My final year truly inspired me to continue working in the same field. Loughborough invited various material companies from the industry to give talks, showcasing their achievements throughout their careers. This gave me confidence in the direction I was pursuing. Additionally, seeing the passion for materials shared by both the teachers and my peers throughout my time at Loughborough reinforced my commitment to pursue a career in the field.
Initially, I applied to the Chemical Engineering course but didn't get in. I called Loughborough University, and they recommended Materials Engineering through clearing - a course that not many universities offer, but it still complemented my enjoyment of Chemistry and Maths from A-level. I liked Loughborough as a university because they had recently upgraded their engineering facilities by building the new STEMLab. Additionally, I preferred a sporty campus university over a city university.
My course
From my experience, the course offered a broad range of material science topics, industrial material processes, and courses on future materials. It provided exposure to a great variety of different materials, offering flexibility on what industry I wanted move into when graduated.
We had a group design project module that was a competition against our peers, where we needed to create a product using only steel wires. The module required us to develop a product portfolio, including material research followed by a concept design. We then presented our product in a Dragon's Den style to a panel of steel wire experts.
This module was a great challenge in teamwork and in asserting confidence in our own ideas. It provided a good alternative to lecture-oriented modules and offered the flexibility to complete work in our own time as long as we met the deadline. This experience has been invaluable while working at Williams Racing, where constant innovation and the development of new ideas to improve the team are essential. Being able to take a concept and move actions forward to make it a reality is crucial in this environment.
The support and facilities
Many of the lecturers at the university are experts in their field. One thing all the lecturers had in common was their ability to communicate complex topics in simple ways that allowed students to understand.
In my case, there were times when I left the lecture theatre not fully understanding the last hour. However, the use of Lecture Capture-a recording of the full lecture-and the ability to ask questions to lecturers whenever allowed me to always feel comfortable with the knowledge leading up to exams in January or July.
Having a supportive tutor also allowed me to speak about my CV and cover letter. He was able to review my drafts and offer advice which helped me secure my first job.
My career
My career ambition is to deepen my understanding of composite materials, driving innovation in high-performance vehicles and advancing sustainable materials. My degree provided a strong foundation in materials science, crucial for securing my position as a materials engineer at Williams Racing, where I have the opportunity to further develop and grow.