“Being a Solar Team member is lots of fun and very educational."
After three years of studying, I decided to take a break. I wanted to join the Solar Team, as working on the Solar Car seemed like a lot of fun. The application process was intense: I had to take IQ tests, personality tests and complete a case.
Solar Team Twente
Solar Team Twente is a team of twenty motivated UT and Saxion students, all with different backgrounds. Every discipline is important and it’s the combination of different academic disciplines that allows us to build the car. We all want to win, so we push ourselves and each other to the limit. This year, we have a better chance of winning than ever before. Last year we came in second, we were only three minutes behind Delft. What are three minutes at a distance of 3,000 kilometres? We really have become top competitors. We work with 180 partners, and working with these companies is a great learning experience and a way to establish a large network. I am definitely not doing this to boost my CV, I am doing this because I love it and because I’m learning a lot. I’m sure the experience will look great on my CV, though.
Responsibilities
This year, we’re designing and building a completely new car, that makes optimal use of solar energy. A really great challenge. My job is to focus on aerodynamics and strategy. We are designing the outside of the car to create as little air resistance as possible, which means optimal aerodynamics. I also work on strategy, meaning that I’m working on a model that determines the optimal speed for the amount of sunshine on a given day. Last year’s model worked pretty well, but there is always room for improvement.
Theory in practice
My degree programme has been extremely useful to me in this role on the solar team. I’m applying what I learned in practice. Everything I learned during my minor in Aircraft Engineering can be applied here in the design of the car’s aerodynamics. As a member of the Solar Team, I am mainly learning how to put theoretical knowledge into practice. I have realised that it is easy to dream up great theories, but they are sometimes extremely difficult or even impossible to implement in practice. There are time constraints, things have to keep moving along and you have to make practical choices sometimes.
Experience
With all the experience I gained during my studies, I have learned a lot. As a first-year student, I organised a trip across Europe for members of Astatine, the Advanced Technology study association. I also worked as a student assistant in first-year courses for two years, supervising students during practicals and project groups for example. I also enrolled in an excellence programme. This provided me with the opportunity to further challenge and develop my knowledge and skills with the help of scientists and coaches. During my third year, I became a part-time chairman of the Astatine study association and I acquired organisational skills, learned to give presentations, hold meetings, and work together with others. Our hard work and enthusiasm have allowed us all to obtain all of our course credits during the part-time committee year. Our entire board even received the More Than A Degree Award for the best part-time board. I also came in second as the most active student in the second-year and above category.
Advanced Technology
There are lots of things I find interesting, so I decided to enrol in the multidisciplinary Bachelor’s in Advanced Technology. You take both science and engineering courses; lots of science and chemistry, but mechanical engineering and electrical engineering courses too. Research courses, nanotechnology and even industrial engineering and management courses are also part of the programme. Third-year students can choose subjects in their area of preference, to prepare them for a master’s in that field. Because of my interest in robotics, I decided to do my Bachelor’s assignment at Robird – the famous robotic falcon designed several years ago that is now taking over the world. The robot bird mimics the flight of the peregrine falcon to scare birds away in a natural fashion.
Future
When I finish my studies, I would like to enter the world of business. I’m considering consultancy because I would like to be able to solve a wide variety of technological problems, which would make my job very interesting and diverse. I think I would also really enjoy starting my own business. The University of Twente offers support to would-be entrepreneurs in a number of ways. I’m not sure yet if I want to stay in the Netherlands, I might want to work abroad!
University of Twente
The great atmosphere at the University of Twente was the deciding factor in my decision to study there. I love it here so much, I even live on campus, and I get on really well with my flatmates. We have dinner together, do tons of fun stuff, and we even go on skiing trips together."