Impatient students wait in queues for the opening of the doors to what is claimed to be “the biggest education and training fair in Portugal”. It’s almost 10 a.m. and the 14th edition of Futurália is about to start at Lisbon Exhibition and Congress Centre (FIL), Parque das Nações.
The Técnico team, composed of students from the Student Support Unit (NAPE), ambassadors and representatives of TLMoto and Formula Student (FST Lisbon), are ready to answer the thousands of questions that await them in Técnico exhibition booth. Henrique and Letícia, students (11th school year) at Quinta do Conde Secondary School, are still undecided about which course to take, but they have already decided where they want to study in the future. They are interested in “studying Computer Engineering”, although “Mechanical Engineering or Aerospace” might also be an option. João Fonseca, Técnico ambassador and 3rd year Computer Engineering student tries to clarify their doubts. He gives them some brochures containing information about the study programmes and shares his personal experience. He “takes away fears” and supports the future first year students in the “beginning” of university life.
Some visitors try to sit in the Formula Student’s race car and others wait to hear the story of the 3rd motorcycle built by Técnico students of TLMoto project. Vera Carvalho and Inês Batista, 3rd year Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering students, respectively, unveil the details of the project. According to Vera, being part of this team helps her to “keep in mind why I want to continue attending the course”. Inês is working on the development of a 4th motorcycle and assures “this is a way of putting into practice what we learn in class”.
Indecision about which course to take is quite common among the students who visit Futurália on the first morning. Catarina Didukh, secondary school student, has several options in mind, all of them at Universidade de Lisboa, and Técnico is her top choice. However, she hasn’t decided yet “between Computer Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering”. Ema Nunes, NAPE student and 2nd year Electrical and Computer Engineering student, shares “visitors come directly to us because they have already made their decision. There are quite a few students who want to go to Técnico”. And she adds: “questions about the courses and the admission grades persist and, in this regard, they have still some doubts if compared with the choice of the School”.
Técnico is also represented in one more exhibition booth: Oeiras City Hall. Futurália runs until Saturday, March 25, under the motto “No one is left behind. Education for everyone”.
