Pros and Cons of Mechanical Engineering at RMIT

So, you’ve gotten an objective insight into what it’s like studying a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at RMIT and now you’re scouring the internet for a personal opinion of the course?

Well, look no further because we’ve got you covered. 

Meet Matthew. An RMIT graduate from the Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) (Honours) program who told us everything there is to know about the course; the ups and downs, ins and outs and pros and cons. 

Let’s dive in!

Why should you study a Mechanical Engineering degree at RMIT?

Top 3 Pros of a Mechanical Engineering Degree

Top 3 Cons of a Mechanical Engineering Degree

Mistakes You Shouldn’t Make

Things to Know Before Starting RMIT Mechanical Engineering

What Makes this Degree Different

Motivations for Studying RMIT Mechanical Engineering

Potential Career Paths

Why should you study a Mechanical Engineering degree at RMIT?

The Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at RMIT would be a perfect pathway for those budding engineers wanting to utilise their critical thinking and innovative skills to plan, design and develop machinery and facilities. It’s a program that combines the foundations of engineering like maths, science, design and professional practice with practical disciplines like business, manufacturing, automotive design and computing.

So, it’s a degree that covers a vast amount of subjects and would be a great option for students wanting to spend their uni days getting to know all about the planning, conceptualising, designing and developmental stages that make the backbone of the facilities that we use each day. 

Whether you’re wandering around your local shopping centre, appreciating the heating in your living room or marvelling at the mechanics behind lifts and elevators, we’ve got mechanical engineers to thank. As a student in the Mechanical Engineering degree at RMIT, you’ll be learning all about the impacts that machines have on our everyday life, why we need them and how they improve and hinder our lives. 

Top 3 Pros of a Mechanical Engineering degree

#1: Notable engineering reputation 

As you may know, RMIT has a pretty good rep in the engineering world. They’ve got sites dedicated to engineering and a number of specialist facilities. Matthew could back us up on this one: 

“For me, RMIT has a pretty good reputation for engineering. So, naturally, you’re going to draw people that are more interested in doing well in engineering. When you are learning with people that are strong learners and have these passions, you tend to push each other,” Matthew told us. 

So, not only are you attending a university that’s globally recognisable but you’re going to be surrounded by an ambitious and passionate cohort who are going to push you with some nice and healthy competition. Even so, Matthew made it clear that, “No matter which uni you’re at, what you put in is what you’re going to get out of it.”

A defining aspect that makes engineering at RMIT that much better, is the quality of specialisations that you can choose to compliment your undergraduate degree. These four options include:

• • Computer-aided engineering and design 
  • Industrial aerodynamics and computational fluid dynamics 
  • Energy conservation and renewable energy 
  • Mechatronics, dynamics and control 

If you’re keen on taking a deeper look at the kinds of specialisations you can focus on, have a squiz at RMIT’s Handbook. 

#2: Passionate and involved staff 

Another attractive aspect of the Mechanical Engineering course at RMIT, according to Matthew, is the dedicated and supportive teaching environment, where the staff are always looking out for you. While Matthew admitted that you’re always going to get a couple less compatible tutors (which we’ll get into later), he said that, for the most part, the good outweighed the bad. 

Matthew explained, “There’s always going to be a mix of good and bad lecturers and tutors but I will say that there are some really strong academic staff, which I think really helps along the way.” 

The encouragement you’ll receive from RMIT’s engineering staff has a lot to do with the priceless insight that they can give you from their engineering experience. 

“Some of them have had industry experience, all different levels — there’s some doing their PhDs and there are professors who’ve been there for 20 years. So, there’s a good mix of styles of teaching which I think helps cater for different learning styles,” Matthew said. 

The staff that are going to have your back most throughout your engineering studies at RMIT, are those involved in the School of Engineering, which is your main point of contact when it comes to faculties. 

The School of Engineering spans across all sorts of engineering-related disciplines, some of which include; biomedical, telecommunications, environmental and, of course, mechanical engineering. So, you’ll have access to a range of resources that cover every facet of engineering. 

#3: State of the art facilities 

“They’re starting to accumulate and build up these facilities steadily. For example, the 3D printing section in the city RMIT campus is just getting bigger and bigger with more advanced 3D printers,” Matthew explained. 

And it’s true! RMIT has a range of industry-level facilities for design, building and research. If you’re looking for a uni that values practical and hands-on experience with a variation of important equipment, RMIT may be perfect for you. 

Matthew added, “If you’re interested in technology, you can see what facilities they have and you might find that they’re some of the best facilities in Australia to work on.” 

Top 3 Cons of a Mechanical Engineering degree

#1: You’ll likely have to move between campuses

RMIT offers classes in a variety of areas. They’ve got campuses around Australia, a couple in Vietnam and a research collaboration centre in Spain. Alongside their regional sites in Point Cook, Hamilton and Bendigo, RMIT’s main Australian campuses include their Melbourne City campus, Bundoora campus and Brunswick campus. 

A funky feature of the Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at RMIT is that you’ll most likely be required to spend a portion of your degree studying on the Bundoora campus which is 18km north-east of Melbourne’s city campus. Matthew explained that while he didn’t have such a tough time transferring campuses, he recognised that it was a hassle for some of his peers. 

“There is the move from the city to Bundoora half way through the degree, which may not be a negative for some people, but it may be for others, and it’s a key thing to note because you may get an apartment in the city and then halfway through the degree you have to move,” Matthew explained. 

#2: You may get some less involved tutors too 

While there are plenty of dedicated and supportive teachers within and beyond the School of Engineering at RMIT, you may also get your fair share of tutors who you don’t find super compatible. It’s almost bound to happen no matter where you go. 

“Naturally, there’s always going to be a mix of good and bad. Occasionally, you get a teacher that’s probably not as good as you want them to be. In that case, you do need to do a bit of learning on your own but you’ll naturally have to do that at uni anyway, most of the learning is done in your own time,” Matthew said. 

There you go. It’s nothing you can’t get through, as long as you make time for some independent learning and give yourself a chance to get your head around the content at your own speed. It may also be handy to check out RMIT’s Student Resources page or take a trip to the library to look for some extra support. 

“You’ll find a mix of teachers that you do and don’t like but on the whole they were really good,” Matthew added.  

#3: There are also some not so great facilities

“Again, the facilities. There’s sort of two sides of the same coin, some of the facilities are good and some are on their last legs. In some of the practicals you might do, you’re dealing with equipment that probably needs an upgrade. Hopefully they’ll start to invest money in upgrading some of the equipment, particularly at Bundoora,” Matthew said. 

Matthew told us that despite some of the great facilities that you’ll have access to as a student in the Mechanical Engineering program, you may also need to work in some lower quality centres too. While the Bundoora campus has a dedicated Engineering campus, Matthew admitted that there could be a bit more work done on it. 

Any regrets? 

Matthew told us that while he doesn’t have any regrets per se, he does wish he was a little bit more on top of uni work during his first year. If this is your first year at uni and you’re not quite where you’d like to be grade-wise, just remember that it happens to the best of us.

As long as you’re taking the initiative to chat to your tutors and you’re spending some time doing independent study, you’ll be okay! Still, Matthew explained that after transferring from Engineering at Monash Uni to RMIT, he wished he put a little more effort in during his first year at uni. 

“I originally started at Monash straight after high school. I was struggling to start so I ended up transferring to RMIT after about a year and I got off to a really slow start. My grades initially weren’t good. Obviously, as I began to enjoy it more and more, my grades got better,” Matthew said. 

He added, “If you can, if you have the right circumstances in life, try and hit the ground running when it comes to your degree. Try and start with some energy, really try and stay on top of it early.”

What do you wish you had known before starting Mechanical Engineering at RMIT? 

#1: Starting looking for internships ASAP

Matthew advised any budding Engineering students to try and seek out an internship as soon as you’re able to. Not only will this look great on a resume for future employers but you’ll gain essential practical experience that’s going to give you a step up at uni. 

“If you are studying Engineering, it’s a very competitive industry to get into. So, I would’ve tried to get internships really early on in the degree.

“I don’t think there was much encouragement from staff to do that. It was sort of that after you finish uni you’ll start applying to internships. But yeah, if I could go back I’d probably start searching earlier to see what industries to get into and what internships were available,” Matthew advised. 

#2: Try and stay on top of the workload from the get go 

As Matthew explained earlier, he wished he had put a little bit more effort into studying during his first year.

He said, “Because the degree is in Engineering, it can get away from you a bit. If you have a slow first year, the second year becomes a bit difficult and then in your third and fourth year, you’re playing catch up. If you hit that first year with a bit of pace and you put in the hours, I think the following years become easier.”

What makes this degree different from the ones offered at other universities? 

Matthew’s a firm believer in the fact that no matter which uni you go to, you’ll get out of it what you put in. So, while it sounds like RMIT was a great fit for Matthew, Engineering degrees are relatively consistent across the board, no matter where you attend uni. 

“I think a lot of the time there is too much emphasis placed on which university you go to. I think at RMIT, there may be more of a balance between practical projects and theoretical compared to some of the more academic universities,” Matthew explained. 

He added, “So, if that’s what you’re interested in, RMIT would suit that. I think there is a danger that some universities can be too theoretical but other than that, I think a lot of the content you learn is the same across all universities.” 

What inspired you to choose Mechanical Engineering at RMIT?

“I’ve always been hands-on. Growing up, I’ve always enjoyed being in the workshop, building things. Probably in line with that, I really enjoyed mathematics in high school and so naturally those two things sort of came together to form the foundation for Engineering, particularly Mechanical,” Matthew told us. 

If you’re someone that loves maths or has a good eye for innovation and design, Mechanical Engineering at RMIT may be perfect for you. It definitely suited Matthew. 

What are the possible career paths?

With RMIT’s industry-focused and practical approach, you’re going to graduate with the skills and knowledge highly sought after in the engineering recruitment world. While there’s no compulsory placement program in the degree, you’ll still have the qualities to search for an internship externally.

With some practical experience and the Mechanical Engineering degree under your belt, you’ll be basically guaranteed a great position in the engineering world. 

It’s also good to remember that the career paths we’ve mentioned above are those directly related to engineering. If you’ve graduated from the degree but found out that you’re more interested in the maths side of things or perhaps you’ve discovered that you’re a natural designer, there are also plenty of options for you beyond engineering.

You could go into teaching or academia or even complete a Masters in a totally disparate area! Your options are endless! 

Check out 20 different careers you can pursue with a Bachelor of Engineering here!

Gemma Billington is a Content Writer at Art of Smart and an undergraduate student at the University of Technology Sydney. While studying Journalism and Social and Political Sciences, Gemma enjoys spending her time at the gym or reading about Britain’s medieval monarchy – ideally not at the same time. She currently creates and administers social media posts for Central News and writes for the student publication, The Comma. After completing her undergraduate degree, she hopes to study a Masters of Medieval History and is very excited about the prospect!