Second year MEng Civil Engineering student Lorena reviews the recent ACCESS event that brought students and industrial partners together.

Earlier this month, the University organized ACCESS – Awareness of Careers in Civil Engineering for Second Year Students. The event took two hours and gave us the chance to meet and chat with people from industry who had come to see us.

No one in my family works in engineering and so having the opportunity to talk face-to-face with practising engineers made me clear my mind about the path I want to follow. Asking people about their day at work made me realise that consultancy (design work)  fits me better than the contracting (on-site construction) side of the profession.

ACCESS is an annual event for second year civil engineering students to meet and chat with the industrial partners that help to deliver the civil engineering degrees.

Moreover, prior to the event, when I thought about jobs big companies like Arup, Atkins, Jacobs would come into my mind. Now, I’m thinking about medium/smaller companies like BT Bell and local authority engineering teams like the one at Northumberland County Council.  The projects might be smaller but I discovered that they have great opportunities to grow as an engineer.

The part that I enjoyed the most was that everyone from industry was really friendly and helpful, answering all our questions. Some of them were graduates from Newcastle University, so I took the chance to ask them about the differences between uni and their job and what role did uni play in what they are doing now. Their answers made me quite excited about what my future career might be.

My favorite question to ask was, “what’s the most challenging aspect of your job?”  I was surprised by the fact that no one named any technical issue. However, answers like “politics” and “public consultation” made me realise working with people will be one of the hardest parts of my career.  I’ve come to see it like this: a maths problem will always have the same answer, no matter what method we use to find it. When it comes to people … they can change what they want and believe in a matter of seconds.

Overall, I was really happy with the way the event was organized. I believe it is a great opportunity and it made me look forward towards a job in engineering. But, for now, it’s back to coursework!

Useful links:

• MEng Civil Engineering at Newcastle University
• Video about the 2015 ACCESS event

Phoebe, a second year BEng Civil Engineering student, describes the differences between first and second year studies.

In second year we are building on a lot of the basics we learnt in first year in really interesting ways. Instead of learning equations and content, we are now applying this and starting to design things such as roads and water treatment plants. This year’s modules follow on really well from last year’s, solidifying and adding to the knowledge we have and using it in a more practical, problem solving way. We are starting to get a real insight into the way engineers approach these massive infrastructure problems.

Laboratory and practical sessions are also getting a lot more hands on. In first year structures modules, we did some strength testing of various materials and used some demonstration rigs to learn about basic mechanics.  In second year, this has moved on a lot and recently we constructed our own 4m long, steel-reinforced concrete beams that will be tested-to-destruction once cured. Making the beams involved making measurements, tying reinforcement bars in place and pouring and vibrating the fresh concrete on to some formwork.

In another module, we are learning the process of cleaning water and wastewater, and actually going into a lab and trying to put our knowledge to the test.

Our major group design project this year is the theoretical redevelopment of Newcastle International Airport so that it can take a daily flight of an Airbus A380. It is a major task and requires us to draw on all the knowledge we have gained so far. The first phase of the project allowed for a lot of design work and sketching, which was a great chance to get creative. The second phase asks us to go into a lot more detail, where we will have to use what we have learned in other modules and apply it to this real world task. For example, if we plan to move a road, we now have to use what we learned in our transport modules to design the new road layout. We also have to draw on our mechanics and materials knowledge to ensure our terminals are built to a safe and environmentally sustainable standard.

In our latest student blog, Daisy (second year MEng Civil Engineering) writes about the Women in Engineering netball team that was set up this year.

The ‘WinE’ netball team was created as a part of the Women in Engineering group that’s being set up at Newcastle University. It was suggest that sport is one way for all Engineering students to meet, have fun and get to know each other as well as including a social aspect where students can talk to other like-minded students.

This has proved to be true with the netball team consisting of women from all year groups and most engineering subjects (civil / mechanical / electrical / chemical / marine). We have had the chance to give advice and discuss our courses in a less formal and more relaxed setting.

One thing I have enjoyed most about the netball group is being able to spend time with other girls who have similar interests to me. With the engineering sector currently consisting mainly of men, the opportunity to talk to other females interested in the industry is rare and so it’s nice to be able to do this in the early stages of my career.

We are currently third in our league, with the top four teams progressing to the next stages of the competition. For a new team with little training we are doing well and improving with every match. Hopefully next year we can hold trials and possibly have more than one team.

As well as meeting up for netball training the team also meets outside of university to relax and get away from the pressures of our course. Currently we have been on a cocktail social and are planning more now that the exam season is over.

I have thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the ‘Women in Engineering’ netball team this year and hopefully we will progress to the final stages of the competition.

With the semester 1 exams ow out of the way, our students have started blogging for us again.

Hi, my name is Max. I’m a third year MEng Civil Engineering student and am currently the captain of FC Civille. Cleverly named after our counterparts in Spain (Seville FC), FC Civille is an 11-a-side Intramural football team that welcomes all students, from Undergrads to Postgrads and from Civil Engineers to Politicians. Newcastle University’s Intramural football scene consists of three divisions, normally with ten teams in each league. Teams play each other twice throughout the course of the academic year whilst also partaking in cup competitions. League games are always played on Saturdays, usually at the University’s 3G and grass pitches located in Longbenton with varied kick off times throughout the day from 10am to 4pm.

In my first year at University, I decided I wanted to play football on a regular basis but also wanted to have a laugh whilst doing so.  I then heard about the trials for FC Civille and haven’t looked back since. When I joined the team, we were sitting precariously at the foot of the second division, where we remained for the rest of the season, narrowly escaping relegation. Having reshuffled the squad the following year, we managed to win the league and are currently playing our football in the ‘top flight’ this season.

In addition to playing football, social nights are regularly held and we always work hard to make new players feel welcome and part of the squad.

I would urge anyone who is interested in playing enjoyable but competitive football to join FC Civille as it is a fantastic club that works alongside the School of Civil Engineering & Geosciences to provide a great sport and social outlet during your studies.