Theo became one of our Rochester Bridge Trust Arkwright Engineering Scholars in 2016, and we’re pleased to see how far he has come in that time.
My time as a Rochester Bridge Trust Arkwright Engineering Scholar has been a brilliant learning experience. The opportunities to visit so many different engineering projects have really broadened my appreciation for and understanding of the field. I’m grateful for the experience.
The scholarship ran for the two years of my A-levels. When it came to my subjects, I really enjoyed studying Further Maths, in particular the extra depth it gave to my other subjects and for the skills it taught me, which were interesting and useful in and of themselves. Studying modular mathematics gave me a focus, enabling me to hone in on my personal interests.
During this time I was also fortunate to hear about the UK Space Design Competition, via the Arkwright newsletter. The UKSDC gave me the opportunity to put my computer aided design skills (CAD) into practice and to explore the engineering fields that interest me. Despite what I thought was a disappointing end to my first year in the competition, I was asked to be a part of the EU team competing in the international finals at NASA in Florida.
I’m now looking forward to starting my four-year course towards an MEng in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London.
When it came to applying to university, I found preparation to be vital. Being ahead of all the deadlines puts you in a much better position to fine tune your application and present a picture of yourself that you are proud of.
The personal statement is hard to write but even harder if you have nothing to say! Universities want to see evidence of your passion for the subject, so get some experience under your belt to do just that. You’ll know if it’s the right course for you if you enjoy creating that portfolio for your application. Finally, be certain of what you want to do and make sure the course you are applying for does exactly that. When I was researching university courses I realised my interests lay in a different branch of engineering to where I’d originally thought.
I had originally applied to a different university, but the more I experienced the application process – in particular during my university interviews – the more I was drawn to Imperial. It felt like they were really interested in me and my personal statement, tailoring the interview to the course. If you take the time to think about what you really want to study and achieve then a decision about your course will immediately start to feel right.
Read about the start of Theo’s journey into engineering here.