Meet our International Ambassador: Karim Almahayni

Hey there, my name is Karim Almahayni and I’m a first year Chemical Engineering student. I’m originally Syrian, but I live in Germany, and this is my first year here in Sheffield. You’re probably asking yourself loads of questions, on what to study or where to study at, it’s normal to be worried, I’ve been in this situation before and I understand how confusing taking such a life changing decision could be, that’s why I thought I’d give you a quick glance of what it is like to study at The University of Sheffield.

Why the University of Sheffield?

Well, other than being a part of Russell group and a world top 100 university, The University of Sheffield has one of the biggest engineering departments in the UK, that undergo world class research at one of the most high technological facilities in the UK, The Diamond. The University is well known for its investments in education and research. Sheffield University has large industrial partners such as Boeing, Siemens, and Rolls Royce.

Why Chemical Engineering?

Hmm I’ve been asked this question a lot lately well, I think Chemical Engineering is a part of every industrial process you might think of. Many misunderstand the concept of Chemical Engineering module and link it only to the oil industry, whereas the module is a main brick in the food, pharmaceuticals, and renewables industries. The module is based on applying engineering skills based on physical chemistry knowledge. On the other hand, Chemical engineers are the highest paid engineers. The University of Sheffield, offers a variety of Chemical engineering courses, some of which are specific (MEng, 4 year courses), and others of which are more generic (BEng, 3 year courses).The first 3 years are the same for both BEng and MEng, it’s just that the MEng courses have an extra year where you do research in a field that interests you. MEng courses can also include a year abroad or a year in industry.

Social life at Sheffield:

Worried about not integrating with a new culture? The University of Sheffield is the base of the best student union in the UK. Sheffield’s student union fosters more than 300 different societies, so whatever you’re interested in, you’ll definitely find your group. The University of Sheffield is a place where everyone is welcomed and treated equally regardless their religious beliefs, ethnic origin, or sexual orientation. Sheffield is also known for its international character, which makes its multicultural campus a great place to socialize with people from all around the world and learn more their traditions.

Advice?

Although studying abroad may seem like a hard choice to take, but trust me it’s one of the best decisions you’ll ever make, it’s a boost to your knowledge and an investment in your future. The University of Sheffield provides the best social, and educational environment to help you develop yourself, and between an all-nighter at the Diamond and a late night social at the union you’ll definitely have the best of both worlds.

Studying Chemical Engineering at The University of Sheffield

Studying Chemical Engineering at The University of Sheffield
Written by: Tamara Hijazi


Since this is my first post ever, I thought I should introduce myself.
If you’re not interested in my life story, skip to the next paragraph but I recommend you read on.


Oh, you’re still here, good! I’m a second year Chemical Engineering student. Yes, I am an International student, from a fairly unusual place: Palestine. Think that’s interesting? Well, there’s more. I live in Abu Dhabi. It’s next to Dubai (I’ve had people being confused when I say Abu Dhabi but whenever I mention that it’s right next to Dubai, the confused looks turn into ‘Ahhh!’s). My dad was quite skeptical about me studying abroad, but I wanted to because I wanted to meet people from all over the world, live somewhere else, experience a different climate. (Abu Dhabi is a desert, it’s pretty much sunny all year round), be more independent and so I convinced my dad that I will be fine by myself and well, here I am! I’ve learned so much from being here and my English has certainly improved. One thing I love about Sheffield is that people here are so friendly, and I love it.


Right, so, Chemical Engineering. If you think it’s all about Chemistry, then you need to get your facts straight! Chemistry does play a small role, but it’s certainly not everything! Briefly, Chemical Engineering is about designing the processes and equipment which are inevitably used in industry every single day. From heat exchangers to distillation columns, to tanks, pumps and pipes. Since chemicals are usually used for these processes, a Chemical Engineer must also have knowledge in Chemistry in order to evaluate these substances and come up with the most optimum design for the chemical involved.

For instance, if you’re trying to design a tank to store, say, Hydrochloric acid, or HCl (a very corrosive acid), then you would find the best material to build the tank from, one that does not react with HCl and make that tank from that material. This is just the tip of the iceberg and there is more aspects to Chemical Engineering than that but I hope that the above gave you, dear readers, an insight.  


For my A-levels, I've done Chemistry, Maths and Biology. Choosing a course can be difficult if you have no idea what you want. For me, I knew I liked Maths and Science-related subjects in general. Narrowing it down, I came across Chemical Engineering. I've done quite a lot of research, went into forums and visited blogs to know what it is and some of the modules it contains. I was very interested in what I've read and I've decided it was the course for me! When choosing a course, it is important that YOU find it interesting and you’ll enjoy it, otherwise you’re not going to have as much fun.


I would have loved to give more elaborate more about my course and being an International student in Sheffield, but I have to go revise as exams are right around the corner. If you've got exams coming up soon as well, good luck to you!

Thanks for reading.
Tamara Hijazi