Robert Crocker

Biomedical Engineering - BEng (Hons)

Robert had planned on coming to university ever since he was young, but could never decide on which career path he wanted to take. After looking at various courses in prosthetics, he found the courses were not what he expected. When he found out about the Biomedical Engineering course at BCU, he jumped at the chance to work with new and exciting technology.

“When I first joined BCU, there were plenty of opportunities to get to know the university itself and more about the course, such as Welcome Week and taster days. The taster days were particularly beneficial to me and give me a great insight into what my course would entail. 

Straight away I felt like I was treated as an individual rather than just another number. My course ran coffee mornings, bowling nights, and paintballing sessions for me and other students on my course to get to know each other and make friends, along with also being able to get to know the lecturers and ask questions during personal tutor meetings.

My favourite thing about being a student here is the sense of camaraderie between staff and students. It’s a world away from school, where the teachers seem like a separate entity. Here, staff and students work together to help you get the most out of your degree, which gives a feeling of accomplishment when you complete your assessments. Everyone is extremely approachable, and whenever you need to speak to somebody, the lecturers will be there for you.

BCU has also given me numerous opportunities to gain support throughout my degree. I have taken part in the HARS scheme – this helped me to learn additional transferrable skills, whilst the Careers+ team helped me with writing and polishing my CV for after my studies.

I have also been part of several societies here at BCU, including the Esports society and Table Top society. This year, I am the Participation and Inclusions Officer for the Put the Kettle on Society, where I have been able to chat with students from different walks of life, and embrace the diversity of Birmingham.

I was very lucky to have a lot of support from my friends and family throughout my education, so I haven’t had many difficulties during my time at University, however I did find it hard to adapt to living independently and away from home.

Adapting to the university way of living and learning has been challenging, and it took me a while to adjust to coming home from a long day of lectures to clean and cook for myself. It has taught me how to manage my time more efficiently and how to prioritise tasks so I don’t get burnt out.

I am proud of the work I have accomplished here so far. I have learnt a lot about how the human body functions and how it can deteriorate, and subsequently the ways that biomedical engineers can go about fixing that. I recently designed a prosthetic hand for my final year dissertation, which has taught me valuable employability skills for after I graduate. I am also proud of the fact I am a school and course representative, and even won school rep of the year.

I have become more confident at asking questions and giving answers, even when I’m not sure about them. Life at BCU has taught me it’s better to speak up and be wrong than to stay silent, as being wrong will only ensure you learn the correct answer.

By the time I graduate, I want to have learnt more about how to work well in a team to deliver a complex project. I feel like I am close to achieving this due to the variety of work I have undertaken on my course, giving me a diverse skill set.

I AM BCU means being an individual as part of a whole. I feel I can be who I really am and be accepted by those around me, whilst we all work together for the betterment of ourselves and others.”