Gaby Vicarey, a postgraduate student studying an MSc in Geotechnical Engineering, writes about her passion for the subject and what she hopes to achieve after completing her postgraduate degree
During secondary school and sixth form I really enjoyed geography lessons, so much so I decided to pursue it at University. Although, I preferred to only continue with physical geography rather than human geography, as I enjoy the more scientific approach to the discipline. Thus, when looking for undergraduate university courses I decided to complete a joint honours BSc in Physical Geography and Geology. Until then I had never studied geology and didn’t know what to expect, at first it was tough but later in the course I started to enjoy it which made it easier to study. By the time, I came to complete the course in 2015 geology became the subject I enjoyed the most and had the best grades in.
Originally, I wanted to go straight into industry once graduating, however the companies I applied for stated that I required more experience and a master’s qualification. As a result through recommendations from a friend, I decided to attend an open day at Newcastle University.
Whilst at the open day I found out that the university was ranked within the top 1% of global institutions, 16th in the world for global research power and 80% of students went into work 6 months after graduating.
In addition, whilst there I spoke with staff about the MSc in Engineering Geology degree programme, which my friend from my undergraduate degree spoke highly of. They stated how this programme would be able to provide me with the specialist technical skills and industrial knowledge which are paramount to having a career in engineering geology. Furthermore, throughout the course several professionals from the industry give guest lectures on techniques and industrial codes of practice, these are sessions designed to benefit not only our education but it also allows us to ask questions about companies, specific jobs and how you would apply for them.
The combination of the university’s reputation, the course specification and guest lectures, prompted my decision to apply for the programme starting September 2016.
Whilst here I have been able to consider a variety of options for my future career, often fluctuating between working within the industry and going into academia. I have been able to discuss with staff about these options and decide what my next steps will be. Resulting in me deciding to become a teacher, as I would like to stimulate and encourage young people into considering an enjoyable and educational geological career.
Being at Newcastle has helped me realise my potential, as I have been able to work alongside students and lecturers to develop my communication, leading and organisational skills to run group sessions and be a valuable member of the student-staff committee.