“I’ve always loved bridges.”

Bloody hell, thought Iben Carlsen: “I’ve never loved bridges – or even given them a second thought.”

The words came from one of the civil engineering students giving a presentation at U-days about why she had chosen that particular degree.

“I’ve never been fascinated by bridges or wondered how they’re built when driving across the Great Belt Bridge,” she says.

“Honestly, never.”

So Iben Carlsen did pause to wonder whether it was the right course for her.

Still, she decided that shouldn’t put her off finding out more about what it actually means to study civil engineering. And she’s glad she did.

Today, Iben Carlsen is finishing the sixth semester of her bachelor’s degree, specialising in energy and indoor climate, and she has never regretted choosing the engineering path.

“But it was difficult to choose that over so many other degrees where you also study mathematics for its own sake,” she says of her deliberations.

A hands-on degree

While at boarding school, Iben Carlsen realised that she enjoyed maths and physics. That was largely thanks to a good teacher, but also because she found the subjects relatively easy.

Her upper secondary foundation course confirmed this, yet she still wavered between the social sciences and the natural sciences track.

Later, she was similarly unsure whether to study law or pursue a science-based degree at university.

“I kept coming back to mathematics. I like that there’s a definite answer. It’s not that I don’t enjoy a good discussion, but there is an actual solution to what I calculate and argue for. It’s not something you can simply feel your way towards,” Iben Carlsen explains.

From there, several degrees would have offered clear-cut answers. Yet there was something about engineering that drew her in.

“I’m not sitting alone in my room reading a very old book. I’m doing calculations on a pipe that exists in real life and will be part of an actual building project,” she explains.

“I also do group work, and there are several projects along the way. In that sense, it’s very concrete and grounded in the real world, which I really like. It’s not art history, where I’m not entirely sure what I’ll end up becoming.”

Learning new languages

Even if you enjoy maths – and are good at it – you still have to learn a different kind of language when you start at university.

“You have to learn new technical terms, which genuinely feel like an entirely new language. And the learning curve is steep. Of course, everything new is introduced properly, and academically they’re good at guiding you – but it’s not repeated five times,” Iben Carlsen explains.

That suits her well, as she thrives on pace and challenges. But when it’s combined with subjects you didn’t exactly sign up for, it can be testing, she says.

“Ugh, yes – that’s when you realise you’re not meant to be a geotechnical engineer, for example,” Iben Carlsen laughs.

“But then you also figure out what you do want to specialise in.”

“Even if I don’t think radiators and pipe calculations are the most exciting things in my life, I can see the point of understanding and being able to work with them.”

It also helps to have dedicated lecturers who are close to their students. Teaching takes place in classrooms rather than large lecture theatres, which is often what people associate with university.

“The lecturer knows your name, and that can feel intimidating to some. But I think it’s brilliant that you can approach Steffen or Pil without feeling nervous,” she says.

When it came time to choose her master’s degree, she was unsure once again.

Energy and sustainability are themes she keeps returning to, which is why she ultimately chose the programme in Construction Management and Engineering.