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Queen Mary Formula Student Society: everything you need to know

Who builds a race car at university? We asked Zenouska Ramchunder, third year Biochemistry student and team member at the Queen Mary Formula Student Society.

Tell us a bit about the Formula Student society. What do you do?

"The Queen Mary Formula Student (QMFS) society participates in the annual Formula Student competition, in which students design and build a race car, which competes in challenges. Whilst the competition is aimed mostly at engineers, QMFS has a range of members from many different courses who participate in various activities for the society.

The process for joining included filling in an application form and having an interview. The application form mainly asked questions about my capabilities and what I could bring to the society. The interview went beyond this and went into further detail about my strengths and weaknesses, which is good preparation for anyone who goes for job interviews."

What made you want to join?

"I chose to join the society as I believed it would improve my skills in communication, teamwork and problem solving, and I thought it would be a great way to meet people who are also interested in motorsport. It has also allowed me to learn more about racing than if I had not joined the society."

What’s the most exciting part of being in the Formula Student society?

"The biggest activity with this society was attending the Formula Student competition in Silverstone this year, which was one of my best experiences not only with this society, but during my time at Queen Mary. It was great to meet other Formula Student teams from different universities and learn ways to improve for the years to come. We also had the opportunity to present a business presentation to a panel of judges, which was an incredible experience and taught me a lot."

Have you built up new skills?

"Being in a society like this one, which eventually leads to partaking in a competition with both national and international teams, means time management, planning and organising are key to ensure success. These are skills which are required for any job. Other skills you can gain include being dependable, getting on well with others, being open to new ideas and coping with different challenges."

Do you have any advice for people thinking of joining?

"I believe that anyone who is considering joining this society should definitely join. QMFS is a challenging society but an incredibly fun and rewarding one at the same time, which can provide opportunities that other societies do not.

For example, at Silverstone, there are stalls from different companies explaining how to get into work with them and providing new and useful industry information. The Formula Student competition teaches you about motivation and innovation, which can lead to success in any career. The QMFS society embodies these ideas and is a stepping stone for achieving the very best you can, and pushing yourself further."

 

Find out more about the Formula Student competition.

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