You will be assigned a Hub number to use throughout the week. Each Hub has specific rooms where sessions will take place. The week begins with an opening plenary in a lecture theatre. After that, you'll go to your designated Hub room, located somewhere on campus. You can find your Hub room details on the “Hub Info” page of the Project Weeks website.

Yes. Project Week is delivered in person, face-to-face. You'll need to attend with your Hub on campus for the full week.

A Hub is a group of between 5 to 7 student teams who come together for the week. Each Hub has its own dedicated room on campus and a designated Hub Facilitator.

Teams are formed using an algorithm that balances several factors and constraints. It takes into account your ranked project preferences and aims to create interdisciplinary teams by including students from a range of degree programmes. Inclusivity is also built in to help form diverse and well-rounded groups.

Each team typically has 5-6 members, and several teams come together to form a Hub. With nearly 1,500 first-year students across the Faculty of Engineering taking part, it's unlikely - though not impossible - that you'll know your teammates at the start. Don't worry, you'll know them well by the end of the week!

We understand that you might want to change groups, but unfortunately, this isn't possible during Project Week. The multidisciplinary nature of the projects relies on a careful balance of skills and backgrounds, and the groups have been thoughtfully put together to ensure the right mix of expertise. Changing them now would cause significant disruption.

Project Weeks are designed to simulate real-world engineering practice and help you build valuable employability skills. Managing team dynamics, including addressing performance or engagement issues, is an important part of this experience. While it's never ideal to deal with a disengaged or underperforming team member, these situations provide a genuine opportunity to develop your leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Here are some steps to consider:

• Take initiative: Use this as a learning opportunity. Try different approaches to manage the issue and reflect on what works best.
• Communicate openly: Start with a respectful, honest conversation to understand the team member's perspective or any challenges they may be facing.
• Collaborate as a team: Work together to agree on how to minimise the impact of any lack of engagement or performance. Shared solutions build accountability and trust.
• Keep a record: Note down any actions or decisions taken. This can be useful for reflection in your Skills documentation and future job interviews.
• Seek support if needed: If the problem continues or becomes disruptive, speak with your Hub Facilitator for advice and guidance.

Remember, the ability to handle team performance challenges constructively is a valuable professional skill. Approaching the situation thoughtfully will help you gain experience that will serve you well throughout your studies and future career.

The person you will most often see is your Hub Facilitator who is a PhD student. The Facilitators will be both leading on the teaching and helping you progress your project. All the Facilitators are doing PhDs, either within the Faculty of Engineering or in allied subject areas. They are a friendly bunch; maybe you are interested in finding out a bit about their PhD and why they chose to carry on studying? Staff - each Hub has a dedicated staff member who will be there at a number of times in the week. An Industrial Mentor - on the Wednesday, there will be “Industrial Mentors” present. These are people from engineering companies who will be involved in activities throughout the day. This will include them visiting the hubs and talking to groups about their projects; they will also be in the “Boardrooms”.

Not necessarily, but you will need access to online information, teaching materials, and assessments. You'll also be expected to contribute to the creation of a group report.

Most students find having access to a laptop or similar device very helpful. If you don't have your own, you can borrow one from IT Services.

Not necessarily. During Project Weeks, most of the University's available teaching rooms are used to accommodate Hubs. While the Project Team selects the most suitable rooms, not all of them have power sockets available.

If possible, bring your devices fully charged and use them only when necessary if plug sockets are limited.

Your Learning Support Plan will have been reviewed by the Projects Team, and adjustments will be made where possible. If you have any concerns or need further support, please don't hesitate to email eng-projectweeks@sheffield.ac.uk for confidential advice.

Your attendance is being monitored please let your facilitator and team know if you are going to be late and make sure you make up for lost time and contribution to the team work.

If you are unable to attend due to illness or personal circumstances, please inform your facilitator if you are able to, and liaise with your group to minimise the impact on your project.

Non-attendance will affect your attendance mark. To pass Project Weeks, you must meet a minimum attendance threshold. If you are above this threshold, you will pass the attendance component of the assessment. If your attendance falls below the required level due to circumstances outside your control, you will need to contact your school and complete the extenuating circumstances procedure.

If there are train strikes, all students are expected to organise alternative transport to attend. If you are unable to attend due to reasons beyond your control, you should liaise with your group to make up the time where possible and inform your facilitator of the situation.

Non-attendance will affect your attendance mark. To pass Project Weeks, you must meet a minimum attendance threshold. If you are above this threshold, you will pass the attendance component of the assessment. If your attendance falls below the required level due to circumstances outside your control, you will need to contact your department and complete the extenuating circumstances procedure.

If you have a job interview or assessment centre during Project Weeks, please liaise with your group to make up the time where possible and inform your facilitator.

Non-attendance will affect your attendance mark. To pass Project Weeks, you must meet a minimum attendance threshold. If you are above this threshold, you will pass the attendance component of the assessment. If your attendance falls below the required level due to events outside your control, you will need to contact your department and complete the extenuating circumstances procedure.

You are expected to contribute the same number of hours to support your team, but you can do this flexibly. If you will be absent, please liaise with your group to agree how you will make up the time and inform your facilitator.

Non-attendance will affect your attendance mark. To pass Project Weeks, you must meet a minimum attendance threshold. If you are above this threshold, you will pass the attendance component of the assessment. If your attendance falls below the required level due to circumstances outside your control, you will need to contact your school and complete the extenuating circumstances procedure.

You are expected to contribute the same number of hours to support your team, but you can do this flexibly. If you will be absent for religious commitments, please liaise with your group to make up the time and inform your facilitator.

Non-attendance will affect your attendance mark. To pass Project Weeks, you must meet a minimum attendance threshold. If you are above this threshold, you will pass the attendance component of the assessment. If your attendance falls below the required level due to circumstances outside your control, you will need to contact your school and complete the extenuating circumstances procedure.

There should be no exams scheduled during Project Weeks. However, if one has been missed and you do have an exam, please let us know by emailing eng-projectweeks@sheffield.ac.uk. You should also inform your facilitator and make arrangements with your group to manage your time around the exam.

If your attendance falls below the required threshold due to circumstances beyond your control, you will need to contact your school and complete their extenuating circumstances procedure. The school will assess whether your reason and supporting evidence are valid and justified. The outcome of this decision will determine the nature of any resit activity, in line with the resit policy.

Feeling a bit nervous or uncertain when working on something new is completely normal. However, if these feelings start to grow stronger or you begin to feel overwhelmed, it's important to reach out for support. In the first instance, speak with your Hub Facilitator - they can help adjust your workload or direct you to someone who can offer further support. You can also contact your Personal Tutor or your School to discuss how you're feeling, so they are aware of your situation and can make sure it's recorded appropriately.

The University has a range of wellbeing services available if you need additional help. Please visit the Wellbeing Support pages for information and contact options. If your stress or wellbeing concerns mean you are unable to attend part of Project Weeks, you may need to complete your School's Extenuating Circumstances form. Your School or Personal Tutor can advise you on this process.

Yes. The individual assessments are designed to ensure that all students registered for Project Weeks can demonstrate their achievement of the learning outcomes by applying the taught content. Even if you haven't contributed to the group project, you can still review the teaching materials and demonstrate your understanding by completing the individual assessments.

Your results, including your mark, will be reviewed by your School at their exam board. Once ratified, they will be emailed to you. You will typically receive your mark in Week 5 or Week 6.

Project Weeks are formally assessed and contribute to your degree programme, so you must demonstrate that you have achieved the required learning outcomes. If you fail any component of the assessment, you will be given a resit opportunity in line with the resit policy. Students with Extenuating Circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Have you ever watched the TV show "The Apprentice"? In a similar way, your team will attend a Boardroom session to present your progress, achievements, challenges, and proposed solutions to your design brief as a "pitch". The Board will typically include your Hub Facilitator, your Hub Staff member, and, when available, an Industrial Mentor. The team, led by the nominated team leader, will report on how the project is developing, discuss any problems encountered, and outline the next steps. The panel will ask questions and provide constructive feedback to help your team move forward. On Friday, the audience will also include other students from your Hub.

The 'Trish Murray Best Presentation Prize' is awarded to the best Hub pitch during the Industry Boardroom. The winning team is selected by the Industrial Mentor, drawing on their experience in delivering and evaluating presentations within the engineering industry. Winners will receive a digital certificate via email within a few days.

Not every team member is required to present in order to pass the module, but participation is strongly encouraged. As a future engineer, you will often need to present your work to others throughout your career, and Project Weeks provide a supportive environment to develop these skills with minimal pressure.

We recommend discussing within your team how each member will contribute to the presentation. Aim to take part as much as you feel comfortable — even standing with your team during the pitch, without speaking, can help build confidence and get you used to presenting in front of an audience.

Unfortunately not. We understand that presenting in front of a large audience can feel overwhelming, especially for those who experience anxiety. However, the Final Boardroom presentation is designed to be a valuable development opportunity, helping all team members build confidence in a supportive environment.

The final presentation is assessed through peer marking to ensure fairness across all teams. If different groups had different audience sizes, this could lead to inconsistencies in marking. To maintain a level playing field, all teams must present to the same audience. If you have specific concerns about presenting, we encourage you to speak with your Facilitator beforehand to discuss strategies that might help.

When you apply for a job, employers know what they are looking for in candidates. For example, Jaguar Land Rover expects its employees to demonstrate a set of key 'High Performance Behaviours':

• A sense of 'my business'
• Effective relationships
• Strong teams
• Efficient delivery
• Agility and flexibility
• Positive impact
• Clear direction
• High performance

It is the combination of these abilities that makes you an employable graduate. The project weeks gives you the opportunity to develop and demonstrate these sought-after skills. When you apply for placements, internships, or graduate roles — whether engineering-based or not — you'll be able to give employers clear examples of when and how you developed these core professional qualities.

This is your chance to get one step ahead of the person sitting next to you in your next job interview!