Welcome to Product Design and Manufacture at Nottingham
Congratulations and a very warm welcome to the Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering (M3). We are looking forward to meeting you soon. As a new member of this vibrant community, you will be taught and supported by leading academics and industry professionals who are committed to inspirational teaching. We hope you have an excellent experience during your degree. If you are unsure about anything in these early weeks do not be afraid to ask questions or seek help from staff.
What you need to do before you arrive
1
Review the IT equipment recommendations
To support your studies, the university recommends using a suitable laptop to work on when on or off campus. This page will help guide you through the requirements that your device needs to meet. We can only recommend things to you; we cannot tell you what to buy. That's up to you. Please read the entirety of this section as the information on pen-enabled touch screens at the end is also important. There are computer rooms available on campus and a laptop loan service but both are offered on a first come first served basis. All students who might struggle with financing IT equipment can apply for support via the Hardship Fund.
How we use technology to teach on the PDM course
The University of Nottingham has moved to a "bring your own device" policy for computers and computing. In Product Design and Manufacture we have embraced this wholeheartedly and have developed highly digital workflow. In order to participate in class you will need a laptop.
Most of the software will be available free via the engineering remote desktop. There is one piece of digital drawing software that you will need to purchase called Sketchbook. This is available in the Windows store, the Apple store, and Android play store. You want to buy and download it before starting your degree. This is the only piece of software we will expect you to buy.
To allow the course to be taught in this way, you will need a laptop of your own that you will bring into university when needed. We will provide the software and any special equipment, but you need to own your own device which can run the software used and has a pen-enabled touch screen.
Purchasing a device with a pen-enabled touch screen might seem like an additional expense. However, over the course of your three or four years of study, it will save you money. You won't need to buy any paper or marker pens, nor will you need to get anything printed.
2
Consider applying for a peer mentor
Peer mentors are student volunteers who support new students settling in at university. They can share their experiences, tips for success, and generally be a friendly face. Peer mentors are based within their department and are allocated new first year students as mentees.
3
Review the university's pre-arrival digital learning guide
Understand what we mean by digital learning and find out how you will be engaging with online learning activities during your studies.
4
Find out how you can get involved in extracurricular activities
by visiting the Engineering and Architecture hub