My Cranfield MSc – From Spain to England, my experience so far

Enara Martin is a Spanish student studying Computational and Software Techniques in Engineering MSc at Cranfield University. She was also the recipient of the ‘Promoting Women in STEM Award’ in 2020.

One of the things that attracted me to study Cranfield University was its remarkable history in aerospace development and research. The university counts outstanding facilities and extremely qualified researchers in the engineering field. For this matter, joining Cranfield University was a challenge at the same time as being an unbelievable opportunity to develop both my engineering and personal skills.

I was also lucky enough to be awarded the Promoting Women in STEM award of £1,000 for Cranfield University. This was not only a great honour and a huge help towards funding my studies, but it also increased my motivation for the master’s degree.

The first thing I found at the university was an extraordinary human attention that totally covered the expectations I had, the warmth in the treatment, the expeditiousness in solving a need or dealing with the doubt that arises. This positivity allowed me to really focus on my studies.

Although Covid-19 meant there were restrictions in place during my studies, I was lucky enough to attend the face-to-face classes in November. However, I must mention that the modules we studied by distance learning were very effective, as the teachers are very approachable, have excellent teaching skills and are accessible through different means of communication. The supervision of the teachers has been motivating and stimulating to maintain participation throughout the course. I would highlight the lectures given by Professor Stephen Carver, who managed to capture my attention, conveying to me his passion for his work and which has sparked my interest towards management for the first time.

The course had the perfect balance between self-paced learning and lectures. In this sense, the course is well organised, as the theoretical concepts learned throughout the modules are then applied during practical sessions. Additionally, the programme is very flexible in terms of problem-solving. Since the start, guidance has been provided to explore different strategies to approach the same problem.

By sharing lectures and carrying out projects with diverse multinational colleagues possessing different specialities, I got to know part of their culture, tackled issues from different perspectives and learned new working methodologies. I enjoy working with cross-functional and multilingual teams, which allows me to broaden my knowledge in areas outside my expertise. These are some of the experiences and challenges I have faced during my stay in Cranfield and which I have been able to overcome, learn, value, and enjoy.

During my studies, I have embarked on side projects to challenge myself outside my comfort zone. Recently my team was shortlisted for the Unilever Innovation Accelerator 2021 finals.

The skill set provided by both Cranfield and my previous university (Basque Country University) provides me with a solid foundation in engineering concepts which could be furthered with a software role within the aerospace industry.

Explore our ‘funding finder’ to browse a range of funding opportunities available to Cranfield University applicants, including awards, bursaries, and scholarships.