Tanya - Mechanical Engineering
I'm Tanya, a third-year MEng Mechanical Engineering student.
The Diamond was a key thing that drew me to Sheffield and now that I’m here it has become central to my learning experience and personal growth.
It is more than just a teaching space, it's where I have spent countless hours studying, collaborating with friends, and developing practical engineering skills through the excellent labs. For me, when lectures get challenging I am hesitant to ask questions in the moment (in front of two hundred people!) - but in labs I feel free to ask questions to Diamond staff while we are working in small groups.
The approachable nature of Diamond staff and their willingness to go the extra mile has made a lasting impact on my understanding. One of my favourite labs has been the heat-transfer thermodynamics lab. It was really exciting seeing the maths equations we derived in lectures being applied and it gave me great satisfaction to make sense of it. The staff are brilliant at explaining; having the experiment right there as a visual aid makes all the difference so the labs are really where difficult concepts click for me.
Additionally, there's the community here – late nights in the library with friends revising, explaining tricky topics, and taking too many snack breaks hold some of my fondest memories. Alongside my course, I've thrown myself into a range of extra-curricular Engineering projects and the BAME Engineers Society. These have involved everything from building drones and satellites in the iForge, to holding writing retreats in group workrooms. The Diamond is my go-to place on campus – it's where I learn, make and belong.