Home Country: The Netherlands
Course: MEng Chemical Engineering
Department: School of Chemical Engineering
"There is a Chemical Engineering Society at the university (BUCES) that organises several events including an industrial dinner, a winter ball and a sports day. This society allows you to meet fellow chemical engineering students who you can then work with to make the course just that bit easier."
Why did you apply to the University of Birmingham?
The University of Birmingham is one of the highest ranked universities for Chemical Engineering. The reason I decided to go to this university was mainly due to its high ranking and its multicultural city.
What are the best points of your course?
The department has great links with industry and the Chemical Engineering Society organises events at which you can network with companies giving you a great advantage when applying for industrial placements and jobs. The combination of lectures and tutorials allows for the understanding of knowledge as well as the application of this knowledge.
What’s the best thing about studying at the University of Birmingham?
The university’s location is ideal, it is a 7 minute train ride to the centre of the city and since most students live in the same area you will probably never live more than 10 minutes away from your friends. It is the only university with its own train station making it easy to travel to other cities for sports matches or when going back home.
The university’s sports centre offers so many opportunities to get or stay fit. There are sports clubs ranging from frisbee to badminton to rugby so if you are into sports, there will be at least one club that you will be interested in. If none of the sports clubs appeal to you there is a gym that you can get a membership for.
What is your highlight of your time at the University?
The highlight of my year so far is an outreach event that I have done for Engineers Without Borders. We organised a workshop at a secondary school for an after-school club during which we explained how electricity is generated, the issues with electricity in certain areas of the world and we ended the workshop by giving the students some material and asking them to make a wind turbine. I really enjoyed this event as it allowed me to inspire the younger generation and hopefully get more of them interested in studying a STEM subject.
What advice would you give to other international students?
For international students who feel hesitant about making this step I would say, don’t be afraid, this opportunity doesn’t come by often and you won’t be the only one going through such a big change.
What do you like most about the city?
The city is extremely multicultural which is why it initially appealed to me. There are so many different types of places to eat and such a range of shops in the centre. The centre of Birmingham is so large and there is a lot to do if you want to take a break from studying.
How do you feel you have benefitted from the experience of studying in the UK?
This experience has taught me about new cultures and traditions and how to appreciate them. Other than that, I have learned a lot about taking on responsibilities and have developed as a person.