Vacation Student Review

I really enjoyed my work placement, as it was great being part of a multidisciplinary team. The work I was given was very interesting and challenging. It really was a great place to work, due to both the work I was doing as well as the people within the team.

I felt included as part of the team. Everyone was welcoming and friendly. By the end of the placement I didn't want to leave. Many asked me if I was considering applying for the graduate job next year, which has encouraged me to look into pursuing this as a career.

I was given plenty of support and guidance by all the engineers in the office. I felt comfortable asking questions if I was unsure with what I was doing. Even though the whole office was busy with their own work, not one person minded me asking them a question at any point.

The first week was slow, but this was because I was still learning, as the weeks went on I was able to take on 3 or 4 tasks at a time. There was plenty of work for me to get on with and I was able to get on with work by myself.

I was given a lot of responsibility, much more than what I expected when I first joined. By the end of my placement I, with help of a senior engineer, was able to submit a lighting design report to a city council. This was a big responsibility which I'm grateful to have had that opportunity.

The skills I developed during my time at ARUP were not only software based, I also developed my basic skills such as time management and simple organizing techniques. I did gain a lot of software skills, mainly in Revit, but also in elevator software and Dialux, a lighting design and calculations model.

The atmosphere in the office was a relaxed, but hard working one. You could sense the importance of the work at hand. However it was also a friendly working atmosphere. It was refreshing to be in work place where everyone is appreciated for the work they can put into a project.

The welcoming day was a bit sporadic but the information given was very helpful. Also it was great to be introduced to everyone in the office to put names to faces. There was a welcome presentation given by HR as well as one by the specific discipline. Overall the work placement was well organised throughout my time with the company.

I was invited to many leaning and development talks, which increased my knowledge of certain aspects of the industry throughout my placement. Also the engineers in the office did not mind taken time out of their day to teach me how to use the software and answering any questions I had.

The future employment prospects with ARUP are great! They use this summer placement as a 6 week interview, so if they like what you have done with your time with them and you enjoy your time there then it is highly likely that you future prospects with this company will be high.

Yes there was a great social scene. The office I was with made sure that there were socials regularly. Also they did socials that weren't based around alcohol which was nice, we went bowling for a social which was good fun. Also in the past they have been go-karting and they were always asking for any ideas for a social, so everyone felt involved in the plans.

I was lucky enough to live close enough to the office to stay at home with my parents during this placement. However I do know that cardiff is a great city of socialising and has a relatively low cost of living compatred to other big cities.

When I did go out with work the nightlife was great. Cardiff is a very friendly city. It is a very lively city, with people out most nights of the week. Also there's a lot of choice for different types of night out, from mellow bars to live band venues.

Because I live relatively close to work I was already involved activities outside of work at home. But from what I heard in the office there were a lot of opportunities around the city for many different types of activities outside of work .