I have opened up much more since I came here.

My first impressions of Sheffield were that the countryside feel of it is very conducive for university students. I also appreciate the fact that the university buildings are integrated with the city rather than reserved to specific sectors which makes moving around much easier. Sheffield is very hilly, unlike where I am from (Nairobi), but you get used to it quickly and its good exercise! Most of my classes were in the Diamond during my first year and I was really impressed by the facilities for engineering offered by the university.

I chose my course because I have always had a keen interest in electronics; specifically, how wireless data transfer is achieved. Devices such as tv remotes greatly fascinate me in that they seemingly receive and transmit data without a medium. I decided to dedicate my further studies to understanding exactly how to realize this “miracle”. I thus chose to pursue a degree in Electronic and Communications Engineering. The opportunity to solve problems is something I’ve always enjoyed and my course provides me with multiple opportunities to do so. This is due to the fact that during my time here I’ve taken part in a lot of laboratory tasks and projects as part of my studies. This has allowed me to apply the lessons taught in class. Since I intend to become a Communications Engineer, my course has been very helpful in not only providing me with necessary knowledge to achieve this, but also introduced me to several experienced Engineers in my lecturers and tutor who offer sound advice on what it takes to succeed.

The highlight of my course so far was the FYGER competition in first year which was pretty interesting. We got the chance to design and build remote controlled robots in the EC lab before taking part in a competition to pick up a single egg from the centre of an arena and return it to your specified garage. The Individual Construction project where we had to build a receiver module was also very enlightening and the SHIPS project in second year introduced me to magnetic gear systems which I didn’t even know existed.

I would say to any students considering Sheffield - go for it! The University offers the facilities and services to ensure you have the best chance of succeeding here. Accommodation is excellent and you can find societies for just about anything here. I’ve also found people to be really friendly over here. The University of Sheffield just gives you a good opportunity to be the complete student. I will be forever grateful for the chance Sheffield has given me to meet and make friends of people from all corners of the globe. Apart from the skills and knowledge I’ve been able to obtain while living here, it is the relationships that I have built with the people around me that I truly value.