Mirindar Sangha

Why did you originally apply to MEng Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Year at Birmingham?

During sixth form I was on the Pathways to Birmingham courses like A2B so I was given a lot of opportunity to see the campus and speak to students doing the course. I always wanted to be an engineer through my love of maths and physics but chose Birmingham after speaking to different lecturers. They are friendly and excited to teach which makes it less daunting to ask for help, they seemed to really engage with the students which made me want to apply.

What do you think are the best points of MEng Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Year?

I enjoy the high design focus on the course through all of the group projects we do. I think it’s representative of working in industry and allows us students to apply our technical knowledge in a creative way. The independent group projects leave you to organise yourselves and let you work on topics you’re more passionate about.

What is the best thing about studying at the University of Birmingham?

I think the best thing is the campus we have access to, specifically the School of Engineering. The campus is beautiful and often has small events going on (like a Santa’s Grotto during Winter) which is a fun activity to do with friends between studying. There is also always somewhere to do work with plenty of charging sockets around so you’re never walking too far to find a seat. The bright greenery of campus makes it a pleasant place to work.

What is the highlight of your time at the University?

The highlight is my industrial placement I went on last year. I enjoyed being able to apply what I had learnt in real life situations and see the actual impact of my work on a project. This let me learn from industry leads and gave me actual experience as a professional engineer. Being given the opportunity also showed me what area I would like to specialise in after working in it for a year, making job applications much easier.

What advice would you give to students thinking about studying MEng Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Year?

I would say to do a bit of research and to visit the university campus, if possible, on an Open Day. It’s okay to be unsure with what you want to study, but Mechanical Engineering is broad and can open many different avenues after university which gives the flexibility you might want. It’s also okay to not know absolutely everything before coming to study: the resources, support and teaching are all here to help.

Is there anything extra students thinking about studying MEng Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Year should know?

Students should know about all the societies you can get involved in at the university. Whether you’re into cars, rockets, designing, volunteering or just want to make friends there’s a lot of societies for everyone. Academics are important when choosing a course but I think you should also consider the fun engineering related projects you can do in your own time, like Formula Student for example.