- #1
graeme01
- 4
- 0
Hi
Right basically after some advice from you lot that have a lot more work and life experience than me
My carreer so far:
Im currentley 21 and i left school at 16 to join an engineering college which has got a very good reputation in the uk. It is called TTE if anyone knows of it. I was sponsored by Shell through this college with the first two years based at the college doing broadbased engineering ( process, power and control and mechanical) with a couple weeks work experience on site. I then went down the route of mechanical (not entirley out of choice but there was no places left for power and control and i didnt want to be an operator at the time) and spent the last 18 months of the apprentiship on site at shell stanlow doing pure mechanical fitting.
This has consisted of overhauling different kit form the plants such as compressors, sundine pumps and basic pumps like single overhung and vil's, pit pumps, turbines, ( also spent time in the TA hall with the 6 huge turbo alternators) i have worked on the plants themselves including the catalytic cracker, distillation, chemicals and oils units, and the tankage side of the site.
I have undertaken my HNC partime in mechanical engineering which i am due to finish in june this year with triple distinction overall grade.
I have now worked on site for about 2 1/2 years and I am currentley in the central workshops in the valve shop which oversees the overhauling of all releif valves, pilot valves, pressure vacuum valves and so on.
later on last year i started to doubt that this is actually what i wnated to do with the rest of my life ( mechanical fitter ) so i approached the company and asked to do a part time degree to open up some doors for me and they basically turned round and said come back in a few years, do some a levels in pure maths and physics and we will consider it then.
A little annoyed and wondering what to do i applied to univeristies full time and got all five offers back for mech engineering includiong two offers from univerisity of Leeds and university of aston which i was very proud of. These offers were based on my personal statement, work experience and distinction grade hnc.
Basically I am now stressing out wondering what the best thing to do is? whether to leave work and take study up full time, hopefully getting a decent grade from one of the two above decent univeristy's and then get an engineering graduate job which may be a bit more challenging for me.
In the meantime the site is now in the process of changing hands to a company called essar which is due to be finalised in june this year so I'm now wondering if their speal of wanting to expand peoples careers and improve their opportunites is worth staying on for.
Im just not sure if Mech engineering is really for me. I mean i have a keen interest in modified cars and modern engineering ideas and techniques but overhauling old fashioned pumps that are older then me isn't really what i had in mind. I know the moneys good and i will earn roughly a shade over 30 grand this year which for an undergraduate at my age is really good but I am just not enjoying it.
Another side of the story is that all of us that left school just don't feel as though we have lived life as much as people going to college and then onto univeristy were we were just blinkered by the prospects of money without doing a degree and now we are stuck in the same job at the young age of 21
Anyone offer any advice on what different routes i could take? It will all be taken on board so don't be afraid of putting it bluntly.
Many regards
Graeme
Right basically after some advice from you lot that have a lot more work and life experience than me
My carreer so far:
Im currentley 21 and i left school at 16 to join an engineering college which has got a very good reputation in the uk. It is called TTE if anyone knows of it. I was sponsored by Shell through this college with the first two years based at the college doing broadbased engineering ( process, power and control and mechanical) with a couple weeks work experience on site. I then went down the route of mechanical (not entirley out of choice but there was no places left for power and control and i didnt want to be an operator at the time) and spent the last 18 months of the apprentiship on site at shell stanlow doing pure mechanical fitting.
This has consisted of overhauling different kit form the plants such as compressors, sundine pumps and basic pumps like single overhung and vil's, pit pumps, turbines, ( also spent time in the TA hall with the 6 huge turbo alternators) i have worked on the plants themselves including the catalytic cracker, distillation, chemicals and oils units, and the tankage side of the site.
I have undertaken my HNC partime in mechanical engineering which i am due to finish in june this year with triple distinction overall grade.
I have now worked on site for about 2 1/2 years and I am currentley in the central workshops in the valve shop which oversees the overhauling of all releif valves, pilot valves, pressure vacuum valves and so on.
later on last year i started to doubt that this is actually what i wnated to do with the rest of my life ( mechanical fitter ) so i approached the company and asked to do a part time degree to open up some doors for me and they basically turned round and said come back in a few years, do some a levels in pure maths and physics and we will consider it then.
A little annoyed and wondering what to do i applied to univeristies full time and got all five offers back for mech engineering includiong two offers from univerisity of Leeds and university of aston which i was very proud of. These offers were based on my personal statement, work experience and distinction grade hnc.
Basically I am now stressing out wondering what the best thing to do is? whether to leave work and take study up full time, hopefully getting a decent grade from one of the two above decent univeristy's and then get an engineering graduate job which may be a bit more challenging for me.
In the meantime the site is now in the process of changing hands to a company called essar which is due to be finalised in june this year so I'm now wondering if their speal of wanting to expand peoples careers and improve their opportunites is worth staying on for.
Im just not sure if Mech engineering is really for me. I mean i have a keen interest in modified cars and modern engineering ideas and techniques but overhauling old fashioned pumps that are older then me isn't really what i had in mind. I know the moneys good and i will earn roughly a shade over 30 grand this year which for an undergraduate at my age is really good but I am just not enjoying it.
Another side of the story is that all of us that left school just don't feel as though we have lived life as much as people going to college and then onto univeristy were we were just blinkered by the prospects of money without doing a degree and now we are stuck in the same job at the young age of 21
Anyone offer any advice on what different routes i could take? It will all be taken on board so don't be afraid of putting it bluntly.
Many regards
Graeme