His mind was made up when he saw the high-quality facilities available at the Boldrewood campus. This includes using the Large Structure Laboratory and Engineering design studios and workshops.
He learned about a range of topics from thermofluids to soil mechanics and structural design. A hands-on ‘Constructionarium’ experience allowed his skills to flourish.
During this week-long construction site simulation, Harry and the team had to plan, resource and build a full-scale bridge structure and deal with challenges experienced on working sites.
Harry worked on a different range of projects with Alan Wood & Partners after his second year, giving him a valuable opportunity to hone his skills in writing calculation reports to producing 3D structural analysis modelling. During this year with the company, he developed his soft skills through presenting to clients and gained an understanding of working to budgets.
These experiences have been a fantastic opportunity to see civil engineering in the real world and how what we learn in the classroom can translate into reality.
Harry, MEng Civil Engineering
Developing through experience
“It’s been incredibly rewarding. I’ve had the chance to do a lot of different things you don’t get experience of at university. It was a great opportunity to fast-forward my professional development and start to think about the different attributes for chartership, a lot of which require industry experience.”
Harry has two more years before graduating to decide what to do next. He will utilise the facilities and teaching to build his final year project, a prototype reinforced concrete columns to test under seismic loading during earthquakes.
“The modern campus gives undergraduates a great space to work independently, as well as access to world-class lab facilities. The way the course is taught is great – there is a range of different teaching methods, such as group design projects, recorded and in-person lectures, tutorials and lots more, which means you get to apply your skills in lots of different ways.
“I always wanted to take Civil Engineering, having seen how it impacts the lives of so many through infrastructure, design and build. The Civil Engineering course offers so many opportunities to solve a range of complex problems and offers many opportunities to develop skills, such as teamwork and project management. It’s a great springboard to the construction sector.”
But for Harry, it wasn’t just the facilities and teaching that contributed to his fulfilling experience; the personal opportunities through societies and social spaces meant he found his place both academically and personally.
“I am proud of how I’ve thrown myself into every opportunity that has arisen during my time in Southampton, whether that’s engagement throughout the course, societies and other activities. This has made my time at university feel worthwhile, and I am happy with how I’ve developed as a person over my time in Southampton.”
