I forgot to mention (or maybe I did, i can't be bothered reading up): If you screw something up as a civil engineer, your ass gets pounded on repetitively by everyone including the big guy at your local jail (Yes people have been sent to jail for bridge screwups). Everyone else gets off relatively scot-free
 
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daman

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thanks alot mate that site really did clear things up for me and make me feel alot more confident about going to uni
 
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