Biomedical Engineering at Aston

Why did you choose to study at Aston University?

I initially chose to apply to Aston University due to the atmosphere, small campus, and proximity to the city centre. This combination is perfect for everyday life.
 
How would you describe the community here?

I would describe the community here at Aston to be very helpful and friendly. As a result, it is very easy to fit in and get comfortable, especially at the start of term where you might not know anyone. Everyone gets along and really understands the term teamwork including helping each other understand content or labs/tutorials. There is always something to do or someone to chat to if needed with the many services provided such as the HUB, LDC and students union. In particular during first year, the student’s union is a great way to expose yourself to this integrated community as there will be many activities to participate in to create likeminded friends.
 
What drew you to study Biomedical Engineering?

I initially chose to apply to biomedical engineering due to the course outline and modules provided by Aston. I felt that the modules being taught were a great cohesion of both the software and theory (biology) aspect which is essential within biomedical engineering. Also, the course is designed to be interactive with the opportunity to learn with a range of teaching methods and learning styles.
 
 Are you involved in any extracurricular activities?

Throughout my time at university, I have been a part of many societies such as WEST (Women in Engineering, Science and Technology), biomedical engineering and Aston badminton society. I found this to be a great way to unwind, create likeminded friends and take a break from lectures, especially if any talks/activities were hosted in between lectures in the middle of the day. Becoming a member of the WEST society and attending talks exposed me to what engineering would be like post university. During my 2nd year I was able to become secretary as part of the committee member for Aston Punjabi Society. This allowed me to improve my communication and time management skills as I had to ensure any tasks required for the society were done, alongside completing any university work and working at my job.
 
What has been the most rewarding/interesting project you have worked on and why?

The most rewarding project I have worked on is my 3rd year project. My project consisted of the manufacture and design of flexible bone plates for proximal humerus fractures. 
 
Within the biomedical engineering industry, I am particularly interested in prosthetics. During 3rd year Aston provided a large range of projects so it was great to be able to choose and undergo a project of interest and observe the progress from start to finish, ending with a final 3D printed product. 
 
 What advice would you give to other students looking to study Biomedical Engineering?

My main advice would be although first year doesn’t count towards your final degree classification, ensure all content including labs/tutorials are understood. This is because first year knowledge especially would be the foundation for any new learning in the upcoming years. Also, all the modules within this course link to each other so it would be useful to thoroughly understand first year to help in second and third year. During first year there is a lot more time to spend on extracurricular activities/take part in societies such as CAD society. CAD society can help expand your skills in software that are learnt in first year such as LabVIEW and Arduino and even allows you to learn new software that would be used in the upcoming years such as FEA. 
 
How has the course prepared you for your future career?

With the support of the University careers service, Aston provides the biomedical engineering course with an option of an internship, work placement or employment within the master’s year but also after second year. Therefore, it pushes you to aim for 2:2 or above to qualify. This allows you expand your knowledge in your chosen future career option before graduating. This is also aided with the many links Aston has with different companies helping expand your knowledge and experience in many different fields.