Geotechnical Vacation Student Review

The placement was a really good experience! The tasks were varied and interesting; everyone was helpful and the work was challenging. Also, there are so many new concepts to learn. There is consistently new people to meet and engage with. My work was very hands on, engaging with other firms and carrying out useful desk studies. Overall it was very interesting and enjoyable.

The staff are friendly and love to engage in sports, socials and out of hour events. During my placement, I had about 3/4 official socials, and many smaller socials organised by the firm itself. It is an exciting and fun way to meet people and get to know staff members better. Everyone treats you with respect, it just feels normal.

Everyone is happy to help. Always ask questions, it can save a lot of time in the long run. There is always support and guidance available. Arup staff are very helpful and always willing to give some time to explain a concept or procedure. There is a large amount of online resources that is available for staff members. Senior members will be happy to guide younger/less experienced engineers to the correct documents/references.

Some days are busier than others. But there is always something to do. Building up to deadlines, there is always lots of work to gather and combine. Generally, tasks will keep coming and meetings normally generate more work to review and update existing work.

To be honest, I was running a small part of the project all by myself. It felt really good and rewarding. It was a short placement, so I wasn't expecting much responsibility, I was just leaning new concepts and developing new skills.

It has been very helpful. Arup is an excellent company with many workshops, skills training, collaborative learning and lunchtime talks. All of this information ensures that the staff and students are well equipped with the latest knowledge, experience and advice they require. At times, there is so much to get involved in; it becomes a matter of attending what you want.

The office is very busy, active and lively. There are always social events running for various departments of the company. During the working day, the office is very quiet, Thus, allowing consultants to think and carry out important calculations without too many unrequited distractions. Everyone is really nice and chatty, there are social areas in the building and a cafe, so it doesn't feel too serious.

The placement was moderately organised, which is great because it allowed for flexibility of what I wanted to do. For example, going on a site visit was really helpful. It really shows through the great experience that Arup has provided me. The work is set to the right level, challenging enough to keep me thinking, but not too hard to involve overtime work. Therefore, the placement work was organised to the correct level, thus, I really enjoyed my placement.

Someone always checks your work allowing changes to be made to allow greater personal development. Additionally, the firm is also happy to provide internal training and guidance on using a new software or program. Overall, the firm is happy to spend money to train young engineers, as long as the cost - benefit implications are justifiable

Arup is a very highly reputed firm within the engineering industry. Especially the civil engineering industry. The company has over 12,000 staff members and is still growing. It has a vast amount of experience in all civil engineering fields. In particular, Arup still holds true to its core values, leading to large amounts of success. Clearly, the prospects are very high for a multinational firm.

I was only with Arup for 6 weeks, so I didn't have much time to engage with other students. However, based on my year long placement; I met regularly with other placement students within the london office. This was a great way to share experiences and meet likeminded people. The firm also holds social events for lower level engineers. These networking sessions are very useful, allowing staff to engage and learn more about the progresses and achievements of other members. There are not many other companies that do this.

London is fairly expensive. However, the costs are manageable and reasonable. However, some care needs to be taken. Generally, the most expensive part of London is travelling and accommodation. Apart from the that, the food and other living costs are fairly standard. Additionally, if the placement is paid then there is not much to worry about. i recommend not letting the finances govern the decisions you make.

The nightlife was excellent. London is known for its nightlife. There are many places to go out and eat, cinemas, local pub, nightclubs and social sporting events. Therefore, the nightlife is excellent and something to make the most off. I highly recommend, going out and enjoying some of what London has to offer. Especially if you do not live in London.

During my six weeks not really. But I know there are loads of opportunities in longer placements. There are always lots of things to do in London. Arup is a very social firm. It is always organising events for staff members and individual teams are also holding lunches and dinners. London has a lot to offer. It is just a case of figuring out what you enjoy and find some likeminded people. This is one of the biggest joys of working for Arup in London.