Mantas Gudaitis
Engineering/Physics/Maths/Geophysics Foundation Year; MEng Aeronautics and Astronautics, current student
The Foundation Year helped me to acclimatise to a different educational system and set a strong foundation for my future degree by enabling me to learn important skills including referencing, writing reports and reflection. In addition, it has given me some essential theoretical skills that I have carried over to my current degree.
What made you choose to come and study at Southampton?
When I was applying for universities, I was deeply fascinated by the aerodynamics of Formula One cars, so I naturally checked which university one of the most influential aerodynamicists – Adrian Newey – went to. That was the main reason I chose Southampton.
How has your Foundation Year helped you within your current course?
The Foundation Year helped me to acclimatise to a different educational system and set a strong foundation for my future degree by enabling me to learn important skills including referencing, writing reports and reflection. In addition, it has given me some essential theoretical skills that I have carried over to my current degree.
What were you anxious about before coming to Southampton, and once here were these fears overcome? How did Southampton help you settle in and help you belong?
Before coming to study at Southampton, I had never been to the United Kingdom, so when I arrived at the airport I was all alone in a foreign country with no friends or family with me. Thankfully, the University's Welcome Service took me from the airport straight to my halls of residence, and they were very helpful in that first day in UK. In the next few weeks, the Residences staff, the academics, and the entire Students Union made me feel welcomed and from that point on, I felt like a real part of the university.
What is it like studying here?
Studying in Southampton is challenging, yet fun. There is always something to do for the course, whether it is a lab report or a small piece of coursework that needs to be done soon. But even so, the work-life balance is great, and the supportive lecturers who answer your every question with enthusiasm make it even better. The facilities for engineering here in Southampton are amazing, and I could not have imagined anything like this in my wildest dreams.
How do you rate study facilities at the University, such as the Library? Have you found the Library, its content and the study spaces available within it useful?
I rate them very highly, because I feel that in Southampton, the Hartley library is the main hub for all the students to do everything that is related to their degrees.
What have been your Southampton ‘highlights’ so far?
So far, the greatest experiences that I have had in Southampton have come from my time with Southampton Quidditch Club, of which I have been a part for almost three years now. During this time, we have become the national champions and European bronze medallists. Being a part of this club is like being a part of a family, and that is much more than I could have ever asked from a society.
What other activities have you taken advantage of while at University?
I have also been a part of the Southampton University Formula Student Team (SUFST) for the first two years of my university life. I feel that this experience revealed how engineering processes work in a close-knit environment, and what many people working towards a common goal can do.
What are you enjoying most about your course?
It must be the fact that everything that is taught in the degree is extremely relatable to the industry and that some things that are shown during the lectures are still in development. It just shows how well the material has kept up with the newest developments and technology so that students would be able to join a placement or a graduate job without needing a lot of acclimatisation.
Do you have any idea of what you would like to do in the future? Have the opportunities you have taken up while at the University of Southampton helped you have a clearer idea of what you might like to do?
So far, I have not decided on what exactly I want my career to be, but I feel that undertaking an Individual Project in Year 3 will help me to realise the best way to go forward. Currently, all I know is that after graduation, I would like to return to my home country and work there. A lot of promising talent is leaving the country for better offers abroad, but I want to show that instead of leaving, it is possible to create great businesses and great technology in Lithuania – we just need to put our minds to it.
Did you stay in University accommodation? What were your halls of residence like in terms of facilities?
I stayed in University accommodation during my Foundation Year. I lived in Bencraft Halls of Residence, and I really enjoyed it – since there were only about 200 people living there, the community was very close and everyone knew one another. The facilities in the halls were exceptional, and the Residences staff were very helpful with any enquiries. I made quite a few friends during my time there, and we still live together.
Do you like living in Southampton? What are the benefits of Southampton as a city?
Southampton is a great city for students to live in, as everything is easily accessible and the public transport system is great. The city is very safe in my opinion, and this is very important when choosing a university.