Jack Gradus MEng Ship Science with Naval Architecture, 2016

The thing that really stood out about Southampton for me was the staff. The course is, evidently, one of the best in the country, and this is testament to each and every member of staff who puts in vast amounts of effort and always has an open door to have a chat about work or anything else.

I’ve spent the past four years loving life at university. It started in halls in South Hill, Glen Eyre, which was busy but great fun. Getting into the course, I realised that it was really quite small and this gave me the opportunity to meet absolutely everyone and to actually meet a far broader range of friends than you might on a bigger course. I was involved with the waterski/wakeboard and ski/snowboard societies and I found that these were a great way to keep fit and socialise. I also got into rugby with the NOC Sharks. I spent all four years playing for them and competing in the intra-mural league.

In the later years of the course, I really came to understand the whole concept of Ship Science in that it is one big community comprised of undergraduates, postgraduates and staff. This made those years so much easier and more enjoyable as you could ask anyone anything, and this happened on a regular basis. I also, from my second year onwards, was the Academic President for Ship Science. This meant that I formed a link between staff and students and was also to help shape the course to make it better academically and ensure that it was as effective as possible for students. This showed how much the course is student driven and it was a privilege to help mould the course for future graduates coming out in the next number of years.

Why did you choose to come to Southampton?

While the course itself is pretty niche, the thing that really stood out about Southampton for me was the staff. They were, oddly (though I know now there’s nothing odd about it), normal human beings; you could have an in depth discussion with them about both vortex induced vibrations on oil risers closely followed by their favourite places to socialise. This was something I’d not seen anywhere else and I instantly felt at home. The variety of societies was also fantastic and I knew that coming to the University would provide opportunities to get into absolutely anything I wanted.

What have you enjoyed most about your course?

This would have to be the people and the community. The course is, evidently, one of the best in the country but that is testament to each and every member of staff who puts in vast amounts of effort and always has an open door to have a chat about work or anything else.

Would you recommend your course to other students?

Absolutely!

Have you undertaken a project as part of your course?

I completed two major projects as part of the course. In third year you do an individual project which is what most people would call their dissertation. I got the chance to do mine on the Concurrent Engineering of Motor Yacht Design which I absolutely loved. While a lot of people have preassigned project titles, you can take the chance to mould the project into whatever you want and the supervisors are all very keen to let you lead the way. If none of the titles take your fancy, you can propose your own and work with a supervisor both who is an expert in their field but will be more than happy to support you. This was a brilliant chance to take some initiative and to really drive forwards the kind of work that I wanted to do in the future.

In my fourth year was the Group Design Project (GDP). This is, as the name suggests, a group project and my group was made up of eight others from Ship Science and Mechanical Engineering. This gave me the chance to work with totally new people and to take on a task in an industry-type environment. The opportunities to engage with industry were amazing and this was something I absolutely loved, with around £12,000 in support by the end of the year. There were certainly ups and downs over the time completing the GDP, but I genuinely think I learned more from this than any other part of the course and it is something I’ll always cherish in my future career.

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

They’ve been amazing. Over the past four years I’ve got to know every member of staff who’s taught me on a first name basis, and a number of those who I’ve not been lectured by. Everyone, both staff and students, was put on the same level of the building and this made absolutely everything so much easier. Each member of staff left their doors open for students to pop in and it was rarely a challenge to find any kind of support when it was needed.

Have you undertaken a placement as part of your course?

I worked in industry between my third and fourth years throughout the summer. This was with two separate companies for four and six weeks respectively. The work was massively varied and included doing calculations to make sure the Clipper 70 fleet could go underneath a bridge in the East, cost estimations on small hull manufacture, hull extensions on a 30 metre superyacht and anchor specification for a high speed ferry. Each and every task was different and it was great to see how companies are willing to trust their interns with really very important work.

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

Outside the norm, I am planning to go into superyacht brokerage. This will be in the long term, though for the next couple of years I’ll be gaining experience as a deckhand on board. Although my day to day work will likely not use the degree, working as a broker with a technical background will give me a great standing and allow me to progress as my product knowledge will be superior to the majority joining the profession. Being able to do this shows the versatility of the course and what the university experience has taught me in far broader terms than just the academic knowledge.

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

As mentioned above, the technical background will provide me with knowledge to help potential buyers make a more informed decision. While this can be also be gained through experience, having the course will put me leaps and bounds ahead of others my age.

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

Take the opportunities. University, and particularly Southampton and the Ship Science course, provide so many chances to get involved in so much outside the academic learning. Those are actually the bits you’ll benefit from most rather than every individual lecture and tutorial. Of course that’s not to say don’t prioritise the academic work, as you should, but remember that university is a chance to really develop yourself as a character and it would be devastating to see that go to waste.

What do you love about Southampton?

Southampton, certainly as a university city, is pretty much spot on. It has everything you might ever need and a vast range of culture just on the doorstep in any direction. It may not be the prettiest place in the world, but few other cities will compete when you need to live and work for a reasonable cost and you want to be able to explore the rest of the county and the country easily. The Isle of Wight, the New Forest, Winchester, London and anywhere easily reached from Southampton Airport are suddenly weekend plans made on the spur of the moment. The chance to explore new places is right there before you.

What is your ambition?

This is driven by my career aspirations. In two years I want to be a working on one of the world’s most prestigious superyachts and in five years’ time I want to be the broker who might sell it to the owner. I’m very much someone who likes the concept of ‘why not?’, so along the way I’ll be taking every opportunity I can to progress myself. This might lead me into a completely different career path but at the age of 22, with a Naval Architecture degree from the University of Southampton, the world looks a pretty bright place filled with opportunities waiting to be taken.