We all have different perspectives on the life as a student of petroleum engineering. Some come to this race by a twist of fate, others because they were told that it pays well, some more because it was one of the less demanded careers and many others because they have faith that it will work in the future. Whatever your case and your university, there are things we have in common, like the fact of having spent some time with ” strict ” teachers and us with strict “ships “, endless tasks, sleepless nights ( disque ) by the tasks , the afternoon locked in the library , team projects , (most of the time ended up doing a few) , being fed by fast and cheap food.

Today, as I am having this reflection I also remember the feeling of relief when while arriving to sit for an the teacher had not arrived, or the class was postponed, or the days we had to stay at home, and what about the satisfaction of getting a good qualification score, or on the contrary that feeling when you feel that: the teacher ” failed me “, or simply did not take the grades we wanted.

oil and gas student

Beyond all these student experiences are experiences that are unique in the life of a student tanker, one of them is the first visit to an oil installation, the feeling to wear overalls, boots, helmets, get your hands dirty which cannot be compared to anything. These are experiences that give us strength to go on, that makes us put on the shirt of oil , which fills us with excitement and drives us to continue studying and someday be able to return to our country with a little more of what it had given us .

The oil and gas management course that I did was similar to studying a new language, as advances in studies by learning new concepts, which are related to some already learned and give us a new perspective. Similarly, one student to move forward becomes involved in industry activities such as conferences, contests, specialized courses, conferences, stays, etc – by allowing interaction with companies in the industry which gives to them the possibility of choosing the company and area that would like to work when they decide to graduate. These activities may be useful to excel the other students and be seen by recruiters from various companies in the segment.

The challenges of a Petroleum Engineer are as big as the oil industry itself. The easy oil has run out and it’s time to explore new horizons. Europe needs more prepared engineers, degrees and diplomas are the only roles that we can meet – which can be worthless if not backed by the total commitment to work and a spirit of excellence.