Diogo Cardia Lopes BEng Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2016

I think what I have enjoyed the most were the practical projects undertaken within the course. We get to design and build things, and use facilities such as the wind tunnel and the students’ workshop. We can put into practice the things we have learnt on our course.

I chose the University of Southampton because I had a dream of getting into the motorsports industry, particularly Formula 1. I’d heard about Southampton’s reputation for getting some of the best engineers out into the industry.

There are a lot of people from a lot of different places, which is really good. In the UK, I feel like there’s a lot of investment in universities. There are a lot of projects taking place, and I feel like I had a lot of support from the University. There were a lot of facilities we could use which maybe we wouldn’t have had access to in another country.

I think what I have enjoyed the most were the practical projects undertaken within the course. We get to design and build things, and use facilities such as the wind tunnel and the students’ workshop. We can put into practice the things we have learnt on our course.

I did a placement in my second year with a motorcycle company in Portugal. I got to advise on some of the things I had learned at the University, and learned a lot before coming back to complete my final year.

I’m planning to go to Germany and complete a Masters before I start working in the automotive industry.

My favourite thing about Southampton is that there are a lot of students. Anywhere you go, such as a bar or pub, or just around campus, you have the opportunity to meet a lot of people. It’s a great experience.