Paul

MEng, Electronic Engineering

Why did you decide to study your course?
I decided to study electronic engineering as I wanted a science based subject but
with the added employability and problem solving skills engineering offers.

Why did you choose Leeds and the School of Electronic and Electrical
Engineering?
When I first visited Leeds on an open day I fell in love with the city and sheer size of the student population, and all the facilities that are available as a result of that. The School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering is very well respected, and has the best rated research department in the UK.

What was the best aspect of the course and why?
The highlight of my degree was the chance to have a year studying in Melbourne, Australia. It was fantastic to experience the university culture on the other side of the world, and I spent the summer holiday travelling round the country.

Tell us about your final year project.
My final year project was to design a receiver board for an ultrasound research platform for the Ultrasonic Research Group at Leeds. It involved researching what the system needed to have, designing the circuit boards on a computer, and sending them off to be manufactured. It was a lot of hard work but exciting to be trusted with such a large (and expensive!) project. The system is now being used to investigate several new ideas, such as the potential to use ultrasound for drug delivery, for example in treatments for cancer.

What are your ambitions for the future? Do you have specific career plans?
I've been offered a job working at QinetiQ, a UK defence company, and they want me to design electronic systems for space projects, like satellites and the next unmanned mission to Mars. I want to work towards my Chartered Engineer status, and perhaps move into management in the future.

What experiences at Leeds do you think will particularly help you with your future career?
My year abroad shows employers I have initiative, and the ability to adapt to a different environment. I also worked for the university fund-raising team, calling Leeds graduates, and I feel that improved my communication skills.

What other activities outside your studies did you get involved with whilst you were at Leeds?
I hitchhiked to Amsterdam as part of the Raise And Give (RAG) society to raise money for Cancer Research, which was an experience to remember!

Finally, what would you say to students thinking about coming do the same course/programme?
I really enjoyed my course, and found it had a good mix of practical and theoretical aspects to it. Being able to take a year in industry or a year studying at a foreign university is a great opportunity, and I loved being able to work on something as large as my final year project.