João Zacarias Neves - Undergraduate degree in EN in 2010-2011

During the last year of the 2nd cycle of Civil Engineering at the University of Madeira, I completed a nine-month professional internship in the Strategic Planning Department at the Town Hall of Funchal under the orientation of Jorge Afonso Freitas. My duties included preparing urban designs to be integrated in the municipal land use plannning (PUS and PPS). Having finished the 2nd cycle in Engineering, I enrolled at the company RPereira Estudos e Projectos de Engenharia, Lda., as a civil engineer and part of the control team of the venture "Extension and renovation of Estalagem Átrio".This is also where I successfully carried out an internship under the orientation of Sérgio António Neves Lousada and co-orientation of Rui Manuel Freitas Pereira, to be formally admitted as an effective member of the Order of Engineers as a Civil Engineer. I worked part-time as part of the control team under the venture "Extension of the Eutelsat Caniçal facilities – Site 2", and was the assistant technician in charge of the "Slope contention works in Arco da Calheta" and "Recovery work on Machico's Porto de Recreio". I am currently the technician in charge under license at FARIA & MENDES - Construções e Obras Públicas, Lda, where I carry out duties related to civil engineering, mainly, project development, budgeting, planning and construction management.

The theoretical knowledge combined with the practical developments conveyed by the teaching staff throughout the course at the University of Madeira, have proved to be very important in the application of technical solutions throughout my career.

I recommend the degree to all secondary students enrolled in the science and technology course who take an interest and curiosity in the area of civil engineering. Though there has been a decrease in the number of students enrolling in this degree, I consider civil engineering vital for the progress and improvement of society as it strongly supports the economy, projecting and building a future. As for the professional outcomes, it is a profession capable of intervening in multiple specialties in the field, both in the public and private domains.

Following my first choice, I was accepted and enrolled at the University of Madeira. At the end of the first academic year, I questioned whether to transfer to a different university given the instability of the degree however, following major adjustments to the layout of the degree, with notable alterations to the syllabus and teaching staff, I decided to stay and finish my degree at the University of Madeira and I am happy with my decision.