cambridgew engineering freshers guide

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CUED Notebook 2014-2015

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TERM DATES 2014-15

Welcome to Cambridge and to the Department of EngineeringThis Notebook is your essential guide to studying at the University of Cambridge - Department of Engineering. To help ensure that you get the most out of your time here.In addition to providing a useful source of lined paper and dividers to organise your notes,the notebook contains information pages at the front on resources and opportunities anda useful term monthly academic planner at the back.

We hope that you find the Notebook to be a useful reference resource during your studies.

Michaelmas term Tuesday 7 October - Friday 5 December

Lent term Tuesday 13 January - Friday 13 March

Easter term Tuesday 21 April - Friday 12 June



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The Course

In your first year you dont have to worry much about the course structure. Everysubject and every question is compulsory. This means that youll learn a lot aboutquite a varied selection of topics. Most of the course is delivered through lectures,and reinforced through the work set, experiments, and sessions with fellows.

Lectures

The lectures match the exam syllabus exactly, and are fast paced and intensive understand and learn everything in the lectures, and you are pretty much guaranteed to do well in the exams. While extra reading is encouraged, especially for courses like Materials where a deep understanding of material behaviour is useful, it is not strictly necessary.

Given the breadth, depth and sheer volume of information, missing even one lecture can cause desperate problems as you try to catch up try not to miss any lectures unless you are physically incapable of attending!

Dont miss any lectures!

Printed notes are handed out at the start of each lecture, with gaps to fill in as the lecture progresses much better than the old days when all you had was a blank sheet of paper and your pen. Try and make the most of it.


Most lecturers dont mind you putting up your hand to clarify points or to ask sensible questions, and any other doubts can always be cleared up during supervisions. It isimportant to pay attention to the lecture you can come out with perfect notes, but have not a clue what the lecture was really about. If the lecturer seems to be going too fast, then ask them to slow down!

There are two lecture courses aimed at putting engineering into context: the Engineer in Society and Engineering Applications. They make an interesting change from all the theory lectures, and are enlightening and entertaining courses that make for relaxing listening.

Food is not allowed in lectures, but water bottles are permitted.

Example Papers

Examples papers will be the centre of your Cambridge life. These are handed out by lecturers and are sheets of problems intended to ensure you fully understand the lecture material and are able to apply your knowledge correctly.

The papers often include some of the most difficult questions from previous years exam papers (known as Tripos), and are an essential part of the course. Examples papers together withadditional Tripos questions will provide the foundation for your revision.

Everything you need to know in order to finish an examples paper is in the relevant lecturenotes. However, occasional consults on textbooks do give a different perspective on the work, especially if you understand a basic principle but are having trouble applying it to problems. Seeing it performed slightly differently in another context can be a tremendous boost to your understanding.

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If you have difficulty with a paper, discuss itwith friends, supervision partners, and yoursupervisor.

If all else fails there are worked answers,known as cribs, available in many collegelibraries and in the CUED library theseshould be considered only as aLAST RESORT. Dont, whatever you do,have the cribs in front of you when youattempt the problem for the first, secondor third time!!

Supervisions

Supervisions are informal sessions with an experienced engineer, who can be anyone froma postgraduate student to a Nobel Prize-winning professor, during which you discuss yourattempts at examples papers and any other aspects of the course in which you may haveproblems. In a way, these sessions are your lifeline to the Cambridge course. You will haveopportunity to clarify any queries or uncertainties you have about the course, and consolidate your understanding of concepts.

Remember that these sessions are informal and are there to help you rather than being part of the assessment. Dont be afraid to let the supervisor know if youre having problems: it is theirjob to guide you through the course. If the supervisor isnt able to provide the assistance you need, then talk to your College Director of Studies (DoS).

Make the most of the valuable time to learn something useful, and try to get at least somequestions on the examples paper for that week done.

If you have a naturally slow pace with the examples papers, or are having genuine difficultykeeping up with them and comprehending the material, let your supervisors know. If you dont, they may think youre just lazy, and youre going to have a turbulent relationship from then on.If they know youre trying your best, they will be sympathetic and will work hard to help you.







Coursework

Coursework refers to the series of experiments, essays and projects that you will do duringthe course of the year. It accounts for over 10% of your final grade in part 1A. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to get full marks thanks to the standard credit system, which guarantees that as long as you turn up at every lab and do conscientious work, you will get the qualifying marks.All the labs are reasonably enjoyable, and some, such as the Gas Engine, Turbo Charger andMaterials experiment, are brilliant.



Laboratory Sessions

At the beginning of term you are paired up in a lab group. This way, you have someone to work with and a way of helping each other during the labs.

Lab work is easy to get standard credit on, but be warned: lateness to a lab can be penalised heavily you can get marks docked if youre even five minutes late, and after 10/15 minutes the demonstrator is allowed to exclude you from that lab (so zero marks), especially if a safety briefis involved.

There are two kinds of labs long and short. While both types of labs usually cover the sameperiod of time, about 2 hours, the short experiments do not require a full write up, and instead you have to answer a few simple questions on the lab instruction sheet.

Long labs involve writing up a detailed lab report. At the end of a long lab you have to sign upfor a mark-up session, during which the demonstrator will mark your report in a range of 1 to 6 and discuss issues pertaining to the experiment with you. Do not fret if you never get higherthan 5. There is also the Exposition course in the first term, done in a group of about 12 students, some or all from your College. It is a series of sessions and exercises to teach you how to present information in oral and written form, and also how to write long lab reports. Depending on your supervisor, it can be an amazing exercise.

There is additional coursework over each of the holidays the Engineer in Society essay, and a Product Design exercise where you will be expected to design and present a product, plus the entire thought process that led to its creation. Both exercises draw on a series of eight lectures given in the previous term. The Product Design course teaches you the official procedures for designing products, with a briefing of the problem your product is to solve in the final lecture before the holiday. Its really worth making sure you get to these lectures!





Most notably, there is the Part 1A Structural Design Project. You and your lab partner get todesign and build a cantilever or bridge out of steel or aluminium, and then apply a brutal load and watch it tear itself to pieces! Its a little daunting if youve never done much metalworking before, but youll be shown all the techniques necessary, and the workshop technicians arevery helpful if you get into difficulties. Savour the Structural Design Project;it is easily the most rewarding activity of the whole year.

Other coursework includes a beginners introduction to programming in C++, and technical drawing using both traditional drawing boards and CAD software. The only real difficulty with these labs is the time frame there is a lecture followed by an exercise in the morning, thenanother lecture and exercise in the afternoon, and both exercises have to be finished by theend of the day. This is hard work if youve had little experience, but you can ask demonstratorsfor help. If you dont finish but try hard and do a decent job theyll often give you full marks after all, there is a world of difference between being incompetent and just not being terribly fast. In spite of the time frame, both these courses, especially drawing, can be great fun enjoy it!

Industrial Experience

As part of your degree you are required to do some relevant work experience. Four weeks must be done by the end of the first year and a further four by the end of second year.

If you have already met the requirement at any other time, such as during a gap year before coming up to Cambridge, this will be adequate as long as it is properly documented. The work undertaken must be relevant to engineering, but this can be interpreted quite broadly.

If you think you have already met the requirements,you will need to fill up a CUED work experience logbook, available online or from Mr. Igor Wowk (the industrialexperience coordinator). Any further questions, particularlyon suggested places of work, should be addressed to Mr Wowkat [email protected].

If, like most students, you have not yet qualified thereis plenty of help from Mr Wowk to find a placement

Facilities and Resources

The main site on Trumpington Street is formed from a miscellaneous collection ofbuildings reflecting their respective decades, all crammed into a small area! Its a pretty confusing place to find your way around, so the SSJC has provided a map.


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The Library

The department library is staffed between 8:30 and 17:30 Monday to Friday during Full Term.After hours it is open on a trust basis i.e. put the books back where you found them when youre done! The library staff are incredibly helpful so dont hesitate to ask them if you cant find what you need. The library is increasingly providing resources to help with all aspects of teaching and learning, so keep an eye on their website.

Note that the librarys collection is considerably larger than the storage space in the officialLibrary room, and books that wont fit in there are stored in locked cupboards scatteredanywhere there is free space throughout the whole site. These will be accessible duringnormal hours, you will need to ask the librarian for the key.

Access to the Department

During teaching hours almost the entire area is left unlocked, but you should still keep your Uni-versity Cards with you for identification. Outside teaching hours, your card will allow you access into most areas between 8:00 and 22:00 Monday to Friday. It is especially important to keep your card with you if you intend to stay in the department out of teaching time.



Computing

Youll be spending a lot of time using computers during your course. Computers for use in the course can be found in the Design and Project Office (DPO). They run on a dual-boot system (Linux and Windows 7).

The Language Unit

The Language Unit offers you a brilliantopportunity to learn another language,either by taking a course in one of the5 languages (French, German, SpanishJapanese or Chinese) that are taught bythe unit at beginner, intermediate andadvanced levels, or by making use ofthe units available resources to teachyourself languages as diverse as Italianor Arabic. The mini library at the language unit

For further information visit: http://to.eng.cam.ac.uk/teaching/language/content/




Fast Feedback

The Fast Feedback system is the most convenient means by which students can express their opinions on the teaching within the department, especially lectures. Feedback can be given directly and anonymously to a particular lecturer or in general to the Staff Student JointCommittee. Fast feedback can be found on the Departments computers. You can open upthe teaching pages on the department website, and select Fast Feedback from the First Year Student Pages.

SOCIETIES

Staff Student Joint Committee

The SSJC is all about collaboration between students and staff. There are two electedrepresentatives from each of the four years of the course, two graduate students, the chair of Cambridge University Engineering Society and four members of staff. The committee meets to discuss department issues raised by both students and staff; it is chiefly a voice for the students.

Every College has a SSJC representative who you will meet in your first few days at Cambridge. If you have any complaints, suggestions or general comments about any part of the course or department, talk with them.

You may find a list of current representatives on the SSJC website at

http://teaching.eng.cam.ac.uk/information/committees/part-ia/content



Cambridge University Engineering Society

CUES is the largest academic society in Cambridge, with around 1000 members. It is sponsored by a selection of leading international technology companies, allowing it to offer high quality presentations, visits and socials. All visits are heavily subsidised, and all presentations are free of charge for members.

CUES also runs an annual Careers Fair, which is helpful for finding both holiday placements and jobs after graduation. Reduced rate membership is offered to all first year engineers during Freshers Week, and its for life!

For more information on CUES, visit www.cuengineeringsociety.org.uk.

Cambridge University Entrepreneurs

Founded in 1999 by three people, Cambridge University Entrepreneurs has evolved into being a key part of the Universitys ecosystem for supporting and accelerating entrepreneurship and innovation.

CU Entrepreneurs run one of the most successful student-run business creation competitions in the world. Since 1999 they have awarded over 500k in prize money to more than 40 start-ups and have seen many of them develop into successful companies.

CU Entrepreneurs goal is to promote and nurture entrepreneurship in Cambridge via thebusiness creation competition, along with the training, mentoring and networking events insupport of it, taking you from idea to business in under a year.

For more information, visit http://www.cue.org.uk/.




Engineers Without Borders Cambridge

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) is a UK-wide organisation concerned with enhancing human development through appropriate technology. It is a chance to learn more about International Development and the crucial role that Engineers play.

This is approached through placements around theworld, training in sustainable development,humanitarian assistance and first aid, bursariesto fund projects, and numerous other eventsthroughout the year.

The Cambridge branch runs Outreach workshopsat local schools, training workshops and socials.Throughout the year the team is involved inresearch projects with the opportunity to usethe knowledge gained in Cameroon.

For more information, visit www.ewb-cam.org.

Cambridge University Environment Consulting Society

CUECS does not just talk about the environment, we use thermal imaging cameras, data loggers and a host of other methods to collect information about building/ process performance. Then we use this to target the most significant offences with appropriate resource saving solutions - sometimes developed in-house. Cost benefit analysis is carried out and recommendations put together and finally delivered by one of our consultants to the client.

Within the society you form part of a dedicated team and participate in a way that suits you.Joining is non-committal and free; training, workshops and presentations and more are free.

For more information, visit www.societies.cam.ac.uk/cuecs.



Studentled Projects and Industry Partnership (SPIP)

Student led projects at Cambridge University Engineering Department showcase the initiative, technical brilliance and teamwork of our students. The projects are of great value in terms of educational and personal growth of the students, seizing public imagination around the world, raising the profile of modern engineering and developing some really creative engineeringsolutions. SPIP is currently supported by the following organizations:

There are at least two annual events providing an opportunity for the project teams to present their recent achievements and to bid for the funding available from SPIP.

For more information, visit http://www2.eng.cam.ac.uk/~djc13/spip/intro.html

Cambridge University Eco Racing (CUER)

The aim of Cambridge University Eco Racing is to design, build and race solar and electric-powered cars. The extraordinary potential of electric vehicle technologies along with avantgarde sustainable engineering are displayed by our racing cars. By designing a car to run on solar power alone, we can make a step change in vehicle efficiency, thus resulting in new technologies that will reduce our carbon footprint. The team participates in the World SolarChallenge which is a solar-powered carrace held in Australia that covers over 3000 km.

http://www.cuer.co.uk/




Full Blue Racing

Established in 2006, Full Blue Racing is a team of Cambridge students who take part in theinternational Formula Student competition. Every year, teams of students compete againsteach other to design and build aformulastyle race car from scratch.The competition has 3 aspects:design, manufacturing and racing. The aim is to design a car that is aprototype for a 1000 unitperyearproduction run for a vehicle intendedfor amateur autocross racers. With thisin mind, teams are evaluated not onlyon the speed and handling of the car,but also on business, cost and designpresentations.

http://www.fullblueracing.co.uk/

Cambridge Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (CAUV)

CAUV is a student team that builds and competes with Autonomous Underwater Vehicles:robotic submarines. Every year we enter a Europe-wide competition in which such vehicles take part in an underwater obstacle course.

Constructing AUVs brings to bear wealth of skills within engineering. From machiningmechanical components and making precision seals in the CUED workshops, creating PCBs and embedded software to writing the algorithms that make the vehicle act autonomously when itis put in the ocean.

http://www.cambridgeauv.co.uk



CU Spaceflight

CU Spaceflight is a student run society developing space and near-spaceprojects. Weve launched high altitude balloons to over 36km and highpower rockets to 8km, collaborated with the European Space Agency totest parachutes and are designing a hybrid rocket motor. Were alwaysexcited to meet new people, especially if youre interested in space,rocketry, electronics, programming or hanging out in cool basement labs!

http://www.cuspaceflight.co.uk

Engineering World Health Cambridge

Cambridge Engineering WorldHealth is a research and designgroup at CUED, working withpartners on healthcare projectsto benefit the populations ofresourcepoor regions. We workwith many NGOs and world-leading universities in theUK and abroad. As well asworking on technical aspects,we collaborate with researchersto progress commercial, medicaland social aspects of the projects.

Examples of current projects are:- Development paediatric drug delivery system- Orthopaedic fixation device for treating femoral shaft fractures- Front-end innovation for a mobility charity- Development of GPS datalogger for field trial of mobility aid

http://www.cuer.co.uk/

Further informationFreshers Information Webpages: http://teaching.eng.cam.ac.uk/content/advice-freshers-0Teaching Office Webpages: http://teaching.eng.cam.ac.uk

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