Muchai Mbugua, Civil and Structural Engineering

I was unsure about what I wanted to study at university and knew from the beginning I wanted to take a gap year to explore different universities and courses. Quite early in my gap year, I applied and was accepted to do Chemical Engineering at Manchester University, however I felt unsure about this choice, and further research and open days led me to decide later to study Civil Engineering at the University of Sheffield. 

I chose Sheffield because they had a large and exceptional Civil and Structural Engineering department, and I was confident that the teaching would be great based on conversations I had with graduates and online student reviews and surveys. Furthermore, I was attracted to the opportunity of learning at the Diamond, which offers state of the art equipment and labs. 

I knew I had the grades to be accepted, however the timing of this change meant I would have to apply via clearing and so I was initially apprehensive as to what this experience would be like. On results day, I phoned the department and spoke to them about my background and reasons for wanting to study civil engineering at the University.

Clearing can be quite a stressful time, and although I had the grades, I was worried there wouldn’t be a place for me as many applicants received high A Level grades that year. Despite this, I was offered a place and to my relief it was all sorted within 15 minutes over the phone. 

I am now in my second year and extremely happy with my choice as I am enjoying my course and the city. The University lecturers are amazing and have been thoughtful and proactive in accommodating our requests or concerns as students whilst learning online during the Covid pandemic. Now that teaching has reverted back to in-person lectures, the quality has increased more, and I would rate it very highly.

Furthermore, Sheffield is an amazing city to be a university student as there is so much to do and get involved with. Although not a campus university, the university buildings and sports facilities, shops, and the city centre are all within walking distance. The Peak District is only a few miles away and is a popular place that students regularly visit to go on walks with amazing views.