Monthly Archives: June 2017

Site Visits and Field Trips – Environmental Consultancy MSc

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Sophie Metcalf, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Environmental Consultancy, writes about her field trips and site visits involved in her course.

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As part of the MSc programme here, students are required to undertake a personal research dissertation. Due to the nature of the subject, projects often includes site visits to the area of interest for observation and sampling. Recently I undertook my preliminary site visit as part of my research dissertation, which gave me the opportunity to get out of the city and into the beautiful countryside of North East England. The North Pennines are classed as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the mid-march sunshine most definitely brought out the best of this beautiful landscape!

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The North Pennines

My project is focused on geochemical investigations of abandoned metal mine sites in the North Pennines, so my first field visit involved undertaking a reconnaissance of the sites I will be looking at. All the sites have heavy metal contamination from the historic land use as metal mines. The project is funded by a Heritage Lottery Fund and is part of the larger OREsome project being undertaken across the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is an amazing opportunity to work in such a beautiful area of the country and on some sites that have been un-researched and untouched until now. This project will build on work already undertaken by staff within the Geoscience department to quantify the metal contamination entering water courses in the North Pennines, which eventually reaches the River Tyne and Newcastle.

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Site investigation

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Dr Neil Gray, Degree Programme Director of Geoscience Programmes

It is sometimes easy to forget that such a vibrant city such as Newcastle, is located to closely to some of the most stunning countryside in the country. I am greatly looking forward to undertaking more site visits to this beautiful part of the world, to undertake sample collection.

Why I chose Newcastle University

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Mosopefoluwa Oikeh, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Environmental and Petroleum Geochemistry, writes about her decision to study at Newcastle University.

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I believe that certain factors are worth considering before choosing a university or course of study. Excellent teaching and research standards, amazing student experience and career prospects are just a few determinants I examined while reviewing universities in the United Kingdom.

As an international student, I wanted the best student experience I could get. The thought of leaving home for a new environment and how easy it would be to acclimatise was daunting. However, I had friends in Newcastle University who shared their student experiences with me which helped calm my nerves. I found this to be true as you get to meet students from diverse cultural backgrounds and ethnicities, thereby creating opportunities to socialise and learn about other cultures. There are occasional side attractions and social activities organised by the student union and other registered societies which makes the experience exciting.

Talking about teaching and research standards, civil engineering as well as some other departments was rated world leading or internationally excellent. In addition, I desired to study a master’s degree taught course that will reflect petroleum geology and environmental science and I found a perfect course at Newcastle University. The university is ranked one of the best and one of the top 20 most targeted universities by UK’s leading employers; as such increasing career prospects.

Newcastle upon Tyne is a city with rich cultural heritage and a vibrant student city. The nearness of the university and accommodation to the city centre makes it accessible and exciting to dwell in. The people are warm and lovely. The city’s night view and monuments are nice for relaxation and reflection. When it is time to withdraw from the social attractions and concentrate on studies, the university campus is an excellent place. The libraries are strategically located around the campus and can be accessed anytime of the day, during school term. The city has a local airport which connects other cities within the UK and some countries. Living and studying in Newcastle is one choice I have never regretted.

Field visits

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Li Yuan, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Structural Engineering, writes about some of the field trips she has been involved with so far.

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During the second semester of my MSc in Structural Engineering, we have had several study field visits in the month of March. The first was the study tour to Durham city. The city is a very attractive tourist attraction in the North East, with the River Wear looping around the Romanesque Durham Cathedral and Norman Durham Castle. The aim of the trip was to inspect the bridges along the River Wear in the heart of the city.

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The first bridge we visited was the Framwellgate Bridge. As the oldest bridge in the city, Framwellgate Bridge is over loomed by Durham Cathedral. The bridge was constructed in 1127 by Bishop Flambard as a well-protected entry point into the city. For centuries, the three-span stone arch bridge carries the traffic flow into the city, it was doubled in width in 1859. Thanks to the rocky foundations, the bridge arches are sound and stable and is still servicing to the traffic above it. The ancient construction may seem simple and not fancy as the model bridges, however, the stone arches are the most durable and long lasting bridge construction in comparison to the model bridge designs.

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Our second study trip was to Edinburgh city. As the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh is a steeped in history, from its world famous clifftop castle to the Royal Mile, every brick in the city has its own story to tell. However, this trip we focused on the modern side of the city’s architecture. We visited the Dynamic Earth, located on the exact spot where James Hutton (the father of modern geology) lived and worked in the 18th century. The centre comprises of a fabric roof and its support structure that was constructed on the exhibition gallery under it. A hemispherical dome illustrated the membrane structure and its support structure working principle.

Why I chose MSc Structural Engineering at Newcastle University

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Li Yuan, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Structural Engineering, writes about her passion for the subject and what she hopes to achieve after gaining her postgraduate degree.

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My decision to join Newcastle University to study an MSc in Structural Engineering, was made after long consideration and evaluation.

There are a number of universities that offer a similar course, and so deciding which to apply for was tricky. As my family were settled in the North East, the universities that I considered in the first instance were the ones located close to home. Newcastle University was a top-ranking university with an outstanding reputation amongst the North East universities on my list. In particular, it is ranked 2nd in the UK for Civil Engineering research power, which fulfilled my requirement as someone interested in becoming a Structural Engineer PG student.

In comparison with competitors, the MSc Structural Engineering course at Newcastle is delivered with more attention to industrial practice. The modules are taught in blocks, which is a huge advantage to me as I don’t have to jump in and out from each module. The teachers and professors are from or work closely with the civil engineering industry, allowing my study to be industrially focused.

As an investment of my career development, an MSc in Structural Engineering at Newcastle University will provide me with a better platform to restart my career. With 86 percent of graduate students from this program being employed or in further study after 6 months. This is a very high ratio compared to other universities. Furthermore, this course is accredited by the ICE and IstructE. The acceptance by the leading industrial institutions will enhance my job hunting success after my graduation.

I am currently in the middle of my final semester. The experience of passed study has proven my decision to study an MSc in Structural Engineering at Newcastle University was definitely the right decision!

Societies at Newcastle University

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Valini Samaroo, an MSc Transport Planning and ITS student, writes about the societies she’s been involved in at Newcastle University and how societies can help when relocating to another country.

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Making the decision to pack your things and move to a new country, by yourself, for a whole year, is a nerve-wracking experience. So many things go through your mind: Will I fit in? Will I enjoy it? How will I cope with the weather? Suppose I miss home too much? What will I eat?

Before I arrived in September, I decided to do some research into the societies at Newcastle University via the Newcastle University Students’ Union webpage. What better way to settle into a new place and make some friends than joining a group of like-minded people? To my amazement, the Students’ Union offered over 160 societies from which to choose! I decided to join the Dance and Civil Engineering Societies, as well as keep a keen eye on ‘Give it a Go’ which offers opportunities to participate in completely new things like paintball and ice skating at ridiculously low prices.

Being a part of these societies has helped me settle in immensely. I was even encouraged to join societies by my Personal Tutor within my degree programme! It has helped me appreciate Newcastle University even more, as emphasis is placed on both work and play, and one needs only to find a way!

I have always been passionate about dance and the dance society’s classes are my way of connecting with both myself and other dancers from all around the Uni. The classes, taught by other students, have offered me a sisterhood that I know I can escape to after eight plus hours of lectures, to simply relax and have fun.

I attended the Civil Engineering Society’s Christmas Ball, which gave me the opportunity to interact with my colleagues and classmates in an informal setting, where we could truly relax and have a fun night out. This event and others allowed us to connect beyond the classroom and develop a kinship that truly helps when home-sickness sets in. You always have a group of people that you can look forward to spending time with.

Joining a society offers you a home away from home, and I would recommend it for any student coming to Uni, international or not. You get a chance to connect with people through a medium that transcends language and cultural barriers. The best part: you get to have fun!

 

Surveying and Mapping Science at Newcastle – Stage 1 Field Course – Part 1 of 2

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During the Easter holidays, the Stage 1 Surveying & Mapping Science and GIS students went on a field course to the Seathwaite Valley in the heart of the Lake District.  It was a challenging and rewarding eight days that brought together all of the theory acquired in lectures and practicals and applied it in a real world setting.  This series of blogs will share some of the highlights from the perspective of a surveying and mapping science student.

It’s the fourth day of the field course and it’s hard to believe we’re already at the halfway point!  I’m writing this blog from the Glaramara House, our hotel which is serving as our base for the duration of the fieldcourse.  We arrived at Glaramara on Thursday morning after a scenic two-and-a-half hour coach ride from Newcastle.  The setting is stunning: a pastoral valley of green fields; dry stone walls and streams; surrounded by craggy fells; waterfalls and oak forests.  Our mission for the field course is to create a detailed map of the valley, but first we need to lay the foundations by creating a control network.

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Practising setting up targets in front of the Glaramara House, our base for the field course.

Shortly after arriving at Glaramara, we donned our high-vis and waterproofs to undertake our first task: brushing up on the surveying skills we’d be using over the next eight days.  The valley is famous for being the wettest inhabited place in England, and it’s definitely living up to its reputation.  After a soggy afternoon of measuring angles and levelling, we dried off and enjoyed what would be the first of many delicious dinners.  A pint from the hotel’s bar was the perfect way to celebrate a successful first day.

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A pint was much appreciated after a long day in the field.

The next morning, we enjoyed a full English breakfast before beginning our next task: establishing the primary control stations throughout the valley.  We were divided into teams and taken by minibus to our assigned locations.  Using total stations, we spent the day measuring the angles and distances between points.  We would be using this data later to compute the coordinates of the stations.  The blustery weather was a challenge, especially looking back to the relatively easy practical’s we did at Town Moor back in Newcastle, but we persevered.

Yesterday’s assignment was to determine the height of points around the valley using spirit levelling.  Simple enough…or so we thought.  My team quickly realized that those lovely green fields were essentially giant mud pits and the stone walls an endless maze to navigate through, but it was a great feeling when we arrived at our last benchmark.  Another job finished and I’ve never been more grateful for a hot shower!

Today the GIS students have joined us and we’ll be going out in teams to create secondary control networks around the valley.  It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful day, better bring along the sun cream!