Zhe Yong Teyo Mechanical Engineering/Biomedical Engineering

The University of Southampton Malaysia allows me to adapt to the university life at my homeland first then transfer to the UK to experience a different culture, instead of going straight to an unknown place to start my university journey.

Why did you choose your course?

I am a person who likes challenges, and engineering is the ultimate field for challenges. People often think of mechanical engineering as a male-dominated field, but I would like to prove that girls can be great engineers too, we are no less than men. Most importantly, the engineering field is fun! It is the dynamic side of science which I want to get involved in, where there is always something new to learn. Engineers are like magicians, always finding solutions to solve problems and come out with great inventions that help people. I was initially more interested in the medical field, then I found out that the University of Southampton offers a course in MEng Mechanical Engineering / Biomedical Engineering, which is the perfect combination of both fields that I am interested in.

What do you enjoy most about your course?

Lovely lecturers that I have met. They helped me a lot and gave me a lot of opportunities throughout the course.

Why did you choose the University of Southampton Malaysia (UoSM)?

The University of Southampton Malaysia allowed me to adapt to the university life at my homeland first then transfer to the UK to experience a different culture, instead of going straight to a foreign place to start my university journey. Besides, the tuition fees in the Malaysia campus are lower than the UK campus and students from the Malaysia campus have a 20% reduction in tuition fees when transferring to the UK. It saved me lots of money and gave me the chance to study abroad.

What have been your Southampton ‘highlights’ (best experiences) so far?

Friends from all around the world that I’ve met. There are quite many organisations around the campus. One that I’ve joined is called iConnect, which stands for international connect. Every Sunday, people from different countries will join together and have fun. Last Christmas, I was hosted by a British family for a traditional Christmas dinner. We played games and Christmas quiz together, I get to know more about British culture. People here are so friendly and welcoming, I can always feel the warmth from them.

Do you have the opportunity to study modules outside of your core subject area, and how do you think they are adding to your experience / will affect your future plans?

Yes, I am allowed to choose several optional modules that I would like to take in my third and fourth year. I am interested in fluid dynamics, so I chose modules such as application of CFD and biological flow which allowed me to develop further in fluid dynamics field.

What networking, employment and work experience opportunities have you undertaken?

In the summer of 2017 and 2018, I worked as a research intern at the University of Southampton. Dr Jo-Han Ng from the Malaysia campus gave me lots of opportunities such as presenting my project in an international invention exposition and taking part in the Royal Society of Chemistry Twitter Poster Conference. Last summer, I did my internship at Dyson, Malmesbury, UK. It was a great work experience and I was then offered to work as a graduate engineer when I return back to Malaysia after graduation.

What are your plans for the future?

I will be working in the fluid dynamics team at Dyson Malaysia, continue to develop my engineering skills that I’ve learned at the university and explore more in the future.