Why I chose Mechanical Engineering at Birmingham

Choosing one specific course in a specific field in a specific university is daunting. It feels like once you've chosen that, you've locked that choice in for the rest of your life - but it was a different story for me. Having done Maths, Physics and German for my A-Levels, I'd wanted to do architecture since Year 8-9 but eventually, with an increasing interest in mathematics, my teachers encouraged me to take up civil engineering which would allow me to still work in the building and construction industry but also apply mathematical and mechanics skills.

I applied to a range of universities, from Manchester to Liverpool to Birmingham, but eventually settled with Birmingham after visiting the campus during an Open Day in June. The campus was spacious, modern, and had a lot of life to it - this made me fall in love instantly and I made it my firm choice. The city was also very lively and its transport connections abroad, as well as to the rest of the UK, really helped me firm my choice.

In my first semester, I had different conversations about my future career wishes (which included the nuclear industry), and my PGTA was helping me decide if mechanical engineering was the better move for me if I wanted to increase my chances in entering the nuclear industry and academia. It took a few more meetings with some academics before I officially made the switch to Mechanical Engineering for my 2nd year of university. All my Year 1 modules were shared with Aerospace, Mechanical, Civil and Electrical engineers - hence I was not behind on any modules and could start without any barriers. This therefore started a new chapter in my academic life, going from a Civil Engineering BEng to a Mechanical Engineering BEng.

Looking back, I believe I've made the right choice, but having that interest in architecture from the very start would never have gotten me to Birmingham or in civil engineering in the first place - so it all worked out in the end. So if you think the subject you pick is what you've been set for life, think again!