Katie Purves has big ambitions. After she completes her degree, she wants to complete a master’s and then begin her career as a chartered engineer.
Her interest in the University of Greenwich was sparked after her sister started a course there. She was also inspired by her father, who was an engineer in the army.
Katie’s accredited course encourages students to leave as graduates, industry-ready, with practical and entrepreneurial skills.
I really like how practical my subject is. We have a lot of lab time which shows us about materials, their properties and their uses. After each practical session, I write a lab report which helps further develop my understanding of the session.
In Year 1, the modules of her course are centred around design and materials, mechanical properties, engineering principles and technology mathematics. “The course tells us about renewable energy, electric cars and ways to change how you think. Mechanical engineering technology helps to develop the world by innovating new concepts.”
People who study her course “go into careers that really help to develop the world by innovating how we do things and how we think.”
Busy and varied student life
Katie decided to apply to the university as a student ambassador. The role has given her a pathway into getting to know more people on campus, making new friends, learning useful skills, and earning money while she learns.
Some of the roles she has undertaken include being a Covid-Safe Ambassador and ensuring that safety measures were being followed. She also was given the opportunity to assist in the university's laboratories, investigating learning techniques, which was a role she found enjoyable and insightful.
She has enjoyed learning on the Medway Campus. “It was an ideal place for me to study as I could easily commute from home, and it has excellent engineering facilities such as the laboratories.” She also appreciates the campus’ proximity to the Dockside Shopping Centre. “It’s really helpful to have a break there after a long study session.”
Has Covid affected your studies?
Covid was always going to have some impact on the social aspects of university life and Katie is looking forward to joining in with more university clubs and societies. The student union at Medway has an ever evolving choice of student activities and lots of great initiatives coming up in the near future.
Blended learning was also a big part of Katie’s first year university experience. She adjusted well and felt a benefit to sessions that were recorded, as she could choose to rewind and take more detailed notes if necessary. She found her tutors were supportive and made the blended learning experience as straightforward as possible.
“The tutors are very passionate about the subjects they are teaching, as well as caring about us as students. This helps us with our own learning too, as it’s a great motivator.”
