Through my love of science and maths throughout secondary school I knew I wanted to study engineering; however I had no idea what type. When I came to look around Loughborough, I stumbled across the Department of Materials and suddenly it clicked that this was the industry I wanted to be in! The engineering behind the materials we come across day to day seemed captivating to me. I was struck by how Materials Engineering is of utmost importance in every single engineering industry, meaning the career options after university were endless. The course modules looked to have the perfect balance of content in maths, mechanics, chemistry, physics and materials science. This would give me a solid grounding in engineering principals; I had found my passion!
The facilities on Loughborough campus are excellent and have really enhanced my learning experience. The STEMLab and LMCC (Loughborough Materials Characterisation Centre) allowed me to use multiple types of lab equipment, putting the theory I learnt into practice. This has given me a greater understanding of materials and helped to grow my practical, hands-on skills.
Within the Department of Materials, every lecturer has always been more than happy to sit down and help me better understand the module content. This support has been endlessly helpful throughout my time at Loughborough. The department also provides access to the Maths Learning Support Centre which ensures that students without a similar maths background are not disadvantaged. Furthermore, the department has excellent support for student’s welfare and mental wellbeing being.
My dream is to use my materials engineering knowledge within the sports engineering industry, as then I can combine my passion for materials engineering with my passion for sport. I do find it fascinating how sports equipment can significantly improve an athlete’s performance. Therefore, I am now going onto to complete an MSc in Sports Engineering.
The Careers Centre on campus significantly helped me in applying for this master’s. They are happy to help and give constructive advice, this enabled me to be confident in my application. They also helped me massively when applying for placements and preparing for assessments and interviews, aiding me in securing my placement at JCB.