Meet Our IEA Alumni: Sa'ad Kamal-Deen

Department: Automatic Control and Systems Engineering

Nationality: Nigerian

How did you decide which degree course to take?

Right after secondary school I initially wanted to study medicine, but as soon as I began college I discovered biology wasn’t for me. I then researched several course in order to discover what I enjoyed doing. I found interest in learning about how different systems around us work, mainly electronic ones. I then focused my efforts on searching for leading universities that offer Systems Engineering and the University Of Sheffield turned out to be one of the best.     

Favourite Module

I expected my programming modules to be my worst. I feared so because I had little or no experience writing codes and everyone I asked about it said it was very difficult. But after I started university, I soon discovered it wasn't rocket science and like all my remaining modules, if I work hard enough I could do well. Now, any module involving programming is the best part of my course.

What do you enjoy the most about studying at the University of Sheffield?

I enjoy the Information Commons also known as the “I.C” among the students. It is a 24hours, 7days a week library where students go to read and have group meetings. Apart from the fact that it is always open another thing I like about the building is the atmosphere; it has every type imaginable, from quiet to noisy and even hidden areas if trying to avoid friends. It also has a cafeteria, so if you want to get your study on, you have no reason not to do so! 

What do you do enjoy doing in your free time?

 At Sheffield, you can never fall short of things to do because there is a society for everything you could be interested in. Personally I enjoy swimming, playing tennis and occasionally playing football with friends. My advice to new students is to take advantage of the freshers week to enjoy societies, that offer some of the most adrenaline packed activities they won't normally be involved in like mountain climbing or even salsa if that’s what gets your heart rushing.   

What useful advice would you give a student about to leave home to study in  Sheffield

●       Try to pack light. In the Sheffield there are major shopping centers and better still,  there are also local shops  that sell international and local products e.g. food.

●       Do your research before coming to the UK. Ensure you are familiar with things like the food and culture of Sheffield.

●       Ensure that you apply for a visa in good time so as to avoid missing key important information during the freshers week. You don’t want to miss that!

●        Write a checklist to ensure that on arrival students have all the required documents at immigration and during registration. Book your accommodation beforehand as well!

Security

Sheffield is one of the UK's safest cities but nevertheless, it is sensible to take precautions to avoid crimes and prevent accidents. In my two years in Sheffield I definitely have not had a negative incident at any time of the day. I doubt security would negatively affect your stay in Sheffield.

Meet our International Engineering Ambassador - Mohy eldin Hassan

Hey guys, I am from Cairo the capital of Egypt.

The course I am studying is Mechatronics and Robotics engineering which is the ACSE department (automatic control and systems engineering). I have always felt passionately about studying in an engineering department. The path I took to get here wasn't an easy one.

However, I never gave up on the challenges that I faced. I studied in one of the hardest and best schools in Egypt, the International School of Choueifat and I practiced platform diving professionally in my free time.

When I started applying to universities I stressed over the application process and which university to choose. Since this is a big transition for an international student, I had to make sure I selected the right place for me.

At first I wanted to study in Germany and the UK was my second choice; however, after I researched the University of Sheffield, I discovered it has one of the best engineering departments. My interest then shifted towards the UK. I began reading more about Sheffield and the university. At that stage, I decided to focus on Sheffield as my primary choice. However, by then I hadn’t decided which course to choose. I was torn between Mechanical engineering and Mechatronics engineering. So I decided to attend a foundation year in USIC (University of Sheffield International College) where I learnt the difference between both courses and was able to make an informed decision to take Mechatronics and Robotics engineering.

Sheffield is one of the most diverse cities in the UK, the people are very welcoming, friendly and helpful.  There are a lots of activities available that are within the University and ones you can pursue as a hobby.

A good piece of advice is to never give up on what you wish to accomplish in life and always strive to become a better version of yourself.

Meet Our International Engineering Ambassador - Ronak Sharma

Course: Computer Systems Engineering with Year in Industry (MEng)

Nationality: Indian

Hi guys!! I am from Delhi the capital city of India - a country where every great race and religion finds a home. Although being Indian, I was born in the Netherlands but lived there for only an year. I have been living in Delhi for the past 18 years. I began my journey to Sheffield in 2015 and have been loving this journey ever since. I am studying Computer Systems Engineering (don’t confuse it with Computer Science) under the department ACSE (Automatic Controls and Systems Engineering).

Initially, I was a bit confused about which engineering stream to pursue as I have always liked the combination of programming, mechanics and electronics. So, this led me to choose Computer Systems Engineering. This degree has opened up a whole new world by providing me with the opportunity to learn all these topics on a single course. Also, UoS (University of Sheffield) is the only  university in the UK that has a department dedicated to controls and systems engineering. It is also one of the best in the world!

I have been enjoying my course because of the flexibility it provides between theoretical and practical coursework. I have always liked opening things up and gaining hands-on experience. This course has provided various opportunities to do so. The laboratory sessions have allowed me to use and understand the concepts taught in the lectures whilst strengthening my practical skills. Apart from this, I was fortunate enough to receive the India Undergraduate Merit Scholarship by UoS which helped me financially and motivated me to start my journey here.

Having the UK’s best voted Students’ Union provides various opportunities to relax and take a break from academic work. There are over 100 societies and committees that can be joined to overcome your stress when times get tough. I am involved in various societies which I really enjoy and have fun but I am also able to develop various new skills.

Due to its cultural diversity, Sheffield is the second home for many students who come from different international backgrounds. Sheffield has great places to visit such as the Peak District which is on the outskirts of the city and perfect for people who love hiking and trekking. Life in Sheffield is great so you won’t get too homesick.

Finally, the advice I would like to give to you is to do a lot of research when deciding which course to pursue and which University to choose. This decision will help shape your life. From my personal experience, anyone considering doing something similar to my course, I would recommend UoS because of its high academic reputation and the numerous opportunities to participate in a wide variety of extracurricular activities.

The Journey to Sheffield

First of all, let me introduce myself, my name is Yehya ShamsEldin. You guessed right, I am an Egyptian. All my life has been in Egypt. Since day one in school, I liked maths and how I can manipulate numbers in a useful way. Of course, I loved engineering thanks to my dad and it became my dream to be an engineer in my early stages at school. I worked hard in IGCSE so I can get the best grades for universities in Egypt. Yes, I did not think about studying abroad at the start and that is why I think plans are a waste of time - the best happens to you without planning. The whole idea of studying abroad came from my brother, because he is an engineer too, so he laid out on the table the thought of me to do something different. At the beginning, I wanted to go for Civil Engineering like my dad and brother. In year 12 I started to apply for universities in the UK as a valid option which I could choose at the end, because it was hard for me to think about leaving all of friends and family in Egypt and start a new episode of my life in the UK, but still it was a serious option. My grades came out in August and before that I was holding conditional offers from more than one university, but my main focus was on The University of Sheffield because I took the decision to go for Mechatronics if I traveled because I love anything to do with automation and robots. I also found that The University of Sheffield has the best Automatic Control and Systems Engineering department in Europe. So, my main focus was on it, and I accepted the offer. Then the struggle of the VISA happened as my first VISA was refused, so everything got mixed up because it was already late for another trial, and it was really close to just dismiss studying in Sheffield and staying in Egypt. But I decided to have another go and the VISA got accepted, hence I arrived two weeks late at the university.

Of course, I struggled at the beginning of my course because I missed the start and I still got lost in the city, but honestly the help I received from my colleagues and lecturers made everything much smoother and it passed. That’s why I chose The University of Sheffield, because every survey of student’s experience came as number 1 on all universities and that’s the most important thing, to receive the appropriate help, so you could operate within the new environment quickly. Besides, the education and the facilities here are amazing. It helps you to be 100% functional and come out with the best. In addition to this, the city itself is so good and easy to get around, and people are so friendly.

There is a lot of independent learning, but that’s a key teaching method because the knowledge you gain will never be forgotten. Labs here have really good equipment kits which are fully upgraded to the world technology, and that’s important because as an engineer you need to innovate at each stage in your career.

After I finish my degree I want to work back home in Egypt, in one of the Aerospace companies or Bioengineering industry because that’s what I like the most. Then who knows, maybe one day I could come back to UK for extended studies or doing business here.

As an advice, keep taking pieces of advice from everyone and filter it at the end of the day, because everyone in here tries to help. Try to use the university facilities to maximise your skills and develop other skills too that will be valuable for your career. Keep joining volunteering events and work, because it is a sign you are a good person to work in a group and it is good for your CV too.

Finally, of course if you are an overseas student try to not mess up the VISA and try your best to get it from the first time, because it is a frustrating to have a visa refusal, but try again too even if it got refused first time. The most important thing is the bank statement and the CAS statement from the university as an advice.