What do you like most about being a student at the University of Edinburgh?
I decided to study at the University of Edinburgh as it is a globally renowned university. Studying at a university with an international reputation will open opportunities for me after graduation, both in the UK and beyond.
The best part about coming to the University of Edinburgh is meeting new people. The University is an extremely diverse place with students from all over the globe. When you start studying here, you will be living with and socialising with all sorts of people which can really open your eyes to other cultures and viewpoints. I have made friends throughout my time at university that I know I will keep for the rest of my life.
How would you describe your programme of study to a prospective student? What is the most interesting thing about this programme?
My programme, Electronics and Computer Science, has a great combination of the hardware and software sides of technology. You can go from studying discrete components in circuits (even the physics of how they work inside), to building up circuits from these components, finding out how code can describe physical hardware using hardware descriptor languages, studying computer architecture and how it is optimised, learning about how an operating system uses this hardware, and finally learning about how to write high level software that runs on these computers.
University Clubs and Societies: Describe your involvement in any student clubs and societies. What have you gained from this experience?
At the beginning of my third year, I joined the Edinburgh University Formula Student society. Formula Student is an international competition that promotes careers and excellence in engineering by challenging university students to design, build, develop and market a single-seat race car. We design, manufacturer and assemble our own race car each year so we can compete against other teams down at Silverstone.
I joined as a member of the electronics sub-team, where we have been working on many projects this year including telemetry, solenoid gear shifters, a new steering wheel and a new dashboard. I recently applied for the role of IC Electronics Team Lead, which I was accepted for in February. This now means I have the role of co-ordinating with the rest of the committee members about things such as design decisions and team goals. I also organise my team’s tasks and help them to achieve the projects that they are working on.
What sort of accommodation are you living in? What do you like about it?
I stay in private accommodation with four friends I met in my first year of university. We study similar degrees, with two of my friends studying computer science, another studying civil engineering, and another studying economics.
The flat we have is located near Tollcross and is only about a ten-minute walk to central campus, and there are buses from the city centre that take you to King’s Buildings campus. Tollcross is also conveniently located next to Grassmarket, which has a lot of pubs. Travelling a little further in that direction, you can reach The Royal Mile, and then Princes Street. In the other direction, we are next to the Meadows which is a great place to relax in the summer when it’s warm.
We can also see Edinburgh Castle from our window!
Is there any advice you could share with new students to help them make the most of their time at Edinburgh?
I started my studies in Year 1 and found that this eased my transition into higher education – giving me time to socialise with people who are in the same position as myself and allowing me to adjust to university life.
Don’t be afraid to get a job, it is possible to work alongside your studies while still maintaining good grades. I work ten hours a week and I’m still averaging a first! A job can also help introduce you to working in the real world in a way university can’t, so it can help you to get a job after graduating too.
What are you hoping to do after graduation?
The University of Edinburgh is a partner of the UK Electronics Skills Foundation, which I am lucky enough to have received a scholarship from. My sponsoring company is Leonardo, one of the UK’s leading aerospace companies and suppliers of defence and security equipment to the UK Ministry of Defence. Through Leonardo, I have already had two paid placements over the summer, with more placements planned over the next couple of summers. This has helped me immensely in preparing for a future after graduation by providing me with experience of working on meaningful projects, in real life situations.
