"When I learned about the opportunities in engineering, I saw that as the path to pursue over other programs, including straight science."
Marcus Athans
- Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science
- Program:
- Campus: Vancouver
What got you interested in engineering?
In high school I was very motivated to study science and math, but I didn’t really know where that could take me in terms of a career. I didn’t really see myself going to medical school or being a dentist or something. When I learned about the opportunities in engineering, I saw that as the path to pursue over other programs, including straight science.
How did you decide on UBC?
I applied to university after high school but then deferred my entry for several years to pursue ski-racing. I was on the BC team and tried to make it on the World Cup circuit, but that was not to be. After three years it seemed best to hang up the boots and start school again. It was a crazy transition: I hadn’t touched a school book for a long time!
As for choosing UBC, I’m from Kelowna, so I liked the idea of studying at the UBC Vancouver campus to move away from my home base.
I felt very out of my element at first, but after a few months and meeting friends, I settled in.
How did you choose Civil Engineering?
I originally thought I wanted to pursue mechanical engineering, to work on developing skis or bikes or other outdoor gear. It was once I started doing first-year projects, talking with people and going to networking events I realized that a career in civil engineering was something I definitely wanted to pursue.
Civil is such a broad discipline, and I really like all the options it offers. You can do things with geology, surveying and ground modeling, or get into designing buildings and infrastructure like skyscrapers and bridges.
Mechanical engineering Civil engineering
What are some of the highlights of your university education so far?
I really enjoyed my second-year courses. They focused on the topics that really interest me, compared to first year, which, is of course, much mor general. I really enjoyed Civil 230, which is about how structures are health up. Civil 201 is the design course and was really great. You’re put into teams and challenged to design a bridge out of eight long pieces of wood and then there’s a competition to see which bridge can hold the most weight.
We used some software to model different design options and then we built the bridge by hand. Our bridge held up around 6,000 pounds.
Have you had any co-op experiences?
I’m starting my first co-op position in May. It’ll be an eight-month term in Kelowna, where I’ll be working with Urban Systems. This was my number one pick. My understanding is that I’ll be going to project sites and learning how things work there. There’s going to be a lot of cost estimates, water modelling, that kind of thing I’m excited to be able to learn from lots of different projects.
Do you have any ideas yet on what you’d like to do with your career?
Right now, I’m interested in structural engineering. That may change after my co-op terms as I learn more about all the potential career paths.
