Keren Dunn

What inspired you to study your subject?

I’ve always been quite good at maths and physics and enjoy practical work, and mechanical engineering allowed me to combine all these aspects. The MEng Mechanical Engineering at Surrey includes three group projects where you can apply what you’ve learned to solve engineering problems.

What were the best things about studying at Surrey?

Life at Surrey is made very easy by having everything within walking distance of the campus including a big Tesco, Guildford town centre and the train station. Surrey Sports Park is a really good training facility close to the campus, which is well kitted out with gyms, training pitches and courts, and a swimming pool.

The most enjoyable aspect of the course for me has been the relaxed and informal atmosphere in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, as well as the quality of the teaching. The academic staff are all experts in their field and always happy to answer questions or explain any lecture content in more detail.

What did you get involved in outside of your course?

I joined Team Surrey Weightlifting as a powerlifter in my final year. The club had great access to additional facilities for training and gave me access to coaching and training programmes which allowed me to improve in the sport. I also met a whole group of new people who are now good friends of mine.

I also worked part-time as a waitress and bartender during my second and third years to help pay for my studies which required careful time planning to ensure I kept up with my coursework and deadlines, but allowed me to meet people and make friends outside of university.

Did you go on Professional Training placement? If so, what were the highlights of your experience?

Yes, I did a Professional Training year with the Home Office’s Centre for Applied Science and Technology. I found this opportunity through the Department’s Professional Training support team, thought it sounded interesting and varied, so applied.

On placement I was based within the Explosion and Ballistic Protection team, where I got involved in a number of different projects including assisting at live blast trials, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling of blast scenarios, and developing physical models for testing police body armour.

All the work I did on placement contributed towards the safety and security of UK residents, which made all those early starts a little bit easier! I’m also proud to have received a certificate of gratitude from the head of the organisation for my contributions to one of the projects I worked on.

Do you think you’ve changed since coming to Surrey?

My time at Surrey has allowed me to become more independent, managing my time to make sure I’m keeping up with course commitments but also enjoying my university experience by taking time off and going out with friends.

Discover our courses in mechanical engineering sciences, including our BEng (Hons)/MEng Mechanical Engineering.