Azib Amin MEng Mechanical Engineering / Advanced Materials

Current student

The University offers many opportunities for students to improve their employability during their degree. Students are encouraged and supported in preparing themselves for their careers, through programmes including the Excel Internship Programme and the Careers and Employability Service.

Why did you choose to study at the University of Southampton?

The University of Southampton was my choice due to the excellent reputation of its Mechanical Engineering course. There were also a huge variety of resources for me to benefit from, including great facilities. I was further encouraged when I attended the Open Day with the friendly, diverse community present here as well as the opportunities that came with the numerous facilities the University provides. The various student engineering workshops throughout the campus certainly encouraged me the most, showing the University’s emphasis on learning through practical design work, and have become a staple location for our different projects and practical work we undertook. I hoped, and still do, to utilise all this in the pursuit of a diverse, professional career.

How do you feel that the University has supported you so far?

We’re regularly contacted with regards to internships and placement opportunities, through programmes such as the Excel Southampton Internship Programme, as well as guest speakers from industry who give insightful talks on campus. Also, receiving advice from my tutor and professors is another opportunity I’ve only recently embraced, on career plans and what paths I can explore. Academic staff are the leaders of their fields and are well-versed in how their industries operate. This really does give you confidence so that you’re not just diving into the unknown once you graduate; the University does a great job in providing careers information in advance.

What has been the highlight of your time here so far?

I think my highlight would have to be Charity Week 2016, where, as a part of the Islamic Society, we were able to raise a record-breaking amount for orphans and children in need by hosting different fundraising events including a Bake Off, and a Charity Dinner. Organising these events and collaborating with other societies for an incredible cause was extremely rewarding, allowing me to channel my passion towards a meaningful cause. This really did open my eyes as to what you can achieve and impact others around the world in a positive way even as a student.

What do you enjoy most about living in Southampton?

In all honestly, I’ve definitely enjoyed just the simple atmosphere university life provides, with regular events and happenings throughout the vibrant campus - even during the more stressful exam periods. Being able to befriend and form connections with people from all around the world and of all walks of life really helps to develop yourself and build life-long contacts. I’ve also had the chance to pursue unique societies and sports such as archery to really make the university experience my own.

What have you enjoyed most about your course so far?

Working in the ORC (Optoelectronics Research Centre) for my third year Individual Project, alongside PhD students and professors, was an extremely rewarding experience. We developed new ways of coating nanoscale thin films for a variety of applications, using state-of-the-art facilities and characterisation techniques. Personally, the most satisfying aspect of projects such as these is being able to contribute towards ground-breaking research that gives you, a student, a lot of confidence in your ability as well as a vision for your work going in the future.

Currently I’m part of the Icarus Project, a Group Design Project taking on the ambitious task of contributing towards the design and development of a record-breaking wingsuit. Projects like these have so much scope, as you work within a multidisciplinary team to really give you practical experience of how projects are run in the real world.

There have certainly been some very stressful times you’ll go through within your university experience, but you really do come away with a positive experience and sense of accomplishment at the end of it, ready to face the next hurdle.

What are your lecturers and supervisors like? Have you found them supportive?

I definitely humanise them more than I did when I first approached university, where they turned from teachers in a lecture theatre to mentors I could approach, particularly in my final years of university. Most lecturers keep their offices open so you can drop in if you have any questions regarding the course, or provide their email address at the start of the course for you to contact them. They are incredibly knowledgeable in their respective fields and are happy to answer any questions you have.

If you could offer prospective students one piece of advice, what would it be?

Make the best use of the resources available and have fun doing so.

Being a student is a great opportunity to learn more about yourself, your interests and what path you want to pursue in the future. As such I’d recommend students to approach university with the overall aim of self-improvement and use all the avenues possible to develop mentally, physically and even spiritually. It’s definitely not an experience in your life that comes often.