Construction Management student Dilrajan Boora shares how his passion for buildings and digital innovation led him to study at Birmingham City University and pursue a future career in Project Management.
What led you to study Construction Management and why did you choose BCU?
Ever since I was young, I was interested into how any sort of building was erected and the different elements that would go into the making of one. I started with being intrigued by the design/architecture of buildings (which was further realized when I studied about Architecture in my Art History A Level), but that interest developed into the different types of stakeholders and processes involved in getting a project realized and completed. With that in mind, I felt like a Construction Management degree was the perfect degree in catering to my interest in the built environment and I felt that BCU was the best choice of me as I feel it is a hotspot for anything construction related with different projects being worked on around the area. I didn’t consider any other pathways but felt that a BSc degree would be a good entry point considering I would get knowledge taught to me from industry professionals and get experience into some of the programmes and technology that they use such as Microsoft Project and Autodesk Navisworks.
What have been your most favourite topics to study so far, and why?
My favourite topics that I've studied so far are areas that focus on digital elements and technology for the construction industry. For example, there's a first-year module titled 'Innovation in the Built Environment' which goes into depth about different technologies that could further shape the construction sector such as: AI, Robotics, BIM and much more . Another personal favourite is a second-year module titled 'Integrated Digital Design for Complex Structures' where we were able to have experience in using different elements of BIM such as 4D and 5D BIM and present our findings through a poster. I've always been someone that has been interested in technology whether it's from video games or different gadgets I use on the daily so these modules have resonated with me a lot.
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How have your lecturers prepared for your life after BCU?
My lecturers have all provided me with expert guidance on many different factors from when I leave university. One piece of advice that I've received is that despite having a construction management degree, my options aren't just limited to Project Management for a future career and that a good portion of other built environment degrees are also viable career paths down the line. As well as providing me with the technical knowledge and skills for future employment, they have also prepared me for areas that make a huge difference in a future workplace such as professional bearing and emphasizing the importance of networking with other people in the industry.
Have you had much experience of working with students from other courses within the Built Environment subject area?
Throughout my 3 years, I have worked with other students from courses such as Building Surveying and Quantity Surveyors as a portion of my 1st and 3rd year modules are shared between disciples. I feel like this is a positive and necessary implementation as this reflects how these different professions come together to work on a real-life project. I have worked with these different disciples in many ways such as creating a presentation for real construction companies and more recently, I'm currently working with both CM's and QS's in creating and going forward to submitting a construction bid based on a scenario.
What career path are you planning to take after graduation?
After graduation, I plan to take up a Project Management profession where I would like to work up the ladder and gain firsthand experience into a variety of projects from commercial, residential etc. From there, I want to further enhance my portfolio in gaining chartership and additional qualifications in Project Management with other fields such as BIM being a good chance to branch out my skills into other construction related fields. By studying Construction Management, it will allow CM Students to be exposed to a wide understanding of the technical and managerial aspects of the profession.