The Birmingham University Chemical Engineering Society (BUCES) is an extremely active society at UoB and is definitely worth checking out for those who study Chemical Engineering! Many different events are organised throughout the year, ranging from social to industrial, sporting and charity events. It’s a great way of forming relationships for first year students who are new and are seeking to make new friendships, in addition to meeting those in the upper years who can support your academic progress.
There are industrial visits throughout the year organised to allow students to visit various sites, particularly the industries they are considering for work experience and internships. The industrial dinner is definitely a great way to meet prospective employers and build relationships that could support you in your decision making and application process. Careers talks are also held on a few occasions throughout the year, and in many cases students from UoB undertaking their year in industry or internship share their experiences in such events. Mock assessment centres and CV checks are also scheduled throughout the year to allow students professional practice exercises that will help them for the real thing. In addition, PASS, a peer assessment scheme where students are paired up with those in the upper years and are given the opportunity to receive academic support, is a great initiative that relieves a lot of stress.
In terms of social events, Frank Morton sports day is definitely an event to look forward to. The competition is held annually between various chemical engineering departments in universities across the UK, in which UoB has won four times in the past four years! It promises a time of great fun and sports with your friends. There are a lot of charity activities that take place, such as horse racing and marathons to raise money for various charities such as Children’s Hospices. There are other social events and quiz nights held on a regular basis by the society, enabling students to get together both inside and outside of university.
In addition, a society recently established in UoB that is quite popular among the chemical engineers is Cameroon Catalyst, a student-led international development charity focused on promoting sustainable development in the Eastern region of Cameroon. The society actively allows students to take part in it, whether it’s in the form of fundraising to build the necessary infrastructure in Cameroon or carrying out the engineering calculations that allows building the infrastructure in place. The members of the society gather every Thursday evening to discuss their plans and latest updates!
There are loads of events you can take part in, whether it’s just a regular social, a charity fundraiser or academic and career related support. There really is something for everyone and it is definitely worth checking out!