Ted Coles
- Course
- Chemical Engineering MEng
- Subject area
- Chemical Engineering
I choose to study at º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ due to its position in university and engineering ranking tables. After speaking to careers advisors I heard it was well known for sports too. I play football in my spare time so figured it would lead to a good work/life balance.
The advice I would give to someone considering studying this course is to be resilient. It’s a tough course, but it is also very satisfying when it all comes together and will give you a desirable skill set for your future career.
I did my placement with a chemicals company called Sika. It’s a manufacturing site that mass produces silicone and acrylic adhesives amongst other construction products. I joined the process engineering team, working with them across multiple projects throughout the year.
Choosing to do a placement was a no brainer really. A course that’s engineering based really needs some application, so I saw it as an opportunity to use what I’d learnt in my first two years. I also liked the idea of a break within my studies, a chance to earn some money and reset.
As my placement progressed I was given more work to do, including data analysis, technical drawings and presentations.
The highlight was probably being able to lead my own project. It used a lot of chemical engineering theory, so it was exciting to get the chance to practice what I had learnt. It felt like a culmination of all the work I had been doing over the placement and was very satisfying to complete.
The teaching I received during the first two years of my course allowed me to take an active role in supporting projects on site.
I had learnt how to use AutoCAD to draw P&IDs, that became my role during a lot of projects. I was involved in a mixing process, so fluid mechanics learnings was also ever present.
The main takeaway from my placement has been how important talking to people is. It seems obvious, but at times on my placement there was only so far my knowledge could take me. Having positive relationships with people on and off site was very helpful throughout the year.