It’s time to dig deep into a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Honours) at Monash!
Perhaps you read our last article and know exactly what this degree involves, but you’re still not sure what the day to day will look like.
Have no fear, we’ve got you covered! Meet Romalya, a final year student of a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Honours) at Monash — she moved here from Sri Lanka to complete the degree and has been involved in many university activities throughout her time, making her a great candidate to show us around.
Now let’s get started!
Why should you study a Chemical Engineering degree at Monash?
Pros of a Chemical Engineering Degree
Cons of a Chemical Engineering Degree
Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make
Things to Know Before Starting Monash Chemical Engineering
What Makes this Degree Different
Motivations for Studying Monash Chemical Engineering
Potential Career Paths
Why should you study a Chemical Engineering degree at Monash?
“If you think that it’s something you want to do or explore, then please come and explore!” Romalya said.
Romalya believes this is a great degree and certainly one worth enrolling in. However, she also said that students need to enrol in what they know they will enjoy.
By studying here, getting to know staff and being involved in the Society of Monash University Chemical Engineers (SMUCE), you will discover if it’s what you want to do! You’ll also have access to great programs and people who can support you throughout your degree.
Pros of a Chemical Engineering degree
#1: The friendships
Romalya told us many times how friendly and welcoming the culture of Engineering at Monash is! In fact, you can easily walk up to people and make new friends.
“You can just make friends with anyone — it doesn’t have to just be in Chemical Engineering. You can join societies,” she said.
There are many clubs like SMUCE, or Female Engineers at Monash (FEM), that are ready to welcome new students. As part of a relatively small cohort, you should find yourself making connections quickly.
#2: Staff connections
“The opportunity I’ve had to learn under certain lecturers who are doing great things for the world in terms of their research [is] very inspiring,” Romalya said.
Monash boasts some highly accomplished staff, including Head of Chemical Engineering, Professor Mark Banaszak Holl. He’s worked in macromolecular science in Michigan and has a large number of publications to his name.
As another example, Dr Parama Chakraborty Banerjee is a whiz at understanding electrochemical processes. You’ll find many other great staff members at Monash, too.
The best part is, Monash staff are usually very willing to help students with any questions they have.
#3: Gaining impactful knowledge
“Everything that you can think of has a process used to get from one thing to another and wherever that happens, Chemical Engineers are needed,” Romalya highlighted.
As you can see, this is a really valuable degree and comes with a lot of responsibility!
Cons of a Chemical Engineering degree
The workload
“It’s not an easy degree. I understand that Chemical Engineering at Monash especially has been ranked higher than most other Engineering degrees, so I think our lecturers are doing something right and teaching us what we need to learn, but it’s not easy,” shared Romalya.
You may have noticed that this degree has a high mark to get in and is rather competitive. It also involves many assessments, which students must be prepared for. You will be marked on a range of things, from lab reports, to experiments, to classwork.
“I’d say you have to dedicate yourself to it. You just have to work hard, but it’s worth it,” she added.
Well… That’s all!
Romalya didn’t have any more cons to add! However, it’s really important to remember that everyone has different experiences of this degree.
One thing Ramalya told us is that Chemical Engineering is very different to what people expect (it’s not just simply studying Chemistry). Your skills will be stretched as you learn about different engineering skills and ways of producing a product.
For some people, this may be challenging, or not exactly what you are keen on.
Do your research on whatever degree you’d like to enrol for. Approach study with an open mind, so if cons do come, you’ll be prepared for them!
Any regrets?
“The only regrets I have are COVID-related. Not being able to show up at the labs in my third year was hard.
“In terms of social events and regretting not being a part of things a lot, it was [because of] COVID. There’s a lot our club (SMUCE) had planned for the year that we didn’t really get to do,” Romalya mentioned.
Although this sadness isn’t specific to Romalya or to Monash, it is helpful to consider COVID-19 in your uni plans. Unfortunately, the social events and campus life for many has been altered over the last year and a half.
A lot of universities are now transitioning lectures and events more permanently online. You may not get the same interaction at university that was once expected.
However, in an approachable, friendly degree like a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (Honours), you can still interact with your peers! Get friendly on Zoom, join virtual clubs, and make the most of all on-campus activities.
What do you wish you had known before starting Monash Chemical Engineering?
“I did a lot of research before I got into it, and I landed on Chemical Engineering by eliminating everything I didn’t want to do,” she said.
Romalya explained that though she knew this was the degree she wanted to do, she didn’t know quite what she was getting in for! She wants students to know that you may not enjoy this degree simply because you enjoy Chemistry or enjoy Science.
“It’s not Chemistry. Chemistry is part of it, but there’s process Engineering and more [involved],” she explained.
“Like any other thing, you have to work hard to really understand its principles and excel at it. It’s not like we are in a lab just mixing chemicals together,” Romalya added.
What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities?
“I was at Swinburne for a year before I came to Monash… I realised that Swinburne Australia didn’t actually have Chemical Engineering,” said Romalya.
What Romalya explained is actually very important. Chemical Engineering is not an overly common degree!
Finding a university that teaches it to a high calibre can be challenging. So, this is a big point of differentiation between Monash and many other places of study.
What inspired you to choose Monash Chemical Engineering?
“With this degree, I felt that I wouldn’t have to narrow my opportunities down too much, I would still have a broad [scope] of what I wanted to do in life and what fields I wanted to go down. I kind of felt that the other Engineering specialties were a little bit narrower.
“Basically what inspired me was to see what I could do, where I could end up. I really liked the sound of Chemical Engineering in comparison to everything else,” Romalya explained.
Because Chemical Engineering provides an avenue into many different industries, it is an Engineering path that is favourable if you’re not sure exactly what you want to do! It provides opportunities to work on unique projects, with people from many professions.
What are the possible career paths?
As covered, Chemical Engineering opens you up to many different industries. Some areas you may choose to work in are:
- Food processing
- Mining
- Petrochemicals
- Pharmaceuticals
- Waste and Water
- Environment
Lucinda Garbutt-Young hopes 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.
