Meet Our International Engineering Ambassador - Haiqi Huang (Lillith)

Course: Material Science and Chemical Engineering (BEng)

Nationality: Chinese

My name is Haiqi Huang, you can also just call me Lillith for an easier pronunciation. I am from the South West of China which is famous for Pandas and Hotpot. I’ve been here for a couple of years. After graduating from my High School in my hometown, I came to study here in Sheffield.

You may be wondering, what it’s like to study here and what the routines are like?

What is it like studying in the University of Sheffield?

-Teaching activities: lectures, seminars, tutorials

We often have three types of classes: lectures, seminars and tutorials. You may get some general and basic ideas about your subject in the lectures and get further developments or discussions during the seminar. Tutorials help you understand the content.  Experiments, or laboratory activities are also essential for our engineering students. The content of the lab is determined by the subject you are studying.

-Assessments: exams, essays, online tests

To estimate our study skills, there are various assessments such as formal exams, essays, reports and online tests that students are required to complete. They may carry a different weight in the entire grade. Despite the grades being beneficial to your future career, as you work on your assessments, you gain a lot of skills and experience.

- Group cooperation: normal group projects, presentations, Global Engineering Challenging Week

Group cooperation is regarded as one of the most practical things you learn at the University. You will encounter this kind of opportunity with some assessments like poster presentations, lab practicals, or certain group projects such as the “Global Engineering Challenge Week”. During these weeks you get the chance to explore various roles in groups and gain wonderful academic and social skills!

About Material Science and Engineering

-What is it?

Materials Science and Engineering is a subject that mainly focuses on discovering or designing new materials (mainly solid materials) and is based on analytical thinking including subjects like physics, chemistry and mathematics. It contains a wide range of science fields depending on different research areas. For instance, you could find that nanomaterials (one of the most popular topics), is based more on quantum mechanics to describe the behaviour especially in a nanoscale.

-Why I chose to study this subject

I chose to study this subject based on the grades I attained in High School. I was aware that I did really well in science subjects. I particularly enjoyed doing chemistry and physics. Furthermore, I prefered to develop more ‘practical’ skills at University. Materials Science fulfills my ideal career preferences.

- Other engineering courses

Apart from Materials Science, there are many engineering courses to choose from. If you are enthusiastic about science subjects but would like to learn more about artificial operations, have a look at the specific course information on the departmental website. You will find  detailed descriptions about the various courses, including all the subjects you will learn in each semester and the grades you need to apply for each course.

How is daily life here in Sheffield?

-Pace

There is no need to panic about having a stressful life here. It won’t be like that! You may have more free time than you think outside lectures. Essentially, you should dictate the pace of your life. Arrange things you need to accomplish scientifically and balance the time you would like to chill or to study.

-Variety

Besides studying, you may also take part in a variety of social activities. The University provides welcome events during orientation week and also some special festivities. You can join the societies you are interested in at the beginning of the semester. They will host more meetings or parties during the semester and in vacation time. Also, you may find some interesting groups you can join in the Students Union (like me, I joined the IEA’s). This will give you fantastic experience during your University life.

Some tips for managing your routines better

-Meet more people

This helps you to get familiar to the new environment sooner. You can also make a lot of new friends!

-Manage your schedule

After you get used to your new surroundings, you may want to improve the quality of your life and study as much as possible. A scientific approach to time management is very helpful. Moreover, being punctual is essential here. You are not expected to be late for any appointments or deadlines, this could result in your work being marked zero!!!

Thank you for your reading this, hopefully my blog can help some of you out there!

My Story - Chen

Before studying at the University of Sheffield I was raised and educated in China. I went to an international high school in Beijing where I meet various people from a wide range backgrounds and nations. During that time, I had a taste of British education and was looking forward to a higher education experience in the United Kingdom.

The University of Sheffield has a good reputation in academic performance, research and student life. I chose to study Materials science and engineer because I believe that a material scientist is able to design a new material, which is the very kind of life I was dreaming about in my childhood. As I read through the department’s website articles and spoke to a student studying this course, it’s clear that studying Materials Science and Engineering at Sheffield is highly regarded.

Sheffield is a nice city with good history and is known as a steelmaking city. As an international student, I have a good experience with the University. People are very welcoming and friendly; I found it is easy to get involved in various student events and societies. The atmosphere here is great for studying and living, I really enjoy meeting new friends and making new friends from all over the world.

One of the scariest things for me as an international student is graduation because I‘d have to decide to whether to stay in the UK or go back home before my student visa expires. With such pressure, I started to search for graduate jobs seven months before graduation. No one is born successful, finding a job is no easy path and I was rejected numerous times. After a few attempts, I came to realise that applying for job without the correct mindset is like shooting targets with your eyes closed. This is the experience I would like to share with anyone who, like me, is trying to find a job in the UK as an international student – ask yourself what your biggest advantage is when a company is deciding to hire you. For me, and I believe this also applies to the majority of international students that, the strongest point is the experience of western life and at the same time the ability to speak other languages. After I came to realise this point, I started to look for job targets to international students only. In the end, I am very lucky that I found a job that requires my engineering expertise and my language skills – the company deals a lot with China and is planning to grow their business in China. Again, no one is born successful; it is all about adjusting yourself when you are taking actions. This is my story, what is yours?

Chen

Meet our International Engineering Ambassador: Shunzi Wu

Name: Shunzi Wu

Course: Aerospace Material

Nationality: Chinese

Background

Hello, I am Shunzi Wu. You can call me Darcy. I have a wide range of interests and hobbies. I love to oil paint, dance, cook, do calligraphy and sinology. I also have interest in European literature, classical poetry, music, science and traveling. If you are interested in any of them, you are very welcome to join me and my friends. I have started a Sinology Society, you can join if you are interested, I assume we will be having fun together.

Why engineering?

I was amazed by a photo that showed the Large Magellanic Cloud with which I instantly fell in love. Hence, I 'Baidued' (Chinese version of google) it up on the internet and came across some more gorgeous images such as nebulae and Crab Nebula. I believed those images were a great inspiration for fashion designing dresses, high heels, hair and make up style. Also, they seemed to be fit for creating art such as oil painting and source of music too -because some music was playing at the back of my mind as I saw those images.

It made me wonder what outer space was like? And I began to read books about it. Funny though, I feel the more I read, the less I know. I became deeply attracted by the amazing knowledge and grew curious about all of the concepts surrounding the theme; except Chemistry. Hence, I decided to study something based on Aerospace or Astronomy. I hoped to go to space and see firsthand what it really looks like. I concluded that maybe all we need is something to take us (the common people) up there? So, I chose Aerospace Material for bachelor degree. I am also considering Astronomy and Astrophysics for PHD.

Why UoS?

The University of Sheffield has a great reputation for its Engineering Departments.

Teaching and study methods at Sheffield.

If you want something, just go for it. Teaching and study methods depend on character, personality, life habits, life experience, learning type (Auditory/Visual/Tactile) and desk preference etc. Good luck in finding your piece of cake and don’t care about peer pressure or other things too much. Consider them objectively and appropriately instead. One thing I want to tell you is that people are different - you need to find yourself and be yourself. I know, it is not as easy as it sounds. It might take a long while or even a whole life span. The process will contain many different components. It might be funny, harsh, humorous, hard and unbelievable etc...

But that is just life, we all have our ways.

My opinion of Sheffield as a city.

Initially, I felt nice and cozy. Now, it as turned to be boring and cozy - just the way I feel at home. The food here is good and I like the friends I made here.

The benefits of the UoS rather than another University.

It wanted the best University for my career and so I chose Sheffield. That on its own is the biggest benefit.

What do I want to do after my degree?

Work for one or two years, take my parents to travel during that one or two years. And then continue my PHD degree.

Advice to a prospective student before coming to Sheffield.

Think about what you like and want to do. Do a good research about the courses and universities you take into consideration. Check if the degree and module descriptions look like something you will enjoy? Ask yourself whether the University is a great choice for your module and future plans. Lastly, it all ties down to is Sheffield the kind of city you will enjoy living in? Come here, achieve things you want to achieve.

Hope you will love it here like I do.

The Diamond Tour

By Monica

On 19^th October, I conducted a tour of the Engineering facilities for a delegation of visitors form Qinghai University in China. It was my pleasure to show our university to other university members; especially because these delegates are from my country. More importantly, this tour gave visitors a brief introduction of what UK’s teaching environment looks like and the difference we two countries have at a tertiary level. In the meantime, as an international ambassador, this was my first time as a tour guide; this activity enhanced my several skills, including communication skill, cooperation skills with others, and translation skills, which I proved myself through this opportunity.

During this tour, I showed them around the engineering department, and the major part of this tour was to show them around the new building which is The Diamond building. Based on my preparation for this tour, I would hereby like to give a summary of this fantastic building.

在前不久的19号，我作为一名工程学院的国际大使向一群来自青海大学的教授和老师介绍了我们工程院的部分建筑，特别带领他们参观了我们的新建筑-钻石大楼。通过这次的工作，我向大家展示了我的工作能力，同时也提高了我自己的工作技能，特别是在沟通和翻译方面。下面我用文字为大家简单介绍一下钻石大楼。

This building took around 2 year to construct and prepare for opening. It costs £81 million which is the largest ever investment for the University in teaching and learning. The Diamond is now officially opened and is our new 24-hour learning space and since it is able to offer 1000 additional study spaces to all students in all departments. So as well as being a specialist engineering teaching facilities, the building also houses a range of lecture theatres, seminar rooms, open-plan learning spaces, library services and social spaces, including a café. The Diamond is partially open to the public and there is no swipe access to enter the building. It has 4 floors besides a basement, in which there are 6 big lecture theatres. These 6 lecture theatres are response for offer space that let all first year engineering students study in. And the lecture theatre 1 should be singled out as it has a 3D screen for interactive lectures using 3D software and glasses. On the ground floor, the main entrance will be greeted by the reception desk and a large public café locates on left. Next to this are windows into the upper half of the double-height, 400 seat lecture theatre, rising from the basement. On upper levels, there are several different labs to be provided to different usage, including EEE, chemical and biological engineering, biobacterial and so on.

这座建筑耗资8.1个亿人民币（约），耗时接近2年完成，是一座兼课程教学与实验教学为一身的大楼。同时，作为一个24小时开放的大楼，其中还有许多自助学习的教室和空间，也提供了电脑等学习设备，所以它也是一座和IC一样的学习室。这座大楼一共有4层，还包括了一个地下室。地下室中有6个教室，其中教室1含有3D的大屏，可以让老师展示3D的模型，给学生配有专业的3D眼镜。1楼是进入大楼的主要入口，可以简单餐食的食堂也同时在1楼。1楼以上是不同的实验室和自习室，给很多不同专业的学生用于实验和学习。

More details, I advise you to attend the tour guide running officially by staffs from The Diamond.

To book a tour click here. 

The event will be held on the following days:

如果您想得到更多关于这座大楼的资讯，您可以参加由学校提供的专门的导览，时间列表如上，预定导览请点击上方的链接。

Last but not least, it was my honor to be invited as tour guide, and hope those visitors are all satisfied my work.

最后我想感谢来自青海大学的访问学者们，他们给了我这次机会展示自己，同时我希望他们对我的工作表现满意。附上我们在IC入口的合影留念，以此。

Meet Our IEA Alumni: Yineng Gordon Zeng

Department: Computer Science

Course: MComp Enterprise Computing: Information Technology Management for Business

Nationality: Chinese

When you were born and where you studied in China

I come from Changsha, China where I studied at high school. In order to seek a greater stage and make full use of the English I have learnt, I left my previous university course and transferred to the University of Sheffield.

The course you are on & Particular aspects of the course you enjoy

Now I am a third year student studying Enterprise Computing: Information Technology Management for Business. This course consists of 2/3 computer science modules and 1/3 business modules, and most assessments are based on coursework rather than a single exam. Personally, I do like this kind of education system very much. Because you can put what you have learnt into practice along with course, and you will not be overwhelmed in the exam period. However it also means that you need to work hard consistently to get a good grade.

Your hobbies and outside interests

In my first year, I was living an international community which is provided by the university. I made friends from all over the world and natives as well. We keep in touch on Facebook, travel around UK and had picnics in parks.

This year I am living in a house with my previous flatmates, so I get a chance to do some flowers and herbs in our backyard garden. On the weekend, I often go to the gym to take exercise especially swimming; sometimes I visit my friends who are living in a different area of Sheffield and ask them to show me around.

Individually, I would like to join the interesting activities and seminars that I received from our university email. They are not only about computer technologies and business, but also some topics in sociology, music, health and so on. I did make new friends with common interest and even meet some of them weekly.

Your future plans

My course is four year programme, and I plan to go on my fourth year for a master degree. Besides I am looking for a part time job for the summer vacation, ideally I hope it can be an internship in software development or business management.

Meet our International Engineering Ambassadors: Gloria (Weijiang) Lin

Name: Gloria (Weijiang) Lin

Course: Mechanical Engineering

Nationality:  Chinese

Hi! I am a first-year Mechanical Engineering student at The University of Sheffield who newly got into the exciting IEA scheme. Lovers of physics, graphical design, mathematics...and sci-fi literature (that's probably the main reason for me to choose mechanical engineering). Thinking about my protagonist being able to use the device built up using the pieces of materials I am holding against the rumbling machines always keeps me excited inside a workshop for hours. But don't worry, mechanical engineers do not live in workshops. In fact, for mechanical engineers thinking skills are equally important as practicing ones, and they tend to spend more time in office designing and re-designing models. In this first post of mine I will be sharing my perspective on the Department, the University and the City according to my experience in Sheffield in the past three months.

Adventure before The Adventure

I spent most of the time in my life being just ordinary until I made the decision of becoming an international student at the age of fifteen. A flight ticket from China to New Zealand invited me to a completely different world of culture and perspective, where I had a taste of independence. This experience helped with my decision of becoming a student at the University of Sheffield.

Climb aboard the spaceship UoS

When one includes the terms 'mechanical engineering' and 'Uni of Sheffield' in his/her self introduction, most people will automatically file that person under the 'smart' category (especially for female students). Apparently this is not the reason why I chose the University of Sheffield, well, not the only reason. The Department of Mechanical Engineering in UoS has been ranked 3rd in Times Good University Guide 2014, and 4th in Complete University Guide 2013. Honestly, I do feel proud, not of the numerical record, but of the fact that the wonderful experience a student can gain here has been recognized on a worldwide scale.

When I describe the University of Sheffield as a spaceship I draw resemblance between the two -- multi-functional, complexly structured, and being able to transport people through the unknown space.

I've always known that a university is never a place for studying only, but it was at the Clubs and Societies Fair when I actually felt it. I was amazed by the number and variety of societies offered by the UoS. All I remember was to keep signing up and I ended up receiving more than twenty emails per day in the first few weeks.

The complexity of structure in the UoS is typically demonstrated in the Sir Frederick Mappin Building, the main building for most engineering students. It takes more than twenty minutes to escape from this building when one fails to follow the crowd. However, much as the frustration you feel when getting lost in the maze-like building thus being late for lectures, being able to arrive at the correct location inside Mappin Building where you have not explored before brings you satisfaction.

As a first year undergrad student, I can hardly say anything about my future plan other than 'being an engineer after my degree'. However, after three month's study of my course I have been given an insight of how engineers work in reality (rather than the crazy genius in sci-fi) together with the knowledge and techniques required. For engineers, teamwork is the essential, good design the key, and commitment the indispensable. The course at UoS is designed to equip us with the skills and knowledge to become a professional engineer, including lecturers providing knowledge in a comprehensive way, tutors always ready to help, and countless discussions with fellow students. Like a spaceship, the University of Sheffield is able to guide its students through the unknown darkness before they land on a new planet and start their own exploration.

Prospective Passenger Information

Ø  No panic -- for those leaving home for the first time, Sheffield is a welcoming and comfortable city and support is easily accessible (you may either apply for a Residence Mentor or post enquiries in the comment of IEA blog).

Ø  Get involved -- check emails and What's On Diary for information of activities and workshops, going on a daytrip with friends is also a good idea.

Two of the key ingredients of a good time at university are learning to look after yourself and making friends. And remember, we are always here to help.