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STUDENT PROFILE
FACTFILE
Student’s name: Dan East
Course: Foundation Degree (Engineering) in
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» What are your career plans for when you have
Location: Banbury and Bicester College
- Bicester campus
completed your study at college?
I plan to do the BEng course at Oxford Brookes to achieve the full
honours degree. I then want to do an MSc before going on to work
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move into management later on.
Year: Second
» What made you choose to study at an Activate
Learning college, rather than somewhere else?
I had completed part of my GCSEs at Banbury and Bicester College,
taking part in a day release scheme from school to achieve a Level 1
Diploma in Engineering. While I was at the college I got to know the
staff and students and made up my mind that I wanted to come back
and do the foundation degree.
» How has being at college changed your life?
The course is helping to make my dreams come true – it is making
everything I have planned for possible. It is also giving me the
knowledge and excuse to build my own rally car, which forms part of
the course assessment.
» Why did you select this programme of study?
I have known that I wanted a career in the motorsports industry since
the age of about eight and I have carefully planned my route through.
I have been part of Thame Motorsports Club for the last three
years and want to progress to become an F1 race engineer. This
programme suits my style of learning, because it is very practical,
and combines my skills in engineering with my love of motorsports.
» What do you enjoy about studying for this
particular programme?
You do 150 hours of work experience during the programme and
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experience placement I completed a one-week composites course
(one of the course modules) which meant I could work in their
composites department and be trusted to get on with the job. I
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the right career path for me. The college has excellent links with
employers – it seems like they know everyone in the industry – so that
really helps when it comes to building real experience.
» What skills do you seek that will help you in your
Are you ready to transform your future? We’ll help you
go further than education. Come along to our next
Open Event – on Saturday 25 April (10am-1pm).
chosen career?
Register at: www.banbury- bicester.ac.uk/events
The Level 1 engineering course taught me about basic brakes and
suspension systems on road cars, but this course is preparing me to
work with F1 cars. We cover race preparation and aerodynamics and
you can develop your composite skills using the on-campus facilities.
The skills are completely aligned to working in the industry.
Or contact us:
0808 1686 626 - [email protected]
Remember - we provide a range of Motorsport and Engineering
courses, so even if a Foundation Degree isn’t for you right now, we
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