h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Heya Researcher 183134!!
You did Electrical Engineering? What was it like?
(Sorry, trying to find out about different areas of engineering...)

Anyway... I'm an ACE (Assistant Community Editor), and basically what I'm supposed to do is say hello and generally be nice to new people like yourself. You can say hello to the other ACEs at the homepage http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/Aces On the other hand you can ignore us completely...
If you have any questions ask away! I can do my best to answer them.
Don't worry if it takes you a while to get back... I have a plentiful if not endless supply of s and and will sit here eating them until you return. And do have a doughnut or some cake yourself.
*offers and *


¦M¦

Cheers for the Ming Mang - *yum yum*.

You really are the smily .

I'm really starting to get into this h2g2 thing, i can see it being adictive... there's loads of cool articles to read and lots of interesting people to talk to too...

how long have you been hanging around here?

If you really want to know about engineering here's a bit of a run down, first though note that the kind of engineering you learn at uni is more about the design/theory/application of science/design side of things whereas people typically think of engineers as someone that fixes something, e.g. TVs and Videos:

- Electrical Engineers - these deal with things electrical as in high power like the electricity that is delivered to your home, lighting systems, electric trains etc.

- Electronic Engineers - (like me) deal with small electronic things like microchips and circuit boards, i work in the design of microchips for all sorts of systems, my last project was part of the CPU/brain microchip for a new digital camera

- Mechanical Engineers deal with mechanical things like designing cars and stuff.

- Civil Engineers design bridges and structures and buildings (along with architects)

Hope that helps you out... I know it's not really and interesting subject but you did ask!

What do you do??? Are you 'merceles' (don't know the spelling)?

You're not fooled are you? H2G2 is /very/ addictive! I've been addicted for one and a half years... ever since I've been here.

Aha! Thank you for that. You're a lot more helpful than all the websites I've found so far. You actually say what it's about instead of chucking in words that sound like they're explaining something, but are in fact not making anything clearer at all. It's been frustrating me for a while now. No one in careers has the slightest idea, and almost everyone from engineering companies at the careers convention my school runs just talk down to me cos I'm a girl. Erm. I'm just rambling now and that was about to get bad. I'll stop talking about that now.
Oh yes, except to say that the reason I did ask is that I think I want to go into engineering and have been trying to work out what area I'd go into. Still not figured it out, but you've helped. Thanks!

Nope, I'm not merciless... I hadn't even heard of Flash Gordon before I made up my name... there is a sort of explanation here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A350065 but it REALLY needs updating so don't believe most of what you read...

¦M¦

So Ming Mang, I've read you page and found out about your name... now you see i NEED a name, but I'm finding it hard to think of one, everyone here has such COOOL names... and I'm finding it hard to make up something nearly as cool...

So engineering... it's a cool thing to do, good money and job prospects... there are girls in engineering too of course, not so many as men, about 1/5 to 1/10 and strangley, not trying to be sexist it can be easier getting an engineering job if you're a girl - i think most engineering companies, univerisities etc etc want more women in engineering...

So how old are you? Have you finished GCSEs or A-levels? For engineering you definately want Physics and Maths A-Levels...

I guess like many people here you like computers! Electronic Engineering might be the one for you, typically you learn some software stuff on the course too, and a number of my friends from uni, well the majority work in computers in some way... it depends what you're into I guess....?

If you've any more questions then just ask!??

Names are difficult things, huh? I was lucky I'd just thought up that saying. Still I had the odd sleepless night trying to think of a better one... Probably, if I was giving advice, it would be to just think of something odd that you like and try and get a name from that. Erm. I'm not sure that made sense... ho hum. Good luck with it anyhow.

Yes, it apparantly is easier which annoys me slightly, but is odd compared to people's reaction at the careers convention. Ho hum.

I've just done my GCSEs, results on Thursday.
I'm going to do Math, Further Math and Physic A-levels, and two other AS-levels. Bleah, I am a fool...

Well, as I said, I still don't know what sort I want to go into. I'm still keeping the option of being a physicist open though. Just in case.
But currently, I really don't know, apart from that so long as it is mainly physics I should enjoy it.

¦M¦

so what's your real name then? or don't people reveal those things in the computer world...

i'm still working on my computer name...

good luck with those GCSEs, I'm sure you'll do fine, you sound like a clued up kind of person...

looks like you've got a good while to decide on your career, the only thing you need to worry about now is what a-levels to do and it looks like you've got that sorted out. of course maths and physics a-levels will let you do just about any kind of engineering/physics/maths type degree so don't worry about it right now.... personally i'd quite like to get into astrophysics but of course there's not many real jobs in that - i just like astronomy type stuff as a hobby.

anyway ming mangy ming ming hope those GCSEs are as you expect!!

The Mystereous Mr X

My real name has absolutely nothing to do with Ming or Mang! My first name is Emma, but that's all you get.

Keep going with your name! Good luck!
Oh- a way of choosing one I heard of once was to get a foreign dictionary, open a page at random and point to a word at random and see what it is... and if you'd like it as a name...

I should do OK. The exams felt OK, but my reaction to some of them was very different to everyone else's, which is worrying. Anyway, results day after tomorrow... *crosses fingers*

Yeah, I'm not really worrying yet, but it would be nice to have an idea just slightly less vague than it is now...
Actually, what I'd really like to do is Philosophy, but I've not heard of a single job I can get from doing that.

¦M¦

Hello Emma Ming Mang

you know what? it's strange when you know someones real name.... i guess it takes away a layer of the mystery with all this anonymousity (how do you spell that??? :-x )

I like the foreign dictionary idea, that's pretty cool. talking of languages today i've just signed up for a course at the local college to do an evening class in spanish...

only a few hours left to your results now... how are you planning to celebrate?

philosophy is a funny subject... definately no jobs there but i don't know how you can study that for 3 years!? a lot of universities and degrees have a course where you get the odd module that you can choose to do anything you like, e.g. a 1st year philosophy module!!! it may also be that your uni has a club or society for that kind of thing!?

anyway i've got to go get some FOOD! maybe some

Mr X

Yes, it is strange. That's why a lot of people don't ask...

Spanish, eh? Good luck with it. I hate languages...

Celebrate? Errr... probably annoy lots of people online by repeatedly telling them...
I don't know, I don't even know if I want to do any celebrating.

Oh! Oh! That sounds good! Must remember that when looking for universities. I should probably start thinking about that now... Dammit, I can't cope with being organised...

¦M¦

So what were your results then???

I guess you hate languages coz you're at School and you -have- to do one... no choice on the matter...

in fact it's actually pretty damn useful. I think the big prob I had a school with languages was that I didn't get the techinical stuff like nouns and "past-tense" and all that... it was beyond me. but now i think i understand a bit more about that kind of stuff...

also, if i'm paying to do this course it will probably make me put a bit of effort into it... to be honest i forgot to ask if there are any exams!!

.. Mr X...

PS you know what's REALLY REALLY strange???? every email i write i put my name at the bottom. with this every time i post something i go to put my name there, then delete it, then put mr X.

So what were your results then???

I guess you hate languages coz you're at School and you -have- to do one... no choice on the matter...

in fact it's actually pretty damn useful. I think the big prob I had a school with languages was that I didn't get the techinical stuff like nouns and "past-tense" and all that... it was beyond me. but now i think i understand a bit more about that kind of stuff...

also, if i'm paying to do this course it will probably make me put a bit of effort into it... to be honest i forgot to ask if there are any exams!!

.. Mr X...

PS you know what's REALLY REALLY strange???? every email i write i put my name at the bottom. with this every time i post something i go to put my name there, then delete it, then put mr X.

So what were your results then???

I guess you hate languages coz you're at School and you -have- to do one... no choice on the matter...

in fact it's actually pretty damn useful. I think the big prob I had a school with languages was that I didn't get the techinical stuff like nouns and "past-tense" and all that... it was beyond me. but now i think i understand a bit more about that kind of stuff...

also, if i'm paying to do this course it will probably make me put a bit of effort into it... to be honest i forgot to ask if there are any exams!!

.. Mr X...

PS you know what's REALLY REALLY strange???? every email i write i put my name at the bottom. with this every time i post something i go to put my name there, then delete it, then put mr X.

My results... three A*s, five As, one B and a D.
Two A*s were science and one of the As was Maths. Only vaguely annoyed about not getting A* in Maths...

Yes, probably. It's odd, I seem to be OK at languages, but I still hate them.
Good luck with the Spanish anyway.

LOL, I know what you mean... I'm so used to doing my signature here that I put it in e-mails, then have to delete it again...

¦M¦

superb GCSE's you must be chuffed.... can't get much better than that.... way better than my results....

so what did you get the D in????

You know i'm going to be away for a couple of weeks, i'm going to ITALY!

flying into ROME, then going to Florence and Venice.... which should be nice.

have you got much holiday left before you start college? (or do you do a -levels at your school??)

anyway, whatever you do have fun... remember the answer is 42 and the dolphins thank us for the fish.... i've seen dolphins in australia... they're cool.

Yeah, mostly chuffed!
The D was in Drama... *sigh* I thought I'd at least get a C...

Hey, cool! Enjoy it!

Yeah, my school is also a college and I've decided to stay on there. I go back in two weeks.

42!

¦M¦