Tag Archives: Geotechnical Engineering

Why I chose to study MSc Geotechnical Engineering

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Tshepo Tshambane, a postgraduate student writes about her passion for Geotechnical Engineering and what she hopes to gain from her postgraduate degree in the subject

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I was born in Botswana, a country well known for its mines and rare earth commodities. So from living an almost nomadic life between all the mining towns in the country (due to my mother’s work within the various mines) this set the course for what I thought would be my life plan. I studied Mining Engineering as an undergraduate to be a mining engineer and go work in a mine-but it was then that I was introduced to Geotechnical Engineering. I fell in love! Geotechnical Engineering was the technical side that I felt that I had been missing. Mining was more about people and resource management, more theory than a “hands on approach”. I began researching the subject as a career and every coursework I undertook, I made sure to make it geotechnically aligned. I learnt that by studying Geotechnical Engineering at a higher level it could open doors that I had never cast my mind upon due to its niche nature.

It has only been a few months in and I am still astounded by the options and directions that my career path can take. At the end of my postgraduate degree I could go immediately into consultancy-which is an umbrella word in its own right as no one company seems to do the same thing! I could go back and work in those mines I grew up around but in a more specialised capacity; mining engineers are a dime a dozen but geotechnical engineers are a worth their weight in gold! At the end of the day I have a secret hope to be a lecturer… so I’m playing around with the idea of going into a PhD after this degree. To say that studying in Newcastle has broadened my horizons would be an understatement. I have never been more surrounded by information or help and guidance to pursue any future that I prefer. I chose Newcastle University only knowing how great their module choices were but it has been more than that since being here; I see the growth of my soft skills as much as my technical skills, I have met members and employees of companies and organisations that I now aspire to be a part of… My career path was never set in stone but it is here that I believe that I began the first steps.

Why I chose to study MSc Geotechnical Engineering

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Gaby Vicarey, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering, writes about her passion for the subject and what she hopes to achieve after completing her postgraduate degree

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During secondary school and sixth form I really enjoyed geography lessons, so much so I decided to pursue it at University. Although, I preferred to only continue with physical geography rather than human geography, as I enjoy the more scientific approach to the discipline. Thus, when looking for undergraduate university courses I decided to complete a joint honours BSc in Physical Geography and Geology. Until then I had never studied geology and didn’t know what to expect, at first it was tough but later in the course I started to enjoy it which made it easier to study. By the time, I came to complete the course in 2015 geology became the subject I enjoyed the most and had the best grades in.

Originally, I wanted to go straight into industry once graduating, however the companies I applied for stated that I required more experience and a master’s qualification. As a result through recommendations from a friend, I decided to attend an open day at Newcastle University.

Whilst at the open day I found out that the university was ranked within the top 1% of global institutions, 16th in the world for global research power and 80% of students went into work 6 months after graduating.

In addition, whilst there I spoke with staff about the MSc in Engineering Geology degree programme, which my friend from my undergraduate degree spoke highly of. They stated how this programme would be able to provide me with the specialist technical skills and industrial knowledge which are paramount to having a career in engineering geology. Furthermore, throughout the course several professionals from the industry give guest lectures on techniques and industrial codes of practice, these are sessions designed to benefit not only our education but it also allows us to ask questions about companies, specific jobs and how you would apply for them.

The combination of the university’s reputation, the course specification and guest lectures, prompted my decision to apply for the programme starting September 2016.

Whilst here I have been able to consider a variety of options for my future career, often fluctuating between working within the industry and going into academia. I have been able to discuss with staff about these options and decide what my next steps will be. Resulting in me deciding to become a teacher, as I would like to stimulate and encourage young people into considering an enjoyable and educational geological career.

Being at Newcastle has helped me realise my potential, as I have been able to work alongside students and lecturers to develop my communication, leading and organisational skills to run group sessions and be a valuable member of the student-staff committee.

My experience so far…

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Gaby Vicarey, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering, writes about her experience so far as a postgraduate student at Newcastle University

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I believe that Newcastle itself is a very welcoming city, there are a lot of cultures here and recreational areas where people can get together and have a good time. The University is in the town centre making it very easy to just walk into town and do something, like going to the cinema or watching the football. This nice relaxed attitude spreads throughout the university as well. There are plenty of opportunities across the campus to spend time with people on your course or just any one in general. It is very easy to meet other students on your course as during induction week there is an ice breaker party and an orienteering session where students from all courses are mixed to complete several tasks as a team.

Personally, I have really enjoyed my time here as everyone on my course and related courses are all really pleasant and friendly. Although a large percentage of our time together is spent in the research room, we all still talk to each other and help if needed. When we finish coursework or an exam we meet up in town and have a few drinks to relax and get to know each other a bit better. It is nice to mingle every now and again outside of university.

It is a bit easier for people who live in student accommodation to mix together as they are closer, a lot of people on my course live in the same block. Whereas, myself and a few other students live in separate housing in other parts of Newcastle such as Chillingham Road, Heaton which is a popular student area as the rent prices are fair and there are a lot of shops and restaurants. Nevertheless, there isn’t much of a difference as it is easy to use the metro service which is cheap and well connected throughout the whole of Newcastle. For example from Chillingham road to the university on foot is approximately 30 minutes whereas getting the metro will only take 10 minutes tops. Getting a metro day saver only costs £2.80 and you can visit other areas in a certain zone for the day.

Combining all this together, it has been very easy moving from home to Newcastle. If I ever need any help or someone to talk to about university work or personal matters there is always a friend on my course or an adviser from the university to help me.

Research elements of my degree – MSc Geotechnical Engineering

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Tshepo Tshambane, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering, writes about the research aspects of her degree and how it has benefited her learning experience at Newcastle University.

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In my postgraduate degree, the research aspect comes in the form of a dissertation. We are provided with over 60 open ended topics and room to add our own if we so wish. The research topics are varied in nature some involve immense field work while some are laboratory based. These topics are real world issues that in some shape or form have not been fully addressed yet and thus gives us the students, an opportunity to complete the puzzle with our own understanding, both methodically and creatively. Some of the topics given are directly from industry where a company is having a time sensitive issue such as the progressive decrease in usage of Pulverised Fuel Ash (PFA) for mine grouting, as an example, and they need to find an alternative product. The students work hand in hand with these companies, giving them the chance to come up with ground breaking solutions as well as an opportunity of work under industry conditions.

Though the research is primarily our work to demonstrate our own initiatives and the direction in which we would want the world to move to, we are supported by research active academic staff who have a strong interest in these fields. With most, the topic they have proposed stems from work they have done previously and are possibly in need of a fresh mind with a new perspective to forward the work. They guide us and offer advice from their years of knowledge and experience while giving us free reign of the project.

The way our dissertations are set up is truly enriching not only academically but also with obtaining soft skills as we learn how to work on our own initiatives and practice time management as we work with deadlines and more so our research runs alongside our normal academic schedules. We learn effective communication skills from presenting ideas we have in our heads to an audience who may or may not know what the subject entails. Our employability skills are also improved in terms of presentation and proposal writing, allowing us to gain specialist knowledge and the ability to decide what is relevant or not. I have truly enjoying this process, the research here is both challenging and eye opening, it prepares us well for life after graduation; both in industry and when pursuing a PhD.

Celebrating International Women in Engineering Day 2017

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Tshepo Tshambane, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering, writes about what its like being a female engineer in a male dominated field and gives advice to young women interested in pursuing a career in STEM.

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I think as a female engineer in a male dominated field I have always felt or anticipated that I would feel intimidated at times but I have never let that stop me from studying/working in a field that I have grown to love. With women like Bridgette Radebe – the first black South African deep level, hard rock mining entrepreneur, Claire Carr and Kate Hall who are listed under ’35 under 35’ both from the civil engineering sector or Dervilla Mitchell who lead one of the largest construction projects in Europe once upon a time, Heathrow’s Terminal 5- women who are achieving what was once considered unimaginable there truly is never a shortage of female inspiration and definitely plenty of room for more in engineering and its related fields.

Having studied Mining Engineering at undergraduate level and now Geotechnical Engineering at Master’s level I can say that there has been a positive change to the ratio of female students to our male counterparts in the lecture room; 1 in 10 and 1 to 5 respectively-not by a skyrocketing change but a change nonetheless. A study in the US once indicated that there was approximately only 11% of women studying geotechnical engineering compared to 15-17% in structural engineering for example. I would like to say that I am not disheartened by these statistics, to me they say “Hey, at least WE ARE THERE!”. Of course more can be done to increase these figures, not only by us women but by men too! We can encourage young girls to think bigger and not be afraid of what they can accomplish, especially in areas that have never been touched by a female hand.

During my time I have come across numerous organisations that encourage women to be a part of the science and engineering world. Through Newcastle University I was able to become a member of Women in Science and Engineering (WISE). WISE does what is says on the tin; it is a “campaign that promotes women in science, technology and engineering” through the sharing of events, training courses and advertising of STEM roles … a true platform that boosts women interaction and inspiration in the world of engineering. Newcastle University has and continues to receive prestigious Athena SWAN awards. The University’s School of Civil Engineering (CEG) received a Bronze Award status for their efforts in creating one of the largest diverse academic units in the United Kingdom. Studying under such a dedicated body has inspired me to not be discouraged at being one of two or three female classmates but to fortify my own efforts to be successful and inspire others.