The opportunity to work both independently and alongside a company. As part of the CDT you are working along a company that proposes a real life engineering problem that they wish to solve. That duality between the academic and industrial exposure was what helped me choose Birmingham.

Working along industrial and academic experts is something that not all PhDs are able to offer. The connections that one might develop while visiting your chosen company are invaluable once finishing a PhD. It is also very important to note the access to extra funding while being part of the CDT which allows for better equipment, more conference visits and so on.

There is a true sense of community within the department, and everyone seems to know each other. It is also a very nice campus university with loads to offer without needing to venture out of it.

I am part of the 1st team of Basketball at the University, so my highlight would probably be playing every year at “Rebellion” where we play in front of 500 people filling up the Sport and Fitness arena. It is always a great day and the atmosphere is amazing.

University might look a bit daunting to begin with, but it is an amazing experience. Chemical Engineering is a challenging course and it normal to feel stressed or overwhelmed at times (it is normal!) just talk to your peers, most of them feel the same or similar to you. There is something soothing about knowing that others are experiencing the same and you will be surprised of how much good it can do talking to people! There is also a great support team that works incredibly hard to make you feel welcome, so you just need to worry about your studies and enjoying your time in Birmingham.