Carlos Martinez Armendariz - student from Spain
Why did you apply to us at University West and master in Electromechanical Vehicles?
University West has the exact program (Master in Electromechanical Vehicle Engineering) that I was looking for. I searched among different Universities around all Europe and University West was the most appealing one for me. The University is also well recognized internationally. Apart from that, I felt so attracted by the Swedish education, and I wanted to try this new experience living in a cold climate, completely different to what I was used to back home in Spain.
Why did you apply to this programme?
Since I was a child I've been really interested in cars. Nowadays, the automotive industry is moving forward to electrification. By studying this program, I feel that I can acquire more knowledge about the industry.
The program has been made in contact with the automotive industry and that was the key factor to choose this program. I believe Sweden is the best place to develop my career as a Mechanical Engineer in the Automotive Industry.
Is it what you thought it should be?
I am really surprised about the education works in Sweden. The organization is different compared to Spanish education. In my case I have class only two-three days a week and courses last only for two months, after that we start new courses. I was used to have class every day and courses last six months.
The organization is also less tight, and schedule is not completely defined until a few weeks before the date. In my case, it was an issue at the beginning but nowadays I am used to this organization. I love that we have less number of courses and more free time to do different activities outside the University.
What is the most exciting you have done during the studies?
As I said before one of the attractions of studying in Sweden is the partnership between the University and the professional world. One day we went to NEVS (Swedish company known before as SAAB) and there we spent the day doing different test and talking with some engineers. It was really interesting and motivating to meet some people which are working in the industry in some positions where I wish to work some day.
Can you describe the environment/culture at the university?
University West is just amazing. The first time that I walked thought campus I was amazed by how new all the facilities was. People working there are really friendly, and they are more than happy to help you. Everybody speaks English so it is not a problem not to speak Swedish to study here.
Daily life at University it is really good. It is a small University so you can see people every time everywhere, and this fact encourage people to go to University and keep studying.
Teachers are close, and it is really easy to talk to them and ask as many questions as you want. We were told since the first day that there is no barrier between teachers and students, and it helps the student to feel more comfortable to talk to them.
What do you think about the student life in Trollhättan?
Before coming here, I was worried about how my life would be like in a small city like Trollhattan. I am used to live in a big city as Madrid and the change is noticeable. But I am quite happy with this city. Everything is closer and it takes about 5-10 minutes by bike to get to diffrent places, such as the supermarket, University or the gym.
I live surrounded by international students and its a really good environment, we help each other, and it is really nice to share my days with people that have the same lifestyle as I do.
The only negative side of living in Trollhattan is the time that it takes to arrive to the Airport. The closest is in Gothenburg and it is up to two hours of trip that increases considerably the time of your trip.
What are you doing when you are not studying?
Most of the time I tried to spend my time with my friends, the majority of them are internationals students like me. I tried to make as many plans as possible to be busy during the days regardless if its dark outside or not.
I try to go to the gym and make some sport every day. After that I go to the relax area (the best part of the gym! It is crazy how are the gyms here and the facilities that they have).
During the weekends my friends and I try different plans such as visiting some cities that are nearby or even some other countries like Denmark or Norway and of course, the last but not the least, I like to go partying when possible.
Tell us about your future plans?
I am not 100% sure about what will happen in my life when the master finishes, but I am sure that I want to be working in the automotive industry. The place where I will hopefully work is still unknown, I guess wherever I have an offer.
First of all, I want to experience the winter here in Sweden and see if at the end of this experience I have got used to the weather and local customs to live here the following years.
Another option is to try to find some graduate programs in the biggest car companies that are settled around Europe.
And also, the option of coming back home is always on the table, but I am feeling closer to be living abroad and making international experience.
How do you think the studies here at University West and your programme can help you to reach your goals?
Studying a master abroad is an important step in my professional education and it is really well seen in a CV. Not only for what you learn in the program but also for all the knowledge that you acquire living by yourself in a different country with different culture.
More specifically in my case, I think that studying a master here in Sweden in Electromechanical Vehicles will open many doors in the Automotive Industry that will help to achieve my goal working as an engineer in a big automotive company.