Christophe  Rident MEng Ship Science; Naval Architecture

Hi, I'm Christophe Rident and I studied MEng Ship Science; Naval Architecture within Engineering and the Environment at the University of Southampton.

The friendly atmosphere within the ship science department, the availability of all the lecturers and post-graduate students and their willingness to answer any questions and queries at any time, without prior notice is, in my eyes, what makes the ship science department so successful, and has definitely been one of the main contributing factors as to why I have enjoyed my time at the university so much.

Christophe Rident is coming to the end of his MEng Ship Science; Naval Architecture course, which he calls "the best available in the UK". An enthusiastic sailor, Christophe was also keen to study at a university close to the sea.

After researching the possibilities, he found Southampton was the best choice. "I liked the fact that it doesn't just focus on naval architecture and engineering, allowing you to become a well rounded engineer employable just about anywhere. I also enjoy the challenging nature of the course, which really gets the most out of the students."

Christophe appreciates the state-of-the-art facilities on campus such as the towing tank, wind tunnel and specialist computing but, above all, he says Southampton's people make a difference. "The friendly atmosphere within Ship Science, the availability of all the lecturers and postgraduate students and their willingness to answer any questions and queries is, in my eyes, what makes the department so successful," he says. "This has definitely been one of the main contributing factors to why I have enjoyed my time at the university so much.

Christophe has also been a committee member of Southampton's tennis club for three years. "Being part of the club is a great way to relax and take my mind off work when needed," he comments.

He has this honest  advice for future students: "Be prepared for a lot of maths and physics, not just design, although that is also an integral part of the degree. This means the course isn't just for keen sailors as people often think. But the hard work you need to put into this course makes it all the more rewarding and fascinating, and the friendliness of everyone within the department means help is always at hand. A good laugh is always there to be had, so you will have a great time."