Studying Engineering
Studying engineering at the University of Sheffield is both a challenging and rewarding experience. Through one of the university's guiding principles, our research is 'leading the way', which drives the learning of all our students. Going to university can be a life changing decision - many students move away from home for the first time which can be both an exciting and daunting mix of emotions.
What to expect from us
Here at the University of Sheffield we do our best to welcome students to the city and introduce the many attractions across South Yorkshire. Within our faculty, we set a programme of induction for our new students, run a popular mentoring scheme and generally help you settle in academically.
University is a serious commitment and it is really important to balance life and study as well as manage time effectively. This is especially relevant to undergraduates coming from a school environment, since students are expected to lead their own learning and use their initiative to progress learning.
We offer varied teaching and learning opportunities across all of our departments. These include:
- Lectures - These are led by an academic. Students should expect to be in large groups in the early years of their course based in large lecture theatres. There are opportunities to ask questions both during and after lectures.
- Academic Tutorials - These are smaller classes run by academics and provide an opportunity for students to query more detailed problems or ideas on a more one-to-one basis.
- Personal Tutorials - very small group tutorials.
- Labs - These provide opportunities for students to apply and reinforce theoretical knowledge in a practical way. In addition, students become familiar with using specialist equipment and work with other academics and research students.
- Site visits - Some modules may have a site visit element, often with industry partners, to enrich students' learning.
- Workrooms - We provide flexible study space across the campus for both individual and group work with most of the campus covered by free Wi-Fi. Many workspaces also have managed desktops PCs.
Student Life
University is not just about studying but also about fun and making new friends. Sheffield Students' Union acts as a central hub to student life providing events throughout the year, bars, clubs, societies, volunteering and much, much more. Consistently rated highly in national student surveys, the Union is regarded as 'one of the best' which recently got better after a major building renovation.