What joining UBRacing taught me that lectures didn’t
Find out what joining UBRacing taught student Ioulia about Engineering and teamwork.
When I first joined UBRacing, I thought it would just be a good way to apply what I was learning in lectures. But honestly, it ended up teaching me way more than I expected, especially things you just don’t get taught in a lecture hall.
I’m mainly part of the powertrain and drivetrain team, and because our car is electric, I’ve been exposed to so many electrical concepts that I wouldn’t normally cover in my degree. It’s actually crazy how much you pick up just by being involved! You go from learning theory in class to suddenly working on real systems, real components, and real problems. Sometimes it feels like you’re learning things even electrical engineering students haven’t done yet, just because you’re in that hands-on environment.
One of the biggest differences is that in lectures, everything is quite structured. You’re given the method, the formula, and you just apply it. In the team though, nothing is that straightforward. Things don’t always work the first time, and you have to figure out why. That process of trial and error really teaches you how to think like an engineer and not just how to pass exams.
It also made me realise how important teamwork actually is. Everyone’s working on different parts of the car, but everything is connected, so communication is key! You learn how to explain your ideas, ask for help, and work with people from different disciplines. It’s a completely different experience from the group work we have to do as part of our degree.
But honestly, one of the best parts of joining UBRacing has been the people. Some of my closest friends are from the team. You spend so much time together, whether it’s working on the car, staying late in the lab, or just going out to watch F1 together or have fun together, that it doesn’t even feel like “work” most of the time.
I think societies like UBRacing are so important, especially for engineering students. Your degree gives you the foundation, but societies give you the experience. They help you build confidence, develop real skills, and actually enjoy what you’re doing.
Looking back, joining UBRacing was one of the best decisions I made. It didn’t just help me academically, it made my whole uni experience better.