Student Placement reflections
This is a brief statement based on my observations and experiences in my placement
with Shift Geophysics. It will include a brief description of the working experience,
discussion of my learning experience as well as contact with the various people
involved during the placement.
Over the past seven months, I undertook a small research project with Shift
Geophysics, the title of which was “Development of an envelope pressure
stabilisation system for an unmanned airship”. The project allowed me to learn a great
deal about the state of the art technology in this field of research, and the ways in
which this particular niche of the industry operates. It is an insight that I feel will
directly inform my after-university career decisions.
After meeting with the program coordinator Theo and my supervisor Federico and the
Managing Director Adam Kroll, a good initial plan was developed, which worked
well for a time. But due to an unexpected supplier delay (not the fault of anyone
involved in the project), this eventually caused the placement project to clash with
other commitments/uni work/etc. Good time management is thus something I have
learned is very important. The best part of the project was the time spent working with
the other professionals. This was where most/all the insight into the project and its
applications came from, and was very enjoyable. The ad-hoc hours working from
home were less helpful (but still useful).
As the computer code I have written was so central to the project and I was effectively
the lead in terms of programming, a lot of self-learning (in terms of software design,
etc.) resulted from this placement. However, it would have been good (with respect to
learning) if I had following a more experienced programmer in terms of learning best
practices, etc. Federico himself was clearly very skilled in other things (circuit layout,
prototype fabrication, etc.) which helped inform me what I needed to learn in order to
carry out my part of the placement project.
In terms of contact with the university and the supervisor, the group meeting on the
first day with Theo and the Shift Geophysics people involved in my placement was
very productive, and as my primary university contact, Theo helped set a good tone
for the project. The constant contact with him was helpful, even if in light of the
supplier-related delay the placement project timeline became problematic. Maybe
another brief sit-down meeting, like the one on the first day, would have helped us to
more quickly get the project back on track. Nonetheless, due in part to his emails and
phone calls, I managed to finish the project, write up my report and complete the
placement. I believe that this experience will definitely be beneficial to my future
career!
Alexander Brazel, July 2014