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The University of Southampton
Engineering

Alex Gibby MEng Mechanical Engineering/Automotive, 2017

Project Engineer, Aston Martin

Alex Gibby's Photo

First and foremost, my time at Southampton taught me the engineering fundamentals that will be applied throughout my career.

Why did you choose to study at Southampton?

I chose to study at the University of Southampton because of the open day I attended. Everyone I spoke to was enthusiastic, friendly and had clearly enjoyed their time at the University.

In addition, Southampton as a city has a lot to offer. There is something for everyone whether that is sporting events or large open spaces to relax. The outstanding transport links also make it very easy to visit other cities.

What is it like studying Mechanical Engineering at Southampton?

The projects I completed throughout the course were the most enjoyable aspect. Applying the skills and knowledge taught to a real life problem are an excellent method at reinforcing what you have learnt.

The wide variety of module choices available also made the course more enjoyable. Having such a large range of subjects to learn about meant I could select topics that interested me.

The highlight of the course was the fourth year Group Design Project. The project provided the opportunity to work with other likeminded individuals and to apply the fundamentals taught throughout the course to an engineering problem. It was very rewarding to see a year’s worth of work culminate with a functional condensing steam engine.

What was life like as a student in Southampton?

My other highlight was being a member of the Southampton University Formula Student Team. It was a great way to meet people in other years and on different courses. It is a unique and testing challenge to design and build a race car. Being a member gave me hands on experience and allowed me to utilise the facilities offered by the Engineering Design and Manufacturing Centre. Then seeing the car race at Silverstone made all the hard work worthwhile.

Moreover, the Career Fairs organised by the University are extremely valuable. These events are great for networking with various companies as well as receiving advice on how to improve your CV.

Gaining experience through a work placement

At the end of my third year I completed an 8 week summer internship at Exxon Mobil. This was a great experience that developed my interpersonal skills and demonstrated how to apply these skills to a working environment. Moreover the placement provided me with a greater indication of which engineering sector I wanted to pursue a career in.

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