"The engineering course itself, has shown me how to deal with juggling lots of work and deadlines effectively. It built my confidence, ability to think on the spot and defend my arguments through assessed debates, which is useful in a work environment."
Imagine you were about to start university again - with the benefit of hindsight - what would you now tell yourself to have done differently?
During stressful times at University it is important times to give yourself a break such as surfing/hiking, so you can return to your work with a clear mind set. Make sure you get a healthy food shop in on Sunday night…when deadlines build up, you can spend a fortune on Tesco meal deals!
What was your main reason for choosing to study your course at Plymouth? With hindsight how significant was this for you?
Plymouth's extended science foundation helped me get onto the engineering pathway, particularly useful considering I only had two A levels in English and French, both grade D! Location was another large driver in choosing Plymouth, being by the sea and Dartmoor and still having lots of cultural/arts events nearby to go to is amazing.
How did we support you in your studies? If you used any support services whilst at the University how did they enable you to get to where you are today?
I had great support from Disability Services and my lecturers, due to having epilepsy.
How did studying at Plymouth change your career aspirations and plans?
It’s built on the environmental aspect of my plans.
What is your favourite memory of studying for your degree at Plymouth?
The laughs! I was really lucky to have met such a great bunch of colleagues, we laughed a lot during the course. I really enjoyed my dissertation project, it was great to explore topics of interest and further my skills outside of the taught classes. Learning about sustainability and the environment within engineering was really interesting as well.
How well did Plymouth prepare you for the challenges that you have faced, or will face, in your career?
The engineering course itself, has shown me how to deal with juggling lots of work and deadlines effectively. It built my confidence, ability to think on the spot and defend my arguments through assessed debates, which is useful in a work environment. We were taught to consider environmental and ethical issues that we may meet in our careers, which is really important and eye-opening.
Why would you recommend undertaking a course with the University of Plymouth?
The University of Plymouth has incredible facilities, research, and academic brilliance, the campus has a really laid back vibe, with great down to earth lecturers, a location begging to be explored and lots of fun societies.
What will your next move (job or further study) be after graduation?
After having worked on the University’s organic allotments and learning a lot from that, I want to give garden maintenance and design, using organic methods and that is beneficial for wildlife, a go. I plan to combine this with working for renewable energy companies, which I was lucky to do two summer internships with to gain experience.
For more information about mechanical engineering please visit our BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering. For more information about our range of courses within the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics please visit the school page.
If you would like to find out what other relevant alumni are currently doing, please visit the engineering and robotics interest area.
