Chemical engineering appealed to me because it takes the maths and science I enjoy and applies it to problems that matter at scale, like clean water, energy and the environment.
Before university I spent a year as an NHS Healthcare Assistant on an emergency cardiac and stroke unit, which showed me how much I enjoy solving practical problems that make a real difference to people. I chose Loughborough for its IChemE-accredited MEng programme, its strong links with industry and the built-in placement year.
I spent my year in industry as an Intern Process Engineer in WSP's water team in London. Placements at WSP are very competitive, so I knew I had to stand out. I prepared my own presentation and delivered it at the end of my interview when they asked if I had any questions, even though nobody had asked for one, and I was offered the role.
During my placement, I worked on real projects for some of the UK's biggest water companies. I helped compare greener, nature-based ways of cleaning wastewater for South West Water, built a tool that brought together data from over 800 treatment sites for Welsh Water, and looked at ways to treat polluted water from old mines. I also helped design an upgrade to a treatment works, with my work going straight to the client, and co-hosted a workshop with Thames Water and other industry partners.
I was given real responsibility early on. My work went to clients and fed into actual design decisions, so I learned how a consultancy takes a project from first ideas through to detailed design, and how engineers from different disciplines work together to get there. Based on the strength of my work during the year, WSP chose to sponsor the rest of my degree through its Chemical Engineering Scholarship.
Communication was the biggest skill I developed during my placement. I learned to talk confidently with clients, suppliers and senior engineers, run workshops, present my work and explain technical ideas in a way anyone can follow. I also got much better at organising myself and juggling several projects at once.
On the technical side, I learned how real treatment plants are designed and assessed, how to read and draw the diagrams engineers use to plan them, and how to turn huge amounts of data into tools people actually use. I also completed over 15 health and safety courses, which changed how I think about designing things safely.
I was able to apply learning from my course to my placement far more than I expected. Topics that felt abstract in lectures, like balancing what goes into and comes out of a process, how chemical reactions behave and how to separate one substance from another, turned out to be exactly what I needed to judge which treatment options would work. My university design projects meant I already understood how a plant is laid out, so when I was asked to work on drawings for a real client I knew where to start.
Recently I received an unconditional offer to join WSP's graduate scheme after I finish my degree, and my goal is to become a Chartered Chemical Engineer with IChemE. My placement counts as my first year of professional experience towards that, and I'll start the scheme already knowing the people, the projects and the standard expected. Because WSP is global with a smooth internal transfer process, I also have the freedom to settle wherever I want as my career grows.
Loughborough’s Chemical Engineering course gives you a strong foundation and then lets you put it to work. In my final year I am doing my research project at Tohoku University in Japan, running experiments in the lab and building a computer model to see whether it can predict the results. Doing real research independently, in another country, is teaching me far more than I could ever learn in a lecture theatre.
On this course, no two weeks are the same. From lab work and design projects to group work with people from all over the world, the variety is my favourite thing about my degree. The department also makes it easy to get involved in opportunities beyond the lecture theatre.
The most valuable thing I’ve learned so far is not to take numbers at face value. Whether it is a spreadsheet on a live project or a model in a published thesis, the most useful thing an engineer can do is question the inputs and assumptions, check them against reality, and be able to explain why the answer makes sense.
If you’re thinking of studying Chemical Engineering at Loughborough, my advice is: do the year in industry. It makes the rest of the degree click and it is one of the best routes into a graduate job. Competition is tough, so start early and find a way to stand out. Don't rely only on job boards either: reaching out directly to engineers and Loughborough alumni on LinkedIn gets far more responses. And use the support around you, because lecturers and the placement team are genuinely willing to help if you ask.