Oliver Maynard
- Course
- Chemical Engineering MEng
- Subject area
- Chemical Engineering
I wanted to go to a campus university with top engineering facilities and I found this at Loughborough’s open day, alongside a thriving careers network and community.
Perhaps the most beneficial aspect of Loughborough’s teaching is its ability to inspire. Lectures are interesting and motivating, encouraging further understanding at home. Lecturers are excellent at answering questions, but notably, PhD student support is valuable too. They often present detailed information in a very student-considerate manner.
My current goal is to build career foundations in engineering and then see where I specialise in five years' time. Chemical Engineering is a very broad field of study and the professional skills taught at Loughborough make me confident that I can succeed in a range of growing industries.
To date, the thing that I've enjoyed the most about my course is the Professional Development Project in Third Year. My work focused on acoustics, and the manipulation of a particle using ultrasound to find the viscosity of a fluid – a very unfamiliar topic! I enjoyed investigating an area of engineering that was new to me - the mathematical, analytical, and research skills I attained through this project will serve me very well for years to come.
My lab-based Professional Development Project was completely overhauled when the country went into lockdown. From home, I learned how to code using Matlab, an analytical data processor, and simulate acoustics using Comsol, a physics modelling suite. It completely shifted the way I tackle challenges in engineering, as well as equipping me with software skills I continue to develop in preparation for final year. Overall, I am very proud of the work I submitted and the way I turned the project around when my progress was reset.
Certainly, one of the most valuable aspects of Loughborough is its links to industry. Across three years I’ve been lucky enough to have seminars with GSK, BP and ExxonMobil. Speaking with graduates motivated me to find a placement and learn new skills wherever I can.
I am currently on a year-long industrial placement with Air Products. Their work revolves primarily around the cryogenic distillation of air, producing nitrogen, oxygen and argon in high purities. The stable gases industry has a near limitless range of applications. My work in the product team ensures time is saved on large scale projects, re-using pre-engineered systems where they are applicable.
Loughborough is well regarded for its sporting prowess, but there is far more than just sport at Loughborough. There plenty of high-quality societies and I play trumpet in the university jazz group, Tuxedo Swing.
Engineering is an unexpectedly unique field of study and everyone learns the content in different ways. If you don’t understand the lecture, that’s fine, but do something about it! Textbooks, classmates, even online animations can sometimes give the push you need. Perhaps the most inspiring aspect of Loughborough are the graduates, who come back ever successful and enthusiastic about their careers. You can tell their time at Loughborough was enjoyed and they are making great use of it in their careers. I hope to be doing the same soon.