Ágúst
Ágúst comes from Iceland, is 23 years old and studying Sports Technology at The School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health at KTH. Before joining the master’s programme, he studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Iceland and the University of Jaén, Spain. He plays football, which is his main field of interest. Still, he is also interested in various sports, activities in nature and learning about new cultures through different people.
Why did you choose this master’s programme at KTH?
When searching for graduate programmes, my top priority was to find something I would genuinely enjoy studying. I had always wanted to integrate my interest in sports into my studies, but I wasn’t sure how to do so. I was very excited when I discovered that KTH offers a programme combining sports science with engineering. I knew this would fit me well and quickly stopped considering other options. In the end, Sports Technology programme at KTH was the only one I applied to.
What are the best aspects of your programme?
I love that most of the classes in the programme are project-based, where we get the opportunity to deal with and find solutions to real-world problems. The study environment at KTH is very motivating, where we are encouraged to come up with and work on our ideas. Last but certainly not least, I enjoy being accompanied by a small group of students that share the same interests as me. The project-based approach has made us quite close as a group and allowed us to learn from and work with each other.
What are some of your favourite courses so far?
So far, I have taken many interesting courses, but my favourite ones must be the Sports Technology project course and Mobile Sports Applications and Data Mining. In Sports Technology, we work as a group to create a prototype that addresses a problem of our choice. The course teaches us how to work in a group and allows us to explore an area of interest further. In Mobile Sports Applications and Data Mining, we learn how to develop smartphone apps. The most interesting and useful thing I learned in the course was how to work with real-time data from sensors and how to connect to them via Bluetooth. My group in Sports Technology integrated this knowledge into our final prototype. It even got me a summer job, where I am currently developing a mobile application to monitor Bluetooth connections.
How do studies at KTH differ from your previous studies?
At KTH, the school year is split into four periods, not two semesters like I am used to. The courses are also more project-based than I had experienced before, which I considered a better way of learning. I like this format here; it allows me to focus more on each class over some weeks throughout the year.
How would you describe your time at KTH so far?
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here at KTH. The first two semesters have been very different from each other. The workload was very high during the first semester, so I didn’t have much time for activities outside of school. However, almost all the work was group-based, which was still very social. The studies were more individualized during the second semester, and the workload was lower, allowing more space for social activities. I have learned a lot during this first year and look forward to the following year.
How is student life in Stockholm?
Stockholm has a lot to offer, and so far, I have always found what I have been looking for, whether it is socially, educationally or in sports. The social life in KTH is very active, and THS, the student union, organizes many events during the year. Next year I hope to participate more in their events. Mainly I hope to join more boardgame nights and become a member of the KTH Outdoor Club, which organizes hikes, kayaking, ice skating and much more.
What would you like to say to students thinking of choosing KTH for master’s studies?
Suppose you like to learn by thriving in an international environment and are interested in engineering-related problems within the sports field. In that case, I can highly recommend the Sports Technology master’s programme at KTH. The programme explores many aspects of the field and allows you to personalise it to your needs. When applying for my master’s, I didn’t care where it was, but now I am delighted that it is located in such a wonderful city and so close to nature as Stockholm has turned out to be. I certainly do not regret my decision to come here, and I hope you will be as satisfied with your choice as I am, whether in KTH or elsewhere!