Petra is a 4th year BEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering student. As part of her studies, she completed a one-year long placement at ASOS.
What were you doing before you came to study at City?
Before coming to City, I was studying at an American High School in Surrey taking five advanced placement classes in Physics, Calculus, 2D Art, Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. I was also studying Japanese during my final two years of school.
Why did you decide to apply to study at City, University of London?
I wanted to do engineering, but I was unsure of which type to pursue. I applied to a variety of General Engineering or Design Engineering courses, as they were the ones that appealed to me the most. The Engineering with Management and Entrepreneurship route which my course offers had a good mix of technical modules and business-oriented modules. I did not know if I wanted to take a placement year, and at City I had the option of deciding during my second year. In the end I did do a placement year at ASOS that was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
What is your favourite thing about studying at City?
I love that I am living and studying in central London. I also like that my course, and most of the students at City, are international. Having a diverse range of people around me is something I find very important.
What kind of things are you involved in outside of your course?
One of my main hobbies is taking care of my houseplants. I also worked a part-time Web Developer and UX Designer for a start-up for several months. This was something I had always wanted to do but was not sure if I wanted it to be my full-time job. Working part-time meant I had the opportunity to gain this experience while completing my degree.
What do you plan to do after you graduate?
I have accepted a graduate role at Salesforce. Their office is in the City of London and my role will be revolving around Project Management and Technical Consulting.
What would be your top tip for our applicants?
Make sure you are applying to a course which you have the fundamentals for. As an engineer you need great skills and passion for mathematics and physics. Make sure you write a personal statement which highlights what makes you different from other candidates. It is fine if you still don’t know what you want to do with your career. My friends and I still do not really know what we are going to do with the rest of our lives and we are in our final year.
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