To understand Formula Student is not as easy as it might seem, for me, it is something more than just a group of students with a common hobby doing a group activity. It seems obvious that a voluntary Project that motivates students to get involved enough to go to the campus on the weekends, sacrifice most of their summers, or even invest their savings in the flights for the competitions, it goes deeper than just a simple university Project. Why id this phenomenon happening in STEAM schools al around the world? I con only answer from my own perspective.
In my case, FUEM has aided me to understand my goals and priorities in my professional future, and it gives me the tools in order to reach those objectives. The aerodynamics of competition vehicles is very technical and specific. Without the knowledge gained in an experience such as Formula Student, it is very hard to obtain the proper understanding of the basics, specially, about what the process of designing an aerodynamic package really requires. Being part of a Formula Student team implies working in certain deadlines, following a strict rule book, using good engineering practices and optimizing cost, therefore, it is a great simulation of any work environment while learning the technical concepts necessary for a future in motorsport. Im sure that this time investment will be very useful in my professional future and hopefully that will be in Formula 1.
As a student, we always say that FUEM is an environment that allows for the opportunity of applying the concepts learnt in class to real and palpable objects. This is true and I believe it to be one of the main justifications for the club’s existence. Nevertheless, it is also true that the process of designing and manufacturing a whole racecar simplifies a lot the theory learned in the classroom. To work in the team gives an academic advantage, since many of the concepts leaned in the degree, one has probably already dealt with it in the FS team. The academics and the work in FUEM go hand by hand and I would recommend any student to find a project such as this that directions their professional future and that gives you that help as a student, by solidifying what you learn in class and advancing your knowledge to make the degree more digestible.
Furthermore, the team is a chance to meet diverse and interesting people, the team has grown a lot since I joined and we have got to know each other better every day. At the end, team mates turn into friends and having to go to the workshop on a Saturday doesn’t seem so bad, you get to work on something you’re passionate about while spending the day with people whose company you enjoy. To go to competitions with the team can become tense due to the high workload and pressure, but the reality is that you end up seeing how friendships grow tighter. It is my experience that teamwork and the team spirit are two of the thing one enjoys most when being part of FUEM. Having dinner together after a long, stressful day and while being worried about the next day, or celebrating together all of our successes, like getting past scrutineering, are the things you remember most at the end of a season.
To wrap it up, FUEM for me completes many of the aspects that I believe to be important in my life as a student. It helps me with planning and preparing my future, it is a support for my academic life by allowing to apply what I learned in the lectures and by teaching me things that will never be taught in a classroom. Lastly, the team has allowed me to meet people that are very similar to me in many aspects and to solidify friendships with them, which I believe to be an essential aspect of university life.
Javier Quirós
Aerodynamic manager of Formula UEM
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