Up For Marine Engineering?

Daniel HopaClasswork, News

I have never thought about being an engineer before, so I was not particularly excited about this workshop. I like to study maths and physics, but engineering wasn’t an option that I considered until the Marine Engineering Workshop that Stanborough School organised for us.  A friendly marine engineer came to deliver the workshop and it was an interesting experience for me: it opened my eyes to a number of careers in Science, Engineering and Technology.

In the first part of the workshop, the instructor explained to us what marine engineering is, what marine engineers do and what this profession aims for. I was amazed at the fascinating things that marine engineers build; being a marine engineer means more than simply building boats and submarines. It is building whatever needs to be built in a creative and innovative way.

In the second part, we had a practical activity and a competition. The class was divided in groups of three and our task was to build a boat with thick paper and some wires. We would then put all the boats in water, filling them with some marble balls. Finally, the boat that could hold the maximum number of balls without sinking, would win. In the end, it was harder than we thought. Building a little paper boat is difficult enough; this made me realise that to build a real boat is not an easy job.

By the end of the workshop, engineering was becoming a very viable and attractive career option. While I might not necessarily opt for marine engineering, other areas of this profession are definitely worth exploring. What intrigued me most about engineering is how it has comprises maths and physics principles, along with creativity and originality.

Text by Lisia