A day in the life of third-year Biomedical Engineering student, Ayaan
If you’ve been feeling lost throughout the university application process, you’re not alone. I recently spoke with Ayaan Mohamed, a student in the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS) at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), who emphasized the importance of researching your desired program before you hit the “apply” button. If you’re interested in hearing more, check out how Ayaan spends a typical day on campus and the advice she wishes she received back when she was applying to TMU.
Claire: What is your name, your program, your year and a fun fact about yourself?
Ayaan: My name is Ayaan Mohamed and I’m in my third year of the Biomedical Engineering program at TMU. A fun fact about myself is that I speak five languages fluently and I can pick up new languages really quickly.
C: What does a typical day at TMU look like for you?
A: Since my classes usually begin at 8 a.m., my day starts at 6 a.m. I spend most of my time in the George Vari Engineering and Computing Centre (ENG) doing labs, especially on Fridays. The majority of my schedule is just labs, after labs, after labs!
I also dedicate a lot of time to my extracurriculars and leadership roles. Currently, I’m the vice-president of operations at the Metropolitan Undergraduate Engineering Society (MUES) (external link, opens in new window) and I’m the founder of a biomedical design team — we’re currently working on creating a bionic arm!
After classes and extracurriculars, I’ll work on co-op and internship applications, group projects or any other assignments that I need to get done. Then, around 6 p.m., I’ll save some time for myself by grabbing something to eat with my friends before heading home.
C: What do you like about working at TMU events and why should future students attend?
A: When I was first applying to TMU, I didn’t really know a lot about my program or the school and I was filled with a lot of anxiety about the entire process. So, I really like talking to students about all of the things that I wish someone had told me back when I was applying to university. I absolutely love seeing the anxiety disappear from the students at these events.
I also really enjoy socializing and mentoring people. I’m currently a first-year ambassador for FEAS, so I’m responsible for mentoring first-years throughout the beginning of their academic journey. I assist FEAS students with internship applications, selecting courses and anything else that they might need help with.
Future students should attend events because they allow them to meet professors, get to know campus and learn about TMU in a hands-on way that is not possible anywhere else. Our Open House is a big one because it allows you to meet real professors, explore campus and get a feel of the TMU community.
Other events like campus tours provide future students with an inside look into TMU. This year, I’m leading faculty-specific tours, which showcase the buildings, classrooms and other campus spaces that future students will gain access to if they join FEAS. Future students can look at current student projects, explore labs and visit the buildings that they wouldn’t have access to unless they were a student here.
C: What advice do you have for students preparing to apply to TMU?
A: Look into your chosen program really well. Research your courses, professors, career opportunities and how your program of choice will support you post-university life. This is something that I wish people told me when I was applying to university.
One thing I love about TMU’s Biomedical Engineering program is that it has a lot of experiential learning opportunities available to students. If you’re preparing to apply to any of the Engineering programs, see if there’s a design team that interests you. I only found out about all of the design teams that are offered at TMU when I was in my second year and I wish I had found out about them sooner.
C: Why did you choose TMU?
A: I chose TMU because I was looking for a university that offered Biomedical Engineering as an undergraduate degree rather than a master’s degree, which was pretty limited. I was really drawn to all of the research opportunities that TMU provides to students.
I was also looking for a university that was within a good distance from my house. I didn’t want to live very far away from home or in a dorm, so that played a big factor in my decision process. TMU really offered me everything that I was looking for.
Thank you, Ayaan, for your helpful advice! I didn’t find out about events like Open House until after I had started my first year, so I would highly recommend that students take advantage of these resources while they’re doing their research and applying.
For more opportunities to connect with students like Ayaan, keep an eye on the future student events page. There are lots of other students waiting to share their experiences with you!
All the best,
Claire
