BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering with Foundation Year
MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering
MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering
"Since my A levels were not strong enough for direct entry onto the BEng or MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering courses, I enrolled on the foundation year with the prospect of achieving high enough grades to progress onto them.
The foundation year was a fantastic experience as it allowed a smooth transition into university life. I did really well in the foundation year, which really built my confidence, and it meant I hit the ground running when it came to starting the first year of the mechanical engineering course.
Instead of going on a placement year, during the summer periods between my university course years I sought out and worked for an engineering contractor - AMEC.
This experience proved essential as it eventually meant I secured a place on the AMEC graduate scheme. Not only did the experience give me an insight into the working environment and the industry which I was planning on entering, it also showed me the link between what I was studying at university and how it was relevant in the business world. The summer internships also gave me motivation for achieving high grades at university.
I have always believed that university is a package and that it’s a balance between academics, sport and social. Plymouth offers a large assortment of sporting opportunities and I have been fortunate enough to represent the University all across the UK in a variety of sports as well as play in Europe. I have just returned from four months in Finland where I was playing professional American football - an opportunity I would not have had if it were not for Plymouth. The sports teams are a great way to meet new people and experience new challenges.
Studying mechanical engineering at University of Plymouth has helped equip me with all the necessary tools, skills and knowledge enabling me to reach my full potential. Plymouth offered me not just an academic experience but a life experience as it opened up an abundance of opportunities I would not otherwise have had. Thanks in no small part to University of Plymouth I am now working for AMEC, where I am currently involved with the BP Clair Ridge Project - a £4.5 billion investment in the second phase of development on the Clair field which lies 75km to the west of the Shetland Islands. The oil rig consists of two bridge linked fixed steel jacket platforms and topsides, comprising of a drilling and production platform, and a quarters and utilities platform. While working at AMEC I am focusing towards gaining chartership status with the IMechE.
From having relatively poor A level results to achieving a first class honours degree is testament to the lecturers’ ability at Plymouth and shows their drive to get the most out of the students."