Portraits of MSc students: they tell us about their first months on campus and the choice of ISAE-SUPAERO

Inês
Amelia
Jacob

Inês

Inês, first-year student of the MSc In Aerospace Engineering is from Madeira Island, in Portugal. Before joining us, she graduated from a Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering in Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon.

Why did you choose ISAE-SUPAERO ?

I found that coming to ISAE-SUPAERO was the best chance to step out of my comfort zone and expand my knowledge, embracing a new culture. Allied to the fact that it is one of the most renowned universities with a particular influence in the aerospace field.

How was the arrival process for you?

Moving to Toulouse was even easier than I expected. I found myself in such a welcoming environment, where all the first steps, such as opening a bank account or get the public transportation card, were facilitated for us.

How were these first months of studies here?

The learning methods at ISAE-SUPAERO are definitely above my previous expectations, especially due to the fact that the courses are explained in a more practical and engineering thoughtful way. For instance, I have never been so keen on programming, but the first course of Phyton in ISAE-SUPAERO made me understand it so much better than I ever have even enjoyed it.

How do you find life on Campus?

In my Bachelor university I would go there just to study and have classes, and I used to live one hour away of it. Here in ISAE, having the opportunity to live inside the campus with everything we need, makes this experience much better.
Also the facilities of the ISAE campus are great, from the conditions and availability of the classrooms and technological equipments, to the way our timetables are created in order to have time to study but also enjoy other activities, such as joining technical, sports or even art clubs.

The strong assets of the MSc ?

Firstly, there are students from different nationalities, which gives the opportunity to be in touch with other realities.
Then, the contact we have with the teachers and their availability to help us with our doubts is very important to improve the way we learn.

Any career goal or projects during your 2 years of Master?

I want to take my Major in Aircraft Systems and Controls, and right now, I am also choosing the research project that I am about to work on the next semester. So, my next goal is to learn as much as possible in this area that I am passionate about and start a professional experience in a company. I have also joined the Controls and Embedded Systems team of HADES, a project of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, developed by the university students, that I am sure will be a good hands-on experience that complements my studies.

Amelia

Amelia, first-year student of the MSc in Aerospace Engineering is from Spain. Before juining us, she graduated from a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering in the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.

Why did you choose ISAE-SUPAERO ?

I chose ISAE-SUPAERO because it is one of the best universities in Europe in the Aerospace field, and it has a lot to offer. I had some very good references from teachers from my previous university and from friends that have studied here, and some great professionals have studied their degrees or their masters here. The great multicultural environment and the fact that the university is in Toulouse (European capital of the aerospace) were also a great incentive.

How was the arrival process for you?

The arrival was very comfortable because we had a lot of help from the people from Toul’box and the volunteers students from university that help us a lot to adapt.

How were these first months of studies here?

I am very happy with the way the studies have been until the moment. The subjects have a very practical approach, and we have a lot of help from the teachers and PhD students.

How do you find life on Campus?

Life on campus is very comfortable. We have all the facilities near, and the student’s association organize a lot of events for students with different thematic.

The strong assets of the MSc ?

The Master of Science is a great program that let you specialize in different areas from the aerospace sector. It’s a very good program to expand our knowledge after our bachelor’s degree and getting more practical knowledge having the opportunity to be in contact with some of the most important enterprises from the aerospace industry.

Any career goal or projects during your 2 years of Master?

Here in ISAE-SUPAERO we have the opportunity of being part of different technical projects where all the members are students like Tolosat, Hyperloop, Perseus... These projects are very interesting because we get to learn a lot of technical knowledge from ourselves and because these projects are usually related to some competitions or projects joined to some of the most important enterprises from the industry.

Jacob

Jacob, first-year student of the MSc In Aerospace Engineering is from Cape Town, in South Africa. Before joining us, she graduated from a Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Cape Town.

Why did you choose ISAE-SUPAERO ?

Even before I started my bachelor, I had always wanted to do aerospace engineering, however, there is not much scope for this industry in South Africa. I therefore decided to do my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and pursue a master’s in aerospace engineering thereafter. I chose ISAE-SUPAERO as the programme looked interesting and the fact that the institute has close ties with industry. Ultimately, my goal is to work in aerospace engineering in Europe and learning from members of industry, and also completing an internship in the final semester, are perfect ways to learn and grow as an engineer.

How was the arrival process for you?

The arrival process was fairly smooth for me. The Toul’box package was very helpful; it definitely made things a lot easier and helped to take a lot of the stress of moving countries away. Other than that, it took me a little bit of time to adjust to living in Europe; it is very different to what I am used to, but overall, I settled into my new environment quite quickly.

How were these first months of studies here?

The first few months here have been good for me. I find that some of the courses are probably more helpful for me as I do not come from an aerospace engineering background, and I am therefore learning certain things for the first time. Overall, I feel that I have adapted well to the aerospace curriculum from my background in mechanical engineering.

How do you find life on Campus?

I find it quite different to life in my bachelor. I think this is partly because almost everyone lives on campus together, which creates a different but fun atmosphere. There are also a lot of different clubs on campus, from sports and cultural clubs to student run technical clubs. Most students are members of multiple clubs, and it feels like there is always something happening on campus.

The strong assets of the MSc ?

I think the biggest advantage about ISAE-SUPAERO, and what differentiates it from other institutions, is the close ties that it has with industry. We receive lectures both from academics and from people coming from industry which provide a different perspective to the content that is being taught.

Any career goal or projects during your 2 years of Master?

My main goal after completing the masters is to work in Europe. One aspect of the masters that interested me and coincides with my goal was the mandatory internship that is completed in the final semester of the programme. This allows one to get industry experience before graduating, which is a major benefit in trying to find work after the masters.

Discover more of ISAE-SUPAERO’s aerospace engineering degrees.