Alex
Electrical and Electronic Engineering: BEng (Hons).
There is a wide range of experience and abilities among the students. Nobody starts at the same level, but the opportunity is there for everybody to excel.
About me
I have a young family and enjoy spending most of my free time with them. Having a young swimmer and a rugby player in the house absorbs time like a sponge does water. What spare time I do have, I like to spend playing football, running, or simply hiding in a corner with a good book!
I have a keen interest in the advancement of technology in general. I believe that there is no problem that cannot be solved by a good engineer. If I were to be more specific, I would say that I have developed a deeper interest in modern biomedical engineering during my studies. The possibility of curing the uncurable through engineering captures my imagination and amazes me. I hope to be able to return to the field of neuroprosthesis in the future.
Choosing Newcastle
Newcastle provides a very good support system for those who have been away from education for some time, especially in maths. This was important to me as a mature student who left full-time study in 2001.
I have previous experience in the field, having been an instrumentation technician apprentice and an electronics technician prior to studying. These gave me a solid base from which to start with.
Recommending Newcastle
There is a wide range of experience and abilities among the students. Nobody starts at the same level, but the opportunity is there for everybody to excel. A huge amount of support is available from all the lecturers and postgraduates who are always willing to answer any questions.
Studying at Newcastle
I know that the time invested into my studies is providing me with a top-quality degree. The University is well respected worldwide, and a good degree result from here can open a lot of doors.
There is a very good balance of theoretical and practical learning. It is often useful to see the theory learned in a lecture theatre proven in a lab to solidify your knowledge of a subject.
I enjoyed the buggy race project in the second year, which is an accumulation of all the knowledge gained in the first two years. Working in groups of three, you are required to design, build and optimise a buggy that can follow a line on the floor. It is an opportunity to prove not only your understanding of the theory learned, but also your overall engineering skills through innovation and fault finding. Winning the final race also helped!
Living in Newcastle
Newcastle is a vibrant city that has lots to offer, including sporting events, museums and shopping. There is so much to do that there is never a weekend spent bored. Everything is so close that you can walk or catch public transport everywhere.
The nightlife is great and has something for everyone, whether you enjoy late-night clubbing or a quiet beer.
Getting involved
As a mature student, I didn’t become involved in many activities on campus. What I would say is that there is a society for anything that you are interested in; you just have to turn up to the Freshers Fair and meet representatives and members of the various societies.
Top tips
Brush up on your maths skills, but don’t be too worried about turning up with a great depth of knowledge. If you are willing to put in the time and effort, you will grasp the subjects quickly.
A little bit of studying each week during the semester will save a great deal of pain come exams!
Recommending Newcastle
I enjoyed taking up a research opportunity in the biomedical engineering lab during my final summer. This gave me the chance to see how that side of the University operated while gaining some new skills and learning from a wide range of people. I would highly advise looking into this as a summer plan.
Future plans
I am lucky enough to have been sponsored to take this course and will return to work for my sponsor this summer. I will oversee a large multi-disciplined engineering team, repairing, maintaining and servicing military equipment.