Ayaan M.
"Surrey makes university easy in terms of choosing what to do or what path you want to go down. I love that. Also, the Physics lecturers at Surrey ensure that you are following the course and they actively engage in your learning."
What do you like about your course and why?
I love the variety of different modules and different trajectories the university offers. I find that Surrey makes university easy in terms of choosing what to do or what path you want to go down. I love that. Also, the Physics lecturers at Surrey ensure that you are following the course and they actively engage in your learning rather than leaving you alone. This is something I personally appreciate a lot.
What do you enjoy most about Surrey?
The huge range of societies and activities on campus is like no other. I am part of the Taekwondo Society and currently captain and I absolutely love it. It is so important to me, and I am forever grateful that Surrey has a wide range of sports.
Also, Surrey has an incredibly large Islamic Society, ISOC, which I personally engage with quite a lot and ISOC and religion at Surrey has drastically changed my life for the better and I am forever grateful for that. The campus is amazing, I love the multiple cafes and coffee shops around university, and the lake is absolutely stunning. My favourite! Surrey also offers a bunch of Halal friendly food which really makes life a lot easier, so I am also grateful for this.
If you've completed a professional training placement, what did this involve and what were the highlights?
"I worked at Surrey Space Centre under the supervision of Dr. Noelia Noel as an Astronomy Researcher, partaking in a project that involves mitigating light pollution from satellites and preserving the night skies."
My role was to simulate an orbit for JOVIAN-1, a satellite to be launched in 2026, using NASA'S General Mission Analysis Tool, whilst getting assistance from PhD Student, Astha.
I researched, read several papers and networked a lot throughout my placement, ensuring I get the full experience of a formal researcher. This project was incredibly insightful, and I loved every part of it. I am planning on continuing the project for my dissertation and possibly something to consider in the future.
What do you want to do when you graduate?
I am still actively thinking about what I want to do, but I want to ensure whatever I do is future proof. I would like to work with data, explore into finance, banking or data analysis. This is open to change, but I would want to go straight into work rather than pursue a Masters.
What advice would you give to students thinking of studying your course?
My biggest advice, and I say this very often to others, is to stay in touch with your lecturers!!!
"My lecturers helped me tremendously you have no idea. They got me incredible opportunities that I thought I would never get, and they genuinely wanted me to succeed so badly."
And this only stemmed from me staying after class for 5 minutes for a chat or sending that email across. Please Please Please get in contact with your lecturers, it changed my life!
