On a Tuesday afternoon, I call Mariska Bos. I had actually planned the interview for a day later, but that didn’t work out. The team is going to test their solar car on the tarmac at Lelystad airport. You mean, on the runway where the planes take off and land? Mariska answers my question with a matter-of-fact ‘Yes’.
Mariska Bos, at 23 years old, has just completed the Mechanical Engineering programme. She is bursting with energy and believes in the podium position they will achieve with their awesome solar car. Mariska knew at a young age that she wanted to do something with engineering. She intentionally chose the Bachelor's programme in Mechanical Engineering and is positive about the classes and the subjects. Mariska: “Everything you learn has a goal. This project-based education allows you to experience step-by-step why you need a subject. By joining the Solar student team, I directly experience the areas in which I still have something to learn. In this way, the study programme goes far beyond just typing a report. It’s really about the bigger picture. This is the ultimate test of your engineering skills.”
“Mechanical Engineering is a super broad study programme. I have no idea at the moment what I want to become, but I don’t think that is a bad thing. As one of the students of the nineteen-strong Solar Team Twente, I get a lot of unique opportunities. I learn a tremendous amount in a real working environment and I work with students from other programmes. With our solar car, we are contributing to a sustainable future and turning innovative ideas into reality. Two weeks ago, we tested our solar car in the wind tunnel of DNW, the German-Dutch Wind Tunnels. I don’t think many students can say that.”
“Before you can build a car, you make a lot of calculations on the computer. But in practice, you only see if something really works or not when all the parts are connected to each other. You learn a lot from that. “The race starts on 13 October in Australia and we will travel across Australia from north to south. We are working with the best solar cells available at the moment, so I think we have a good chance.”
“A tip? Enjoy your studies and realise often how cool it is that you can do this. Studying this way is a lot of fun!”
After getting her Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mariska Bos opted for the Master's programme in Mechanical Engineering with a specialisation in Thermal and Fluid Engineering.
