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MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development

global challenges, engineering solutions
 

Micah, MPhil Engineering for Sustainable Development

 

The alarm went off at 6.10 am this morning. I hit snooze at least once, before finally putting my feet on the floor – was up late last night in the Wychfield computer lab finishing an assignment that is due today. After quickly toasting a bagel, I madly cycle over to the boat house (eating the bagel on the way) and arrive just in time to start core strength exercises with my rowing crew at 7 am. We are on the water by 7.20 and have a solid outing on the Cam, working on our timing. By 8.30, we are off the water and I head to main site to catch the end of breakfast in Hall.

Fantastic lecture on government and technology policy that sparks a post class debate with a couple classmates"

I have about an hour's gap before the first lecture of the day, so head to the Jerwood Library to reread my assignment and do some minor edits before printing it off. Race off on my bike again to the department to hand it in (due at noon, but I will be in class) and grab a coffee (in my reusable mug of course!) before my 10 am lecture on Development Engineering, a core course for my programme.

When that finishes two hours later, run to grab a sandwich from the canteen to take with me to the next class just down the street in the Judge Business School. Fantastic lecture on government and technology policy that sparks a post-class debate with a couple classmates, making me late for the Practitioners Viewpoint seminar at 2 pm.. oops! This afternoon we heard from a senior manager of an infrastucture engineering company, talking about sustainability and change management. Next week we are on a site visit to the operator of the UK's electricity grid, so we receive a quick briefing on the logistical details.

4 pm has rolled around, so I head to the MCR to grab a tea and some cake (courtesy of the MCR welfare officers, who organise cake once every two weeks or so). While there, I check the MCR closet to see what our stock of wine, mixers and alcohol looks like, as I am one of the Ents Officers (entertainment events) and we have a cocktail social for MCR members coming up this Saturday night – need to make sure we don't run out!

I catch up on some news with the free newspapers in the MCR and enter into a lively political discussion with some other MCR members"

I catch up on some news with the free newspapers in the MCR and enter into a lively political discussion with some other MCR members before heading off to a Management of Technology Innovation lecture at 6 pm - brutal time for a lecture, but apparently the only time the lecture can be common with the different programmes that are involved in the MOTI programme. I make some arrangements with my group to meet on Saturday to work on our MOTI consulting project, as we need to deliver some results to our external client early next week. I can't stay for the whole lecture (so much to do at Cambridge!), so I dart out at the break to meet some people from CU-TV to complete some technical training on the cameras, one of the many extra-curricular activities I signed up for at the Freshers' Fair!

After the training, I head over to a friend's house to discuss with some classmates a project we are preparing for an external case competition – luckily, I arrive just in time for home-made dinner. We write up a project plan and discuss some of the issues in the case, before I head home at about midnight – I need to get to bed early as tomorrow night is Grad Hall formal, and a good number of us will likely be heading out to a club (in formal gear!) after post-dinner port. However, one of my flat mates was in our kitchen when I arrived home; we have been so busy lately that we haven't seen each other in days, so we have a cup of tea and catch up. My head finally hit the pillow at just after 1 am...  alarm goes off in 6.5 hours!