Research indicates that most people know what they want to be when they grow up by age 10.
In this episode of the But Seriously, What is Engineering? podcast, we ask, why choose engineering?
Hear from Caitlin Grant, a third-year chemical and environmental engineering student at The University of Queensland, as she shares her motivations to pursue engineering and why she sticks with this rewarding, yet challenging, program.
Engineering wasn’t on Caitlin’s radar growing up. She originally wanted to be a vet, but support and encouragement from family and a desire to combine her environmental-mindedness with skills in problem solving and maths drew her to study chemical and environmental engineering at UQ.
These days, a dream to make a positive impact on our global environmental footprint and think differently about waste helps to keep her motivated through her studies.
Listen in as Caitlin shares tips for making the most of your engineering studies, including postgraduate studies, industry placement, exchange experiences, networking, and the importance of getting out of your comfort zone.
To learn more about studying engineering at UQ visit the Future Students website.
Duration: 11:10
More information
Listen to more episodes in the series or subscribe to the podcast using Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcasting app.
Meet our guests
Caitlin Grant
Caitlin is studying the integrated Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) / Master of Engineering program in chemical and environmental engineering.
Caitlin chose a chemical engineering dual major as the career prospects span a wide range of industries and there are opportunities for making a difference at a large scale. The master's program offers the option to gain deeper technical understanding, and has the added benefit of a six-month industry placement.
Caitlin has completed vacation employment at Queensland Urban Utilities where she gained insight into the professional world and she was able to apply her learnings at UQ in a real-world environment.
A Women in Engineering leader for two consecutive years, Caitlin’s plans for the next few years include starting her Master’s and going on a Global Exchange experience to Denmark.
While her degree so far has come with its challenges, it’s those challenges that have made it all the more rewarding. The UQ engineering community makes the journey easier, including support from peers and staff, as well as academic and professional development opportunities and a wide range of extracurriculars.
Connect with Caitlin on LinkedIn.
