Kirill Ralin

Coming from Russia and having lived in Spain for most of my life, I always wanted to study at a British university, and Surrey was among my top options due to its high rankings for my degree and good student satisfaction levels.

I’m studying for the MEng Mechanical Engineering with an integrated Professional Training placement year. My favourite aspect of the course is the projects: working together as a team to solve a complex technical problem is what made me want to become an engineer in the first place.

I’m currently on my placement year at Oyster Yachts in Southampton. As a CAD Design Engineer, I work across several departments including Engineering, Electrical, Structures, Deck and Joinery. My average day is spent completing tasks assigned by the Lead Engineers, such as designing models and making detailed engineering drawings for a wide range of departments.

One of my biggest achievements during my placement has been to hybridise one of the yacht models for a particular customer. I have been responsible for the full design process of parts such as moulds, joints, brackets and mechanisms, which were then manufactured, tested and integrated into a range of boat models. I’ve gained a lot from my placement experience – particularly in terms of my organisational awareness, communication skills and Siemens NX CAD skills.

The best thing about life at Surrey is definitely the people. I’ve been a member of MechSoc (the mechanical engineering society) and the Formula Student society throughout my time here and have also enjoyed playing golf, mountain biking and other sports.

When I graduate I’d like to return to Oyster Yachts, or would also be very interested in a graduate role in civil/defence aerospace at Rolls-Royce, where I originally set up a placement which was unfortunately cancelled due to Covid-19.

Discover our courses in mechanical engineering sciences, including our BEng (Hons)/MEng Mechanical Engineering.