MOZAC student in newspaper.

AT 16, Nurul Syamimi Norazmi has her future figured out.

"I am seriously thinking about pursuing an engineering course, particularly design engineering," says the bubbly tudung-clad lass.
Five months ago, the Form Four student from Sekolah Menengah Sains Muzaffar Shah in Malacca, was not so sure of her career path. Until recently the thought of pursuing a career in engineering had never crossed her mind.
"I had always thought that engineering was something which only boys did. But taking part in the Formula One (F1) Technology Challenge had changed my perception towards engineering," adds Nurul Syamimi.
The F1 Technology Challenge is an international competition where schoolchildren between ages 11 and 18 in groups of three to six design and manufacture a miniature "car" out of balsa wood using design tools such as computer-aided designs (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM).
The cars are powered by carbon dioxide cartridges and are attached to a track by a thin wire. The cars are then raced on a 24m-long track and, using a computer, they are timed from launch to the finish line.
Only two cars can be raced at a time and it is the time recorded -- and not the result of the race between two cars -- which determines the winning team.
The competition which began in 1999 in the United Kingdom is held annually, with regional and national finals. The winners of the national finals compete in the international finals.

NST 3 November 2007