Hey :)

[scousesailor]

Hey guys!

This is my first post here on the forum. My name's Matt, I'm 17 and come from the North West of England. I am an aspiring Deck officer.

The situation for me so far is that I am currently an A-Level student at my local grammar school, studying Biology, Chemistry, Geography and RS (as well as General Studies, but meh). I volunteer at my local RNLI Lifeboat (my father being on the crew for 5 years now), currently as Shore crew, but my medical for boat crew is next Thursday. So fingers crossed all is good!

I have also decided that I wish to apply of to The University of Plymouth to study the BSc (Hons) Marine Studies (Merchant Shipping), and hopefully the MSc International Shipping later on in life. I have applied to Maersk for sponsorship for the BSC and I am waiting for an interview later this year or early next year for the 2011 intake. I have also applied to SSTG for sponsorship by CMA CGM for the degree sponsorship and anyone who has any information on what it is like to be a British Deck cadet with them, please let me know!

I am also looking at booking my ENG1 medical for sometime during the summer, so I can get it out of the way before starting my degree in enough time in case there are any problems that I may need to sort out.

I'm looking forward to chatting with you all!

Kind regards,
Matt

[kayak]

Re: Hey

I've applied for the same, should I not pass AIB for the RFA. I applied through SSTG for the CMA CGM sponsorship?!? I've had a first interview with SSTG and then I was contacted about a seconds interview with cma cgm themselves yesterday, but unfortunately I have an exam that day. Just have to see if it can be re-arranged or not.

[Randomist]

Re: Hey

Hey Schancky!!!

Hope it works out for you mate, it's a great job

[CharlieDelta]

Re: Hey

Hello and welcome!

How did you find us?

[size4riggerboots]

Re: Hey

Welcome Schancky! Are you hoping to come to Fleetwood?

[scousesailor]

Re: Hey

Hi all

Thanks for the warm welcome!

@CharlieDelta: I think I found you guys through Google.

@Size4riggerboots: I'm hopeing to go to Plymouth to do the BSc there. I've talked to Maersk and SSTG. Maersk have said that they sponser the BSc at Plymouth, so I am just waiting for interviews to begin for the September 2011 intake. SSTG said that their only company that sponser the degree is CMA CGM. When I applied to SSTG, they said I need to re-apply next January for the September 2011 intake and not now. I'm hoping for Maersk, but I just need to get through my AS and A2s over the next 12 months

[size4riggerboots]

Re: Hey

Why Plymouth? And wtf are AS and A2s? (Am I showing my age here? )

[kayak]

Re: Hey

AS is first year of A levels, A2 is second year of A levels.

Speaking to the staff at plymouth this year, they have been saying that they are not sure if they will run the BSc next year, instead just doing their new FdSc. Might want to look into it.

[scousesailor]

Re: Hey

I just want to go to Uni tbh. I love the City, and I find the Maritime industry so interesting that I thought a degree in Maritime studies (Merchant Shipping) will give me a good insight in the Maritime world, but as I am hoping for sponsorship, the degree should also provide me with some of the sea going experience offered by my sponsoring company. I know the FD and the HNC/HND offer the same thing, but I just think that as I want to go to uni, a degree in the area where I want to work would be a fantastic opportunity for me.

AS are my first years of my A-levels, and A2s are my second year of A-levels

EDIT
@Kayak - Yeah I heard that aswel. I called them up and asked them about it, and they said that the BSc course is going to run in 2011, but they are unsure about if it will run or not after that.

[Beef1992]

Re: Hey

i had the same idea as you in my AS year but for me as i progressed on with physics in A2 i realised to much theory based engineering would bore the hell out of me if i was doing it constantly so choose to go down the old FD route. as i guess its more hands on. during my interview with SSTG if i rember correctly i think you may still have to pay some costs towards your degree with CMA but dont quote me on that may have been something else iam thinking of. also most people who do the FD do the top up which is a dissitation i think and then you get the Bsc Beng. which some companies will pay for. "so i am told !! "

[size4riggerboots]

Re: Hey

If you want to get a degree then go for it, however, bear in mind that with the Plymouth way of doing it you don't get to sea until much later than the FD students. Most people find it easier when they can relate stuff they do/see on ship to what they're learning about, and find out whether they're suited to a life at sea when they first go away. And, if you want a full degree after the FD course you can do another years study and upgrade it.

[Randomist]

Re: Hey

Honestly, the courses that mean you stay in college for a long time before you go to sea don't help the process of actually working at sea.

The old HND kept you at college for 6 weeks before you went to sea, this is how the traditional course worked. Once they were away, the people who really didn't want to do the job left and there was no real let down. If you spend 6 months or longer in college before you go and then decide you don't like it, it's more of a blow. People feel they've wasted alot more time.

It's best to go to sea sooner rather than later

[scousesailor]

Re: Hey

Yeah I know where your coming from. It's just I find the subject itself very interesting, and I don't mind spending a few years at Uni studying it. At Plymouth, I do year one, and then during the summer I go to sea with my sponsoring company (Hopefully Maersk). Then I do the second year, and after that I go to sea for a whole year. Then I complete year 3. After that I will also have my Officer of the Watch which is part of the degree process, so I can then go to work. I just find the degree more of an attractive option for me really. I don't want to miss out of the whole "Uni experience" as well :P

[Randomist]

Re: Hey

If it works for you, then it's the right course for you. This career can be whatever you want it to be, so why not get a degree out of it. Some people just want their ticket, and that's fine too.

Keep us updated about how your progress is going =]

[kayak]

Re: Hey

CMA make you pay half of your tuition fees but as far as I understand it, you can claim that in a tuition fee load which once your qualified you can easily pay off.