An engineering student's third-year project
Last weekend over 100 prospective students attended the Engineering and Food Technology Experience day at the Auckland campus.
Students from as young as year nine came along to see what Massey University could offer if they were to study either Engineering or Food Technology.
The day was filled with activities, from paneer cheese making to 3D printing to help showcase the variety of pathways within the courses.
Students got to make their own paneer style cheese
School of Food and Advanced Technology Senior Lecturer Dr Tony Mutukumira says the day was a great opportunity to give aspiring students an insight into what is involved in studying for a degree.
“It’s a great taster for what they’ll find at Massey University – they’re seeing and experiencing some of the activities that make up the degree.”
Food Technology had activities from cheese-making and various sensory testing to using alginates to form balls much like the process to form the ‘bubbles’ in bubble tea.
Dr Mutukumira says these are key skills used in training and it’s important in experience days to show students the vast reach of food technology and what comes under its umbrella.
The one-of-a-kind guitar was made all in the Auckland engineering department.
Engineering also had a wide range of activities for students, from from programming an Arduino to play music and building electronic cars to trying out virtual football.
A crowd favourite was the one-of-a-kind electric guitar built from scratch in the Auckland engineering department. The core was made using laser engraving and inlay, with 3D-printed sides and 3D steel printed metal tuning pegs.
Staff from both disciplines came along to help out on the day, as well as some current students who shared their own experiences of the degrees and brought along some of their own projects to showcase.
Some examples of successful 'spaghetti bridges'
Attendees also got to test their engineering skills with the ‘spaghetti bridge’ challenge, where they were tasked with building a bridge using only dried spaghetti and hot glue before loading it with weights.
Students (and parents alike) thoroughly enjoyed the day with one mother saying she had had as much fun as her daughter.
With freebies such as ice cream, laser engraved rulers, a sausage sizzle and 3D-printed phone holders, potential students left with not only a deeper insight into the degrees at Massey but also a few goodies to take home.
The School of Food and Advanced Technology - Engineering and Food Technology departments are having another Experience Day in August and are looking forward to bringing back some fan favourites as well as some exciting new activities.