Gareth Pym
Process Control Engineer
Everything manmade that surrounds you in your everyday life will have involved Chemical Engineering at some point. The food you eat, the medicine you take and the fuel you use - these are not possible without Chemical Engineering.
If you enjoy maths and sciences and problem solving, then this is for you. The skills and theory you will learn and demonstrate throughout university will help you to grow as an individual and directly allow you to contribute to society’s needs. You could be increasing efficiencies, developing /designing new technologies or leading multimillion pound national or even international projects.
The possibilities are endless and will leave you with a diverse skillset.
Post 16 Education: AS Levels Psychology; A Levels Maths, Chemistry, Biology
Higher Education: MEng Chemical Engineering
Why did you choose to study Chemical Engineering?
At age 16 I was working in a pharmacy part time as initially I wanted to be a doctor. Once, when I was stocking tablets, I started to question; Where do all these different types of medicine come from? How are they produced? How on a mass scale and in variety? Alongside this I had a strong passion for Maths, Science and general problem solving – more specifically, how are these subjects/skills applied in the real world to make a difference to benefit society?
The combination of these things led me to Chemical Engineering.
Gareth's experience as a student
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ was one of the best times of my life.
Initially it can be a bit of shock, for me it was the first time I’d lived away from home. However, it gave me independence and self-reliance which betters you in the long term.
In my degree, I found that you get back what you put in. If you work hard/throw yourself into your degree, you will do well! A key thing to remember is that it isn’t all about studying, it is just as important to enjoy yourself and find what you enjoy; make great memories and friends.
Gareth's Career
During my third year at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ I completed a year in industry at GlaxoSmithKline working as a Production Engineer.
Then in my fourth year of my degree I conducted a research project abroad for a semester at Cornell University in New York, USA.
In the summer before my fifth year (the final year of my MEng degree) I completed a summer internship at ExxonMobil.
I am now working as a Process Control Engineer at ExxonMobil’s Petrochemical Refinery in Southampton, having worked here for ~3 years now. I am responsible for how a section of the refinery’s process is controlled / optimised (think of cruise control on a car, but for a chemical plant).
Gareth’s advice
Discover and then pursue what you enjoy or what you are good at, and remember that a lot of adults still don’t know what they want to do when they grow up!
Start to explore what potential careers there are out in the world and which ones suit what you enjoy and go from there. In Year 11 I thought I was going to be a doctor and study medicine, by Year 12 I was set on Chemical Engineering. Things change.
Another thing, Year 12 is just as important as Year 13, I learnt that the hard way, so put the effort in now!
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ offers undergraduate degrees in:
Chemical Engineering
All º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s undergraduate degrees offer the opportunity to take a placement year.