Ekaterina Gurskaia

What subjects did you study before applying for study at university?

I studied a broad range of subjects back at school in Russia. I had to complete a foundation year in London where I took Academic English, Engineering Science, Physics, Advanced Mathematics and Statistics and Mathematics for Computing and Science.

What motivated you to pursue studies at university?

I really wanted to deepen my knowledge of the topics, and gain experience in labs as it is essential for being successful in my field. The ‘Engineering Science’ module is very interesting because it gives you the basis of physics needed to learn other subjects.

Practical experience is essential in any engineering course because it means in the future I will be able to solve real life problems. I like the fact that all the content we learn during labs will be needed in our future careers.

For example, we have found out how to use specialist equipment such as Solid Works which is for 3D modeling or Arduino boards for microcontroller programming.

How are you finding studying in the UK?

It is very exciting! I had to adapt during my foundation year, which has made it easier now. I have made many friends who also speak Russian, so I don’t feel homesick. My favourite aspect of learning in London is getting to work in groups and use my creative and critical thinking skills.

How are you funding your studies – did you secure any financial support?

I got a Progressional Scholarships due to achievements during my foundation year.

What has been your favourite module or aspect of your course so far?

It’s hard for me to say because I have a few favourites! I love the Anatomy and Physiology module because the information is very interesting and tutorials are super interactive! Usually we solve multiple choice questions together and then we have an ice breakers in the teams.

I also love the Therodynamics module, I like it because of its real-life applications. We get to discuss the work and process in fridges and steam cookers. I like that we have to understand the content.

What opportunities and experiences has The School of Science & Technology offered you so far?

I am part of the Hackathon and an Engineering Design Project. The Hackathon is a 2-day competition for first year engineering students. We had to come up with an idea for a device which would exist in 50 years' time. It was challenging because we had to create something new and unique, but still realistic.

We were given 6 categories: healthcare wearables, fridges, drones, energy, roads and future houses. My group and I worked together and understood the social impact of the devices you can create as an engineer.

What knowledge and skills has your course helped you develop?

My course has helped me develop team building skills because of the Hackathon events and project design. Big engineering problems cannot be solved by one person, it is more productive when everybody works on assigned parts of the work.

Team building also allows you to seek advice from more experienced peers which increases the understanding of the topic.

I have also learnt how to construct simple circuits in the lab. In this exercise I had to prove the theory given to me during lectures. It seemed very difficult in the beginning but it is important to ask questions and get help!

What are your career plans and how has City St George's prepared you for them?

I will definitely work in my field. City St George's has a module called ‘Engineer in Society’ which offers employability lessons. In that module, I was taught what qualities I should develop for my future career, for example, commercial awareness, teamwork, organisation, problem solving. I was also taught how to conduct video interviews.

Additionally, I was given information about building my CV and they provided me with resources to do so.

They made sure we understood engineering values such as sustainability, positive social impact and others. We even had to conduct SWOT analysis together in groups. I believe I will be more confident when searching for a job.