It’s such an international city

Profile picture of Chazha Mafunye, student ambassador from Botswana
Chazha Mafunye, Botswana
Undergraduate Student
BEng Chemical Engineering
Chazha is currently in her second year studying BEng Chemical Engineering.

What I enjoyed the most about coming to Sheffield was being able to adjust to the lifestyle without feeling rushed. There is not a huge culture shock as Sheffield is filled with international students who probably share a similar story as yours (travelling from afar to study). I found the mixture of old red brick or Victorian-style buildings and new, more futuristic buildings to be really cool. Upon arriving and exploring, I was very happy with my decision to come here and I was ready to find my favourite coffee shop or restaurant or vintage store or study area. The University campus is really great - there is a positive vibe you get when you are studying or relaxing in the Diamond, St. Georges Church, The Heart Space etc. Plus, they make for a cool background in photos.

Studying Chemical Engineering was a last-minute decision for me. Initially I was set on Medicine, but after some proper research and talking to students in the Medicine Department, I came to the realisation that it was not the course I would enjoy doing in the long run. My interest and love for sustainability and making processes more eco-friendly to reduce the effluents entering the environment lead me to Chemical Engineering. It aligned very well with my goals and is a good fit.

The things I've enjoyed most about my course is that there is a lot of exposure on how what we learn in class is used in today’s industries. Our department makes sure to include lecturers from chemical engineers working in industry and explain how our current studies are applied to their work sector. It allows us to be more in-depth with our design projects and to learn to work within the constraints of available resources and budget. 

It has been difficult work, but the content is very engaging that it makes it worthwhile. Although I am in my second year, I have a deeper knowledge on the process behind setting up a plant. Each week, I am gaining the necessary knowledge to work under a mentor in industry.

The thing I like most about living in Sheffield is that you meet people from such different walks of life. It can be your course mates, work mates, people you interact with at a coffee shop and even your teammates. I like to say to people, “I have traveled to a lot of countries just from the people I have met here”.

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