Case Study

I chose to come to Sunderland while researching where I wanted to study for my degree. It stood out as a great university, and from my previous experiences I knew the University and the city had a good culture, people were approachable and friendly, and the city had great transport links.

Before I studied Mechanical Engineering, I worked as a light vehicle mechanic for several years. I was working in cold, quite poor conditions for low wages. After a death in the family, I decided to reassess my life and better myself. I gained some perspective and decided to follow a career in Engineering.

There are so many good parts about studying here. I really enjoyed the comradery between the students, as I think I would have struggled without the support network we built together. The lecturers are also extremely supportive.

Since graduating I’ve had several career progressions. I started as a graduate asset manager and have since moved onto various different roles. Currently I’m a technical plant engineer in rotating equipment.

Throughout my career so far, I’ve used quite a lot of the material science and engineering skills that I learned during my degree, as well as parts of instrumentation. Within the industry I currently work in, thermodynamics is one of the subjects I use most regularly.

In the future my goal is to complete a PhD while working alongside my career in industry, eventually reaching a senior engineer role.

If I could give any advice to someone wanting to study engineering, I would say to always attend, engage in classes, and make friends. I think if you do those three things you’ll sail through your degree.

Studying at the University of Sunderland was an extremely fun, eye-opening experience. I developed as a person, and as an engineer."

Published 21 February 2024