Check out what Matthew Howes, a final year student, has to say about studying Biomedical Engineering at Kent<\/p>\n
Initially, my course \u2013 there\u2019s only a handful of universities that offer it. Then I saw Kent was a campus university and I really liked the idea of that. I knew the facilities were great here and that they\u2019re trying to improve them every year. They spend a lot of money in the engineering and bioscience facilities. I thought it was a good fit for me.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s good and I\u2019m getting everything I want out of it. \u00a0I\u2019ve enjoyed the first two years a lot. This year, the course is challenging and they\u2019re asking a lot, but that\u2019s the way I like it; I wouldn\u2019t want it any other way, really, because this is an important year for me.\u00a0 I\u2019m trying to make sure I get everything out of it, asking the lecturers as much as I can, to make sure I\u2019m soaking up as much as I can before I finish.<\/p>\n
The lecturers are obviously very well trained in their field of study, but they\u2019re also very good at explaining it when it comes to teaching.\u00a0 For instance, with some of the more difficult topics \u2013 say, the digital processing modules where it\u2019s very abstract maths \u2013 they explain in a very relatable way using different approaches. They take account of the fact that students here have different backgrounds and have been taught in different ways prior to university.<\/p>\n
Obviously, university\u2019s not just about the course, it\u2019s an experience where you\u2019re growing as an individual as well. The School of Engineering and Digital Arts (EDA) is a nice, small community, and the seminar leaders and lecturers really look after you. I\u2019ve never had to wait more than a day to have a thorough meeting with any lecturer.<\/p>\n
The human physiology modules have been very good \u2013 I\u2019ve \u00a0just had a lecture on biomaterials, \u00a0where they\u2019re talking about cutting-edge science that\u2019s just been released. I love hearing about the latest technologies and how they can be applied. Some of the robotics modules have been interesting, too. We made an EMG prosthetic hand last year as a group project and that was very exciting; working as a group of three and finally seeing the end product work so well was very rewarding. Medical physics is a good module as well. I\u2019m interested in working with medical devices in the future, hopefully, and I\u2019ve enjoyed finding out about the science and physics engineering that\u2019s behind them.<\/p>\n
Very good, high-tech facilities, especially bioscience facilities. They\u2019ve got everything you need, and more. You\u2019ve also got opportunities to explore and experiment yourself on your own projects. I find that university isn\u2019t necessarily just about getting through the course, it\u2019s about learning for yourself, learning your craft, and if you\u2019re given the freedom to do that, you benefit from learning how you work, how to get the projects done and working out what you like doing.<\/p>\n
The engineering facilities are also very good.\u00a0 For example, yesterday we were working with CT scanner software; the industry needs people who know how to use the software so it\u2019s valuable knowledge to have.<\/p>\n
Definitely, yes, it\u2019s a small cohort \u2013 I think there were ten of us in our first year.\u00a0 We came from a wide range of backgrounds, so it was very exciting to get to know each other and meet people from the UAE, Spain, Turkey \u2026 We all help each other out a lot.<\/p>\n
Yes.\u00a0 It\u2019s almost a homely atmosphere here.\u00a0 In my first year I lived in\u00a0Eliot College<\/a>\u00a0and made some good friends there, who are my housemates now. Moving out of your home to a new city can be a daunting thing, but being on a campus within its own boundaries is very reassuring. It\u2019s surrounded by countryside, close to Canterbury city centre\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0near the beach\u00a0so you can take yourself off if you need to get out of the university bubble. You can hire bikes here and cycle to the beach at Whitstable along the Crab and Winkle Way \u2013 it\u2019s lovely on a summer\u2019s day. Canterbury is a great place to explore, as well as having lots of good restaurants on the main street.<\/p>\n I remember I joined the Psychedelic Society in first year, which was interesting, to just learn a bit about myself and the whole idea of developing yourself. Through that, I heard about a meet-up group on mindfulness and started going to that, and a few of us set up the Mindfulness Society, with help from\u00a0Kent Union<\/a>. We have a teacher who runs meditation sessions every week and it\u2019s a good outlet from work. We\u2019re starting to develop the social side now too; we\u2019ve got some debates planned and a trip to a retreat in Kent, staying in yurts.\u00a0 We\u2019ve hope we\u2019ve set solid foundations for a society that everyone can enjoy.<\/p>\n Apart from that, I joined a lacrosse team in the second year and this year I joined the football team. I definitely recommend joining a sports team if you can, even if you\u2019ve never tried it before.\u00a0 I\u2019d never played lacrosse before, but I love it, and it just adds a whole new dimension to university.<\/p>\n Yes, especially this year, because I\u2019m obviously gearing towards finding a job. The careers officer I\u2019ve worked with has been indispensable, helping me prepare for interviews and assessment centres as well as giving advice on my CV and cover letters. Summing up everything you\u2019ve done at university for a CV is hard so it\u2019s useful to have help from a professional.<\/p>\n I\u2019d like to work in medical devices, maybe prosthetic design. Luckily for me, I live near Cambridge, and there\u2019s a lot of biotech, bioengineering around there.\u00a0 I want to learn as much as I can as quick as I can. I\u2019d be happy to move abroad, too \u2013 there\u2019s a lot of biotech in California.<\/p>\n Spend as much time as can getting to know the university in advance, find out how the course is taught, visit the campus if you can, chat to students, ask questions on social media. Then, once you\u2019re here, try new things, join societies, and get to know your housemates. It\u2019s a time to develop yourself as well as studying your course.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Are you involved in any clubs or societies?<\/h4>\n
Have you used any of the University\u2019s careers and employability services?<\/h4>\n
What are you hoping to do, career-wise?<\/h4>\n
Any advice you would give somebody thinking of coming to Kent?<\/h4>\n