Mauranda Lewis
- Subject area
- Architecture, Building and Civil Engineering
I chose º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ because as soon as I arrived, I knew this was the place for me – the campus felt electric and so alive on the Open Day. Also and funnily enough, my Sixth Form tutor attended º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ and he raved about it!
He recommended that I apply for an engineering course because I was seeking a challenge. That piqued my interest and I decided to apply and check it out for myself. For my course, the University was at the top in the league tables and when I had received a conditional offer, I thought - why not?
I loved the course’s mix of engineering and management, with some modules being rather mathematical and others more conceptual. The multi-dynamic nature of the course meant there was something for everyone and you could essentially become a’ jack of all trades’. If I had to choose, my favourite module would be Management of Human Resources – I loved the theoretical approach to evaluating effective leadership. Also, the whole class went on a team building course for a week and there were a variety of challenges we took part in - it was definitely an interesting experience.
Building is at the heart of the course and I enjoyed numerous site visits and field trips all designed to hone our practical knowledge of the industry away from the context of lectures.
I believe the teaching facilities were second-to-none – many of the lecture rooms were air-conditioned and I genuinely found attending lectures to be an enjoyable experience.
Also, the lecturers were professionals in their fields and were always there to help if students had any questions. I had countless meetings with lecturers when I didn’t understand a certain topic. I received support from the wider University, too, particularly during study skills support sessions which have been useful - personally, I find maths quite tricky!
I completed a placement with my sponsoring company and it was very insightful; I was able to understand what I want from my career when I graduate which is great for planning my long-term career goals. But next, I am looking at studying a Masters in Project Management and I have already organised a meeting with my University tutor about planning my application.
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ walks on water, right? As a º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ student I believe I can do anything I set my mind to.
There were many resources on campus that I could implement in any given situation, for example the enterprise service on campus that supports students looking to start their own business, or the student accommodation service if I was looking to move. Basically, whatever you needed º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ had services that supported you.
The campus was always buzzing with things to do, societies to join – it never stopped. I was involved quite heavily in a local church, ‘The Junction Church’ where I made many friends who were both students and locals from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ.
My favourite moment so far? Wow, there are too many to remember… my most defining moment at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ would funnily enough be at the Sing Off during Fresher’s week, all those years ago. As I was chanting for my halls, I suddenly realised how much I’d already developed during the first week of term. I remember feeling hopeful and like there was much more growth still to come – in hindsight, that was totally true.
Mauranda graduated from º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ in 2018.