Shreya Bellary

Why did you originally apply to do your chosen course at Birmingham?

I originally applied to do chemical engineering because I was drawn to the broad and well-structured nature of the course. I liked that it combined strong theoretical foundations with practical elements. Birmingham’s strong academic reputation and campus environment also stood out to me and I felt it would be a place where I could develop both academically and personally. Studying chemical engineering at Birmingham ensures my degree will be accredited by iChemE which will also help me to become chartered in the future.

What do you think are the best points of your course?

The best part of the course for me is the variety. You don’t just focus on one topic but you learn a wide range of subjects including labs, coding, maths, physics, chemistry, a bit of economics and much more. I think that this helps link everything together over time which gives you a solid understanding of chemical engineering as a whole. It allows you to gain many transferrable skills which are useful across a wide range of industries and careers.

What’s the best thing about studying at Birmingham?

The campus is my favourite thing about studying at Birmingham. Everything is in one place which makes it feels like a real community and there’s always something going on, whether it’s societies, events or just spending time with friends between lectures. The green spaces, study areas and range of facilities make it a great environment for both studying and relaxing and it really adds to the overall university experience.

What’s the highlight of your time at the University?

One of my highlights of my time at university has been the social events. There is a huge range of societies to get involved in, catering to lots of different interests, which makes it easy to meet people from different courses and backgrounds. The events are always welcoming and inclusive and they’ve been a great way to make new friends, build a strong social circle and enjoy a good balance between academic life and social life throughout my time at university.

What advice would you give to students thinking about studying on the course?

I think it is important to stay organised and avoid leaving things until the last minute. The course can be intense at times but working consistently, supporting each other and asking for help when needed makes a huge difference. I’d also say it’s important to balance the workload and ensuring to still have a social life and do activities you enjoy outside of the course because during the first year you will have more contact hours but this will decrease over the years as independent study will increase.

Is there anything extra students thinking about studying on the course should know?

It is definitely a challenging course but you are provided with a lot of support throughout and it’s very rewarding. You’ll build strong problem-solving and teamwork skills though group projects every year and by the end you really see how far you’ve come since first year. It’s also really nice how at the end of third year, during design project, you see how everything you have learnt over the course comes together and if you decide to do 4th year you’ll get the chance to specialise into a field that you enjoy with the choice of optional modules.