Georgios Bairaktaris
"For me, the most enjoyable parts of the course are the lab experiments and projects. Whether it’s an individual or group project, the satisfaction of putting things together and building something that works – from scratch – is a unique feeling."
Course
Electrical and Electronic Engineering BEng (Hons)I’ve always liked taking things apart and trying to understand how they work, so studying electronic engineering was a logical choice for me, giving me the tools to turn my hobby and passion into a career.
Surrey’s reputation for electronic engineering was one of the main factors that helped me decide where to apply, and after visiting the campus on one of the summer open days, I knew this was the right place for me.
The facilities at Surrey are amazing, the lake is a fantastic place to hang out with friends, and Guildford is a great town for students. Moving from another country (Greece) was challenging, but experiencing a new culture has been a positive experience. Meeting new people and looking at things from other perspectives have helped me develop my personality.
One of my fears before I came to Surrey was how I’d deal with the academic hierarchy. From day one, I realised that this is not a problem. Everyone is friendly, excited to help you learn and develop, and will always be there for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking to your programme leader or even your head of department, you opinion is valued.
For me, the most enjoyable parts of the course are the lab experiments and projects. Whether it’s an individual or group project, the satisfaction of putting things together and building something that works, from scratch, is a unique feeling.
Another highlight has been my Professional Training placement year which I spent at Johnson Controls, in the Fire Detection Division’s R&D department. My main project was to create (with two other interns) a development tool for other R&D Engineers. I’m very proud of the fact that this tool will now be used across all of the company’s R&D departments. The technical skills and electronics knowledge I developed on placement have really helped me with my final year project back at Surrey, while I was also able to improve my teamworking, problem-solving, communication and time management skills.
I really appreciate how hard work is noticed and rewarded at Surrey. I was awarded the Save and Prosper Travel Scholarship for the best performance by an undergraduate second year which enabled me to visit the Hannover Messe technology exhibition, and in my third year I was chosen for the Next Generation Paper project. Another proud moment was winning the National Instruments Project Prize with my enterprise project teammates for our BrailleBook (a kindle for the visually impaired).
These experiences have helped me realise that I want to go into research and development of new technologies, which is why I’ve decided to pursue a PhD here at Surrey as a first step towards my ambitions. My PhD will focus on textile electronics and I can’t wait to get started!
Discover our courses in electrical and electronic engineering, including our BEng (Hons)/MEng Electrical and Electronic Engineering.
