The lecturers are so easily approachable that I had absolutely no trouble in understanding concepts and following lectures.

Why did you choose your course?

I did my undergraduate degree in Physics but I was always interested in what went on at the ‘nano’ level. I Googled this programme and was delighted to find out that I could pursue this course even though I had no materials background. When I saw that I fulfilled all the requirements, I went ahead and chose this course.

What have you enjoyed most about your course so far?

The first semester was very intimidating in the beginning because I had no materials background. But there are so many resources made available to us students, and the lecturers are so easily approachable, that I had absolutely no trouble in understanding concepts and following lectures.

Getting my hands on the world class equipment and up-to-date machinery was a goosebump moment for me.

Michelle Rodrigues

MSc Nanomaterials and Materials Science

I absolutely love the Diamond Labs - getting my hands on the world-class equipment and up-to-date machinery was a goosebump moment for me. My course is very challenging because everything about it is recently discovered. Hence, each day is a new experience and I take back something new with me.

What do you think about Sheffield as a city?

Sheffield is a very calm and green city. The locals are nice and friendly. The city centre is a good shopping place for clothes and one can find fresh produce in The Moor. There is a famous Tesco almost everywhere, which makes it easy to buy everything one would need for their homes. Life is affordable in Sheffield. Besides this, Sheffield also has good places to chill after a hectic week at university.

There are a huge number of pubs and places like the Botanical Gardens, Peace Gardens, Ponderosa, national gallery, etc, where one can pass a lot of time in peace. Moreover, for football lovers, Manchester is just an hour away on the train and one can catch Manchester United Football Club playing live at Old Trafford – one of a few things to tick off a fan’s bucket list!

What are your ambitions for the next few years?

I intend to pursue my PhD degree at The University of Sheffield under my current supervisor. After that, I hope to get into research.

What would you say to students if they are considering studying Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield?

I would tell them to go ahead with it - it’s a decision that they'll never regret. I can brief them about how the course is structured and what are the few things they can do before they come here which I struggled with since no one told me about it.

There are a lot of things that the University expects students to know (how to operate certain software) which would be ideal for the student to prepare themselves with before they come here so they can have more time on their hands to do course work and other assignments.