Harry Way Ship Science with Offshore Engineering, 2016

Naval Architect intern at Shell STASCO

We had course trips to visit ships, and could make use of Southampton’s amazing technical facilities.

My time at Southampton has been fantastic, and there have been great academic and social opportunities. Southampton’s night life is great, enabling a good balance between working hard and playing hard.

I’ve also found that academic staff genuinely care about your education and development.

Why did you choose to come to Southampton?

For my degree it was the best university according to the various rankings. It offered great facilities, which improved further with the addition of Boldrewood campus.

It wasn’t too far away from home, yet far enough, and was also near the sea!

What have you enjoyed most about your course?

I’ve really benefitted from the links with industry, as it enabled networking which led to my job here at Shell. We also had course trips to visit ships, and could make use of Southampton’s amazing technical facilities.

Would you recommend your course to other students?

If you’re into boats, or water sports, and you like maths and physics, this is the course for you!

Have you undertaken a project as part of your course? What was your favourite part?

In my final year, I completed a Group Design Project. Working in a team, we designed and built an Autonomous hull cleaning robot. The University’s link with Shell enabled sponsorship and advice from the Shell maritime technical department.

As a result of this opportunity to network, my application was ‘flagged’ through the application process with a recommendation from the head of the Shell technical department.

Once I started here at Shell, I had colleagues come and introduce themselves to me to find out more about the Autonomous hull cleaning robot.

What are your lecturers and tutors like? Have you found them supportive?

The lecturers are very friendly and helpful. With the Ship Science department not being a huge department relative to other engineering disciplines, you become part of a very ‘close knit’ group. Lecturers are able to remember your name, which doesn’t happen as much with other engineering disciplines.

What are your career plans after you’ve completed your course?

I’m currently completing a Shell internship and graduate scheme, which is designed to develop the future leaders of Shell.

How do you think your course will help you in your future career?

I am a Naval Architect here at Shell, so I am using all the technical knowledge I gained from my degree continuously.

If you could give prospective students one piece of advice, what would it be?

Develop your social skills while at university. Industry employers seek clever people who are able to communicate effectively. Grades aren’t just what the top companies are looking for.

The Ship Science course also gives you plenty of opportunity to practice presenting to an audience.

What do you love about Southampton?

The wide range of activities that you can do in your spare time, both inside and outside the city.

What is your ambition?

To become a leader in a large company, either remaining in the technical side or diverging into commercial.