Electrical and Automotive Engineering

The University of Huddersfield is a hotbed for Electrical Engineering, attracting students from all over the world. We recently caught up with Waddah Alsaid, who is originally from Jordan in the Middle East, and previously studied at the prestigious College of the North Atlantic – Qatar. He came to Huddersfield to do a bachelor's degree top up course to gain his BEng (Hons) in Electronic & Electrical Engineering, and after achieving an Upper Second with honours, Waddah decided to stay on at the University of Huddersfield and progressed on to our MSc in Electronic & Automotive Engineering course. Check out the interview below. 

 

Why did you choose to study at Huddersfield and move from the Middle East to the UK?

I always wanted to study in the UK because of the good reputation and level of education in England. The UK is very attractive generally because of the post-study work visa, but from an engineering point of view there are no car manufacturers based in the Middle East, the UK has more opportunities. So my degree has more use in the UK, if I can’t get a job in the UK after graduating, I may look at other countries such as USA or Canada, but I’d prefer to stay in the UK.

I decided on Huddersfield for a few reasons, I had many friends that graduated from here and they had a lot of praise for the University of Huddersfield and advised me to study here. 

Another reason I chose Huddersfield was because of the course, I’ve always had an interest in electrical engineering and vehicles. When looking for courses I did a lot of research and this course at Huddersfield stood out with excellent facilities, teaching quality and student experience but I think the main thing that attracted me was Huddersfield’s excellent job prospects, 94% of students find a job in their desired industry within fifteen months. 

 

Why did you choose Electrical Engineering? 

I believe in 10-15 years, they won't manufacturer cars like they do today, there won’t be so many with combustion engines. So, I thought to myself, I need to focus more on electric vehicles, that’s the future. 

I also really enjoy doing calculations, and learning about programming engines. 

 

Was applying to the University easy? 

Yes, because it was during the global pandemic, I expected more difficulties, but it was straightforward. I used an agent and the team at Huddersfield were available if needed, after my application I was invited to webinars and drop-in sessions hosted by the university International Office to give me advice on my next steps. Overall, it was very smooth and I was well informed which helped me organise myself. 

 

You came from a good school in Qatar, what are the differences with a UK university and CNAQ in Qatar? 

There was a bit of an educational culture shock and I struggled a bit at first. The teaching style and modules were different to what I had previously experienced. Studying at the College of the North Atlantic in Qatar the focus is on practical work, but not much about theory. 

Luckily, the staff and lecturers here at Huddersfield are great and they helped me a lot. I did a lot of reading as advised by the lectures who gave me some books, articles and research papers about electronic engineering. I think in the UK you are left to think about things and work them out for yourself so you really learn a lot about the subject then if you have difficult questions, you can ask your tutor. But I like the fact here, they're trying to train me and other students to be independent in our research and approaching things and not just consuming what's in front of you. I think they spoon-feed students much more in Qatar. 

Have you settled into life in the UK? 

Yeah, I’m settled here, I have been to the UK many times before I studied here, my sister lives in London, who I visited and already had some knowledge about the life here in the UK, so I found it quite easy to move from Qatar to UK. 

I prefer Huddersfield over London, life is simpler here as it’s much smaller, London is busy. However, the Huddersfield and Yorkshire accent is more difficult to understand than the London accent, but I am used to it now. 

My brother is also here in Huddersfield now, I also have a good group of friends around Huddersfield now, many from the UK but also from other countries around the world such as China, India, and Pakistan. 

 

What do you do in your spare time around Huddersfield? 

When I’m not studying I do enjoy relaxing playing on the PS5 and electronic gaming in general.  I often go out to many of the great restaurants in Huddersfield with friends. Sometimes we explore other towns and cities as Huddersfield has good transport links we often get the train to Leeds or Manchester. One of my favourite trips was a trip to Manchester to see the Concorde as I’m interested in planes and all types of engineering.  

I also love the greenery around Huddersfield, it is hugely different to Qatar which is mostly desert, so not much greenery or countryside. 

And finally, what are your top tips for future international students? 

My first tip would learn to be independent, that is how you really grow and learn. Secondly, I’d say make the most of all the excellent facilities, support and events that happen at university, this is an effective way to make the most of your time here. Finally, just enjoy yourself, you will get lots of great opportunities both academically and socially while studying at Huddersfield, make the most of these.