Thomas Richards (Tom)

What are your top 3 favourite things about Swansea (the city/area)?

The beautiful surrounding areas, the vast array of places to eat and drink in the marina and in town, and I’ve found everyone to be super friendly and nice. 

Why did you choose to study your degree at Swansea?

I had a friend who did an engineering degree at Swansea. When it came to clearing, I wanted to know his thoughts on the University and the City. He was really positive about the faculty, the equipment and how state-of-the-art the new campus and its facilities were. 

What is your favourite thing about your course?

My favourite thing is how supportive the department have been, along with how well they have set me up to succeed in a professional environment. I have also seen the direct relevance of the modules and teaching in the real-world during Summer Placements, so I know that the skills I’m learning are important for employers. 

Did you join us from the Foundation year? If yes – what is your experience of this? 

Yes, the foundation year helped me get to grips with the fundamentals of engineering. Being able to do bitesize modules of various engineering disciplines also helped me to hone-in my specialism, which I could choose when passing the foundation year. This was incredibly helpful and despite it being such a challenge, I am glad I went through it.

What are you planning to do after you graduate?

I am excited to get to work and use the knowledge I have learned in my Undergraduate degree. I can’t wait to do engineering work that makes a difference in a field that’s exciting!

Would you recommend Swansea University to other students? Why?

Yes, I would wholeheartedly recommend Swansea University to any students considering it. The new campus, along with beautiful locations outside of campus means that when I am at university, I’m productive with amazing resources, and when I’m off campus it’s easy to switch off and enjoy. 

Have you undertaken a work placement as part of your course (Year in Industry)? 

I have managed to do 3 placements. Between 1st and 2nd year I was a research assistant with an Engineering Doctorate student. This was facilitated through Materials academics at the university who were willing to take me on to increase my engineering skills. Between 2nd and 3rd year I did a summer placement with a fuel-cell engineering company. This really helped me develop my materials knowledge in a professional environment. After 3rd year, I am heading to Red Bull Powertrains to work on the 2026 F1 power unit, something I am hugely excited about and proud to be doing.  

If relevant, what facilities have you enjoyed using as part of your course and why?

We can choose to get hands-on with Scanning Electron Microscopes and other destructive test methods. I found this to be amazingly helpful when looking for placements as employers really liked knowing that I had experience testing various materials. 

Did you join Swansea University through Clearing. If yes – what was your experience of joining your course through Clearing? 

Yes, and found it to be a simple and easy process. I registered my interest, got the email to say clearing was open and I could apply. Soon after I made my application I was made an offer and accepted it after researching the university, attending an open day and talking to peers who I knew went to Swansea. It was all remarkably easy.