So Ive started seriously considering mechatronics engineering as what I want to do in first year - but I've heard mixed reviews about the program and I tend to research big decisions like this a lot (shout out to Ownaginatious for a lot of the course reviews).

I've heard they might be doing revisions to the program (like removing some redundant courses etc) - has anybody heard more about this and whether it would be happening soon?

Also for anyone in the program - do you feel like you're learning a comprehensive skill set or is it a little to broad? I find that my interests tend to change all of the time which is why I feel I would like a multidisciplinary field but don't want to feel like I dont know enough about anything in particular enough to be useful.

I'm going to be messing around with Raspberry Pi stuff over Christmas break - are there other things I could mess around with to get an idea of what kind of hand's on stuff I could be doing?

Thanks for any information or insight.

I've heard they might be doing revisions to the program (like removing some redundant courses etc) - has anybody heard more about this and whether it would be happening soon?

Yeah it's true. As of now the program is backwards, so it's really hard to get a hang of it. Ex: you take a physics course with high level Newtonian algebra in first term, yet the math class where they bother explaining what the hell it is and how to use it, is in the second term. ??? A couple of courses are similar, like identical.

You might wanna take it if you like challenge, because you really have to work hard to succeed, or because you have extra 50 grand you are eager to spend.

Technically the tron is needed today, but I think there's a reason why the program in Mac is only 60 people (a year), as it is highly experimental.

They are thinking of bringing about some revisions. I talked to Prof Lawford last year and he mentioned he was drafting up something new - and to me it sounded as if though the programme was a little bit more focused (at least Tron is finally getting a discrete logic course).

I remember taking two courses in my second year (Eng 2MM3 and Eng Phys 2E04) that were identical in everything, save for the course names. Oh, and then I took another clone of 2MM3 in my third year, which was relabelled 3N03 for convenience and a false sense of progress.

Aside from that though, Tron (much like the Software stream) only gives back what you put in. MrPlinkett mentioned a challenge and its true - some courses require you to know prerequisite knowledge from courses you simply have not taken (and you're expected to cover that ground on your own). And although it is quite frustrating sometimes, you learn to persevere. A few good professors might have biased my opinion though, so keep that in mind.

Is the programme multidisciplinary? Definitely. Does it tend to meander at times? Yes.

You mentioned you were doing research and that's good. I personally had it boil down to a choice between Tron and Game Design, and I went with the former. I'd say to make sure you have at least two choices you would really like before coming to a decision (and I also suggest you check out the Software Embedded Systems programme).

tl;dr: I don't know what I'm talking about.

And see here I was thinking it had a pretty good amount of electrical engineering courses when they just ended up being the same... I also don't know why they do the engineering physics electrical courses instead of electrical engineering ones - just seems more applicable.

I really don't love the idea of having a mixed up program that doesn't flow well - hopefully they do something to put it together better.

When My class talked to Lawford about why we took eng phys instead of elec eng courses his answer was something along the lines of: elec eng goes into the theory of how the electronics actually work where eng phys doesnt go into as much detail on how they work but more of how to use them which is what Tron needs to know, not really the theory behind a transistor.

It doesnt flow that great no, and a lot of the stuff you can learn on your own time but I enjoyed it. You get out what you put in.

doesnt go into as much detail on how they work but more of how to use them which is what Tron needs to know, not really the theory behind a transistor.

Pretty sure he didn't take Eng Phys 2A04, its pretty much only theory. That is until the final exam, you open it, and see a giant shlong in your face.

But I think it's because the course wasn't taught properly, technically it's supposed to have a lot of hands on stuff.

Originally Posted by mattinui

I also don't know why they do the engineering physics electrical courses instead of electrical engineering ones - just seems more applicable.

Probably because electrical engineering courses tend to destroy students.

As an aside, I heard some "insider" information a while back that each engineering department is supposed to have an equal stake in the mechatronics curriculum, which explains the redundant eng phys electrical course. By each engineering department, I mean software (since tron is a part of CAS), mechanical and eng phys.

Apparently, the original plan was to swap the electrical eng phys course out with SFWR ENG 2C03 so that tron students could learn algorithms. Not sure if that's still on the agenda though. If this were to happen, and a discrete math course were to come into the tron curriculum; software engineering and embedded systems and mechatronics would nearly be the same program.

In regard to ENG 3N03; that may be one of the most redundant courses that has ever happened.

So in second year since everything is still pretty separate do you learn how to put some of the content together (ie actual embedded systems) or does that essentially not happen until 3rd year?

Originally Posted by mattinui

So in second year since everything is still pretty separate do you learn how to put some of the content together (ie actual embedded systems) or does that essentially not happen until 3rd year?

I want to say that second year begins to build up to the third, where all the fun stuff really happens (ha ... fun ... I must be mad). In any case, a lot of the courses in Tron's second year cover a lot of the basic stuff you're supposed to know in third year, where (theoretically) they can focus on the more practical and esoteric aspects of Tron.

For instance, 2S03 for programming, the electric circuit courses, and so on.

Third year introduces embedded systems, software specifications, operating systems, assembly, and stuff along those lines.

Honestly, first year is far too general to consider it as a lead up to the stuff we do in Tron - it's a good introduction to the introduction to Tron (though I feel I'm being a bit blasé when describing Tron's second year this way but I cannot describe it any other way).

Hopefully that answers more questions than it creates.

ETA: If your definition of 'fun' is 'grueling' and 'nose-to-the-grindstone', then ...

ETA: Oh, and you really do learn a lot. I'd say one's fourth/fifth years are the zenith of learning since you get to mix and match techinal electives - there are two courses (MEMS and another Elec Eng course I forget, 3CQ5?) that are really intense but also teach a lot.

I found second year really dry because its a ton of theory.
Third year was by far my favourite year! But I like all that practical embedded stuff