Vacation Student Review

Colleagues in Arup Nottingham are very friendly and most helpful. Time management is state-of-the-art for this company as everything is planned out appropriately with no provision for mistakes.

I love lunchtime especially when everyone is preparing their meal via the microwave. Usually during working hours, we would take a break and there is a small round table in the middle of 6 working desks where everyone would turn around and ask how is each of us getting on during the weekend. Sharing and caring are one of the few gestures to show that we colleagues care about one another and that everyone does not overwork.

Provided that my supervisors are not pre-occupied by their tasks, they would put down less urgent tasks and spend some time to talk to me personally when I consult them to ask about what path to determine in my civil engineering career. My colleagues are kind and patience.

Busy working during working hours is a norm. Tasks are assigned to me at my own pace and my colleagues would first ask if I am pre-occupied with a current task before giving me a new assignment. So, I fully utilized time management skills to keep up with every task. Assessing the urgency and importance of each task is critical so that you get to work out on every task until completion by the end of the day.

I was given a chance to demonstrate my planning skills at a task of office relocation. Besides that, while working alongside with my supervisors, I was to complete a task in order for them to proceed with their next tasks at an agreed period of time when they have to leave the country for another assignment in another country. In addition, analysis of laboratory data was difficult but yet familiar, and I could sit down one-to-one with an expert to discuss the outcomes of the experiment.

Time management and utilization of available resources within my grabs are crucial to my academic future. The skills developed in Arup gave me no reason to turn down a request from my supervisors. I was shown various ways to acquire information about a project site by all accessible means that I have never thought of. Planning ahead is definitely one of the finest skills that I could learn after an internship with Arup and this allows me to foresee external and internal constraints in my group project and individual investigative dissertation.

In the morning when everyone just arrives in the office, it was very relaxing and takes a while to settle down. Then everyone focuses and bury their head at their desk working out their task-of-the-day professionally in complete silence unless they require an information from other colleagues.

Introduction on the first day could not be anymore perfect than giving a starter pack with everything that I need to know about the branch office. I was introduced to every colleague at their desks and shown around the utilities which I am allowed access to. A safety briefing was given by the safety office at the very first moment I stepped into the office.

I was given the opportunity to join my fellow colleagues for a conference talks, seminars and lectures if I am interested in. Certificates were given to every colleagues including myself as a proof of attendance.

I heard from fellow colleagues that the company is extremely pleased with my performance at the period of internship and was hoping to welcome me back for a graduate permanent job after an official application to their office. Of course, I have achieved a mutual agreement as well that Arup will be an excellent stepping stone for my civil engineering career and I have no doubt about it.

It was my first time to have beer and curry together as a meal with my fellow colleagues who are friendly and kind enough to share with me their cultural background since I am considered a foreign student acquiring a world class education in the United Kingdom.

I would say moderate as the office is about 15 minutes drive from my house which I am staying during my period of study in the University of Nottingham. Overall, it costs almost the same during term period as I do not need to find a temporary room to get to my office with ease.

It was quiet with the exception of pubs and clubs on friday and saturday night. I enjoyed the company of my fellow colleagues when they brought me to explore the deeper parts of the city which I have not been before.

I was not encouraged to work more than what I should in a day. The director and other senior colleagues would advise me to maintain a steady pace at work and enjoy myself after working hours, instead of thinking about work the whole day even after leaving the office.