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The University of Southampton
Chemistry

Lawrence Marinaccio BSc Chemistry, 2017

Incoming graduate in Corporate Strategy at Jaguar Land Rover

Lawrence Marinaccio's Photo

I will be starting a graduate position in Corporate Strategy at Jaguar Land Rover. The fact I was doing an analytical, problem solving focused degree in Chemistry really helped me perform in the assessment centre for this job, as I could draw from my experiences and articulate how these would help me perform in a professional environment.

Why did you choose to come and study at Southampton?

Southampton is conveniently located near my home town (north of Portsmouth) which made going home for the odd weekend very easy. It also enabled me to continue my part time work at the Portswood (Southampton) Waitrose during the holidays.

What is it like studying here?

Studying at Southampton gives you a varied approach to learning with a good mix of theory and practicals in Chemistry.

While you have a definite need to be independent and take control of your own learning there is always support on offer for those who need it, and the lecturers are very approachable and more than willing to help.

The campus is conveniently located near lots of student housing as well as Portswood high street and a massive Sainsbury’s.

How do you rate study facilities at the University?

The library on campus [Hartley Library] is very large and it is structured so that different floors correspond to different levels of noise and activity allowed.

Students can book nearly any study room on campus which is very easy to do online. This is incredibly useful for group study sessions with friends as you can guarantee yourself a private learning area for a set period of time.

What have been your Southampton highlights?

My best experience was taking part in the Wateraid ‘Walk for Water’ charity event where we raised over £1900 for Wateraid by completing 27.1 miles of walking in one day.

What did you enjoy most about your course?

The part of my course that I enjoyed the most was the dissertation / research project I completed in my third and final year of study. This was an education-based project where I was tasked with improving the way a challenging topic in first year was taught. I enjoyed this as I could positively impact the course through innovation of new learning techniques and identification of effective resources. The department gave me the freedom to suggest and then implement changes to the course, which I was then able to evaluate through a student survey and focus groups.

I found this project to be extremely rewarding and it was great to be given the opportunity to do something completely different to the lab work experienced in the first two years of my degree.

Did you have the opportunity to study modules outside of your core subject area?

Yes, I studied a module titled ‘The Management of Risk and Uncertainty’ in my second year of study which was all about identifying and limiting risks within a range of industries. This was completely unrelated to Chemistry and the assessment was 100% based on a group presentation. My group looked at the mitigation of uncertainty within the music industry which I found to be very interesting.

Did you stay in University accommodation?

I stayed in Montefiore Halls in my first year of study. There were several other Chemistry undergraduates who were also in this halls complex, so it’s easy to make friends that you can travel to lectures with. The buses run regularly to campus and beyond for those who want to go into Portswood or the city centre while there are facilities for sports, music and leisure available to all students at most halls.

What is the city of Southampton like to live in?

The night life in Southampton is decent and offers a good variety of cheap and easy options, as well as nights out that are a bit fancier at Switch, Oceana or Bedford Place. The city, while not massive, has everything you need with a large shopping centre, lots of restaurants and bars plus other leisure such as sport and cinema all easily accessible.

What are your aspirations for the future? How will your degree assist with your ambitions?

In September I will be starting a graduate position in Corporate Strategy at Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The fact I was doing an analytical, problem solving focused degree in Chemistry really helped me perform in the assessment centre for this job, as I could draw from my experiences and articulate how these would help me perform in a professional environment.

Similarly, last summer I completed an 8-week internship with Deloitte in London, doing Strategy Consulting, with the skills obtained during my degree also helping me achieve this position.

In the future, I aim to progress with JLR and achieve a management position in the short-midterm. I believe that the communication skills and practicality gained in the lab will be crucial in achieving this, coupled with the independence and self-determination required to succeed in this type of degree.

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