1. College Description
My first year of college was a Craftsmanship Skills course. This mainly taught me the basic
mathematics for engineering, health and safety in an engineering environment, and how to
use basic hand tools and machinery such as milling machines and metal lathes.
My second year was the NC Mechanical Engineering course. This course taught me about
different materials and their uses, along with the stresses and strains which can be applied
to different materials. A more in depth look into the mathematics for engineers subject, and
greater practical lessons in the uses of different tools and machinery.
The third year was the HNC Mechanical Engineering course. This course was full of theory
based topics with a few practical subjects. I learned about Thermodynamics, Pneumatics
and Hydraulics, PLCs (Programmable Logic Controllers), Mathematics for Engineering
(Mechanical and Manufacturing), and welding classes.
The fourth and final year was the HND Engineering Systems course. In this year the
Mechanical Engineering class from the previous year (my class) and the Electrical
Engineering class from the previous year were combined. We were taught a mixture of
mechanical, electrical and mechatronics. This included Engineering Systems Analysis,
Mechatronic Systems, Renewable Energy Systems, Electronic Testing Skills, and
Mathematics for Engineering. Throughout this year our graded unit projects were
conducted in teams. We were to design and build a working renewable energy unit. My
team chose to build a micro-generation wind turbine. Each group required a team member
to volunteer to manage the project, and this was one of my important roles.
Each year of college I studied Mathematics, English, and CAD. And in the final year I studied
Business Awareness as well.