Farah Khoury

Why did you decide to study Civil and Structural Engineering at the University of Leeds?

Owing to my father’s profession as a Civil Engineer, I grew up in an engineering environment, influenced by and attracted to the way engineers think, act, solve problems and handle even personal issues by creative thinking. I have always been fascinated with civil related projects and a keen observer of buildings, bridges and structures. When the time came for me to decide on my future career, I came to the conclusion that my family’s engineering background, my interest in mathematics, physics and mechanics subjects at school, together with the spirit of teamwork, social intelligence and organisation skills that I consider myself in possession have directed me to Civil Engineering without hesitation.

What has been the best aspect of studying on your course and at the University and why?

I really like the way of teaching at Leeds, and how all the modules have various different methods of testing us other than written examinations; each module consists of a series of coursework and projects which in my opinion is a more practical and effective method of learning. I also got to meet people from all over the world on my course andunderstand how everyone thinks differently and have different ways of studying and approaching problems . Everyone on my course is verycooperative,helpful and they tend to help each other out when anyone is stuck with a certain aspect of academia.

Tell us about some of the exciting projects you have completed so far?

During first year we’ve done group projects in various modules including architecture and IDP. One of the first engineering projects that I worked on was the design project, where we had to design a wind farm in North York Moors, this project was intriguing and challenging. Another interesting project that I was a part of in first year was the timber truss project where we had to design and build a truss system with my tutor group that had to withstand a load of 9kN. During second year I did an individual project ‘ Designing a 5 storey building both in steel and reinforced concrete’and at the end of second year I attended the Constructionarium field trip which involved us building a scale-down version of the Ravenspurn oil rig, alongside a team of 18 other people.

Tell us about your role in the Women's Engineering Society at Leeds?

I am the Treasurer of the new Women's Engineering Society (WES) at Leeds. As a treasurer of this society I am responsible for keeping track of all the outflow and inflow of funds in the society. It is also my role to provide assistance to the president and the secretary in arranging various events throughout the upcoming year and make sure all the members of the society are having an enriching experience . Personally I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to become the treasurer and one of the pioneering members of WES as I believe it will be great platform for women in all engineering fields in Leeds and will give the chance to gain more exposure and contacts for their future prospects.

What does Leeds as a city have to offer students?

Leeds is a vibrant city with a great nightlife. It offers a huge variety of restaurants, clubs, pubs and shopping malls. There's always something going on. Another major benefit is its link to other big cities making it easy to visit friends at other universities.

What are your ambitions for the future?

My goal for the future is to become a Chartered Civil Engineer.

What Experiences at Leeds do you think will help you in your future career?

The Faculty of Engineering guides you towards your future career, from the employability team to the lecturers, everyone is willing to help, with their assistance I managed to secure an internship this summer. I have already learnt so much and I've been able apply all I have learnt so far and build my knowledge. I gained an understanding of industry and I got to experience what it's like to work in an office.