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Writing the presentation<\/h2>\n
As any final year student can attest to, free time isn\u2019t something you\u2019re afforded a lot of. And especially not while studying an engineering degree and maintaining part-time employment. Despite this, any minute I could find was spent brainstorming and writing what I hoped would be an engaging and intellectually stimulating presentation. My department was incredibly supportive throughout this; I had help with anything I was unsure about, and we were even offered additional funding for anything we wanted to add. As part of the presentation, I wanted to highlight the possibilities an engineering degree offers, for which the careers department were indispensable. We wanted to conclude with Dr Bull\u2019s design for a portable wind tunnel, an excellent practical demonstration of the work of an aerospace engineer.<\/p>\n
Presentation day arrives!<\/h2>\n
With everything ready to go, the final steps were polishing the patter and adding the finishing touches to the slides. Dr Bull and I had planned to present together, playing to our strengths to give the best presentation possible. But due to unforeseen circumstances, I ended up fully taking the reins. However, if the cadets taught me anything, it was to take challenges in stride and persevere through adversity [1]<\/a>. Thankfully, everything went as planned, and the presentation was very well received by all those involved.<\/p>\n After my experience, I am eager to continue my involvement in this project. I feel promoting degrees in the sciences, especially to younger audiences, is an incredibly important process and deserves wider exposure. After the presentation, the cadets were open to future outreach opportunities and the possibility of building a stronger rapport with the University. I also aim to extend the reach of the project to more squadrons, such as those in the Bristol area.<\/p>\n For others looking to take inspiration and promote their interests, I feel it is important to convey what I learned from my experiences. Firstly, my department was very upfront and supportive of the entire process. They gave me complete creative freedom of the content I wished to include and were able to educate me in the correct prose and presentation style expected from professionals. While it was a daunting task, as I hadn't presented in person outside of mandatory assignments since pre-COVID, the squadron was very welcoming and hospitable, helping to ease my nerves. The cadets themselves were very engaged, asking many excellent questions about a range of topics, and getting heavily involved in the logic puzzles. Overall, it was a terrific experience and helped me appreciate further the outreach process. It was certainly an excellent exercise in developing my presentation and interpersonal skills, as well as allowing me to further cement my fundamental knowledge of my chosen discipline.<\/p>\n I would personally like to give thanks to Dr Sam Bull for helping coach me through the process; I certainly wouldn\u2019t have been able to do this without him. I\u2019d also like to thank 93 (City of Bath) Squadron for being so hospitable and open to the opportunity we presented them with.<\/p>\nWhere to next?<\/h2>\n
What I learned from my experience<\/h2>\n