Student Spotlight - Ryan James
An engineering qualification provides a sound basis for a number of careers - whether you’re interested in building and maintaining machines, or want to work in the lucrative energy or oil and gas sectors. At Perth College UHI, we are committed to training our students to the high standards required by the industry. On the blog this week, we chat to a student who decided to return to education after working for over ten years in a different industry. We hear about his progression to degree level, and an exciting real-life industry project that he was involved in.
What is your name, and where are you from?
Ryan James, and I’m from Crieff.
What course are you studying at Perth College UHI, and what year are you currently in?
I started at Perth College UHI on the NC Level 5 in Engineering Systems. From there, I progressed onto the HNC then HND in Engineering Systems - before completing third and fourth year of the BEng in Mechanical Engineering.
What were you doing before you came to college?
Before coming to the college, I spent over ten years working full time in retail and hospitality.
Why did you decide to pick this course?
I had always had an interest in engineering, but did not think my grades from school would ever allow me to pursue it. I had to do an extra year by completing the NC5 course first, but it has definitely been worth it.
What is your favourite thing about the course?
The lecturers on the course are excellent and the majority have backgrounds in industry, allowing them to be able to relate the theory to real world situations and how things are used in practice.
During the pandemic, how did the style of teaching change? Were your lecturers supportive during this time?
My third year was mostly delivered online through VC lectures so, for me personally, the pandemic did not really change a great deal in terms of teaching style. The lecturers have been excellent throughout - especially my project supervisor Allan Thomson, who has been available pretty much around the clock.
Can you talk to us about your final year project?
My final year project involved working with an external North Sea Oil and Gas company. The company had been having issues with high failure rates of a particular pressure regulator valve on one of their offshore platforms. My task was to identify a potential cause of the failures and, having done that, provide an optimised design to reduce the likelihood of future failures. The project was an incredibly challenging, but also very valuable experience - giving me first-hand experience of the kind of things I may encounter in my professional career. The project also allowed me to put in to practice a number of techniques I had learned throughout my course, giving me a valuable insight into how the theory side of things looks in a real-life setting.
““TAQA is delighted to continue to support this joint initiative with Perth College UHI. Ryan’s challenge to identify and quantify gas fuel regulator valve failure mechanisms, through the application of numerical analysis, provided insight into previously unavailable dynamic flow behaviour and significantly assisted TAQA to identify potential root cause issues. The project has also provided Ryan with valuable industry experience working to deliver a technical project within tight timescales. A real win-win scenario for all parties involved.””
Has there been any stand out/memorable moments from your course?
My final year project has been the stand out for me. The experience it has given me has been excellent and gives me some real-world engineering work to talk about in potential job interviews going forward.
Any other achievements you have gained on your journey?
I was awarded a trophy at the end of my NC Level 5 year, for excellence in Engineering Studies.
What do you like about the campus?
The coffee!
Have you enjoyed studying at Perth College UHI?
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Perth College UHI. It has been challenging at times, but also highly rewarding and has set me up well for my future plans.
Do you have any hobbies or interests outside of college?
Outside of college, I enjoy football and cycling.
What are your plans, for after you finish your course?
After I finish my course, I will be going on to study a Masters in Advanced Mechanical Engineering.
And finally, what advice would you give to someone thinking about studying at Perth College UHI?
My advice would be to go for it, no matter your age. I returned to study as a mature student and had a few concerns about being too old, but these turned out to be totally unfounded. There is an incredibly diverse group of students at the college, and it has been an excellent experience!
