Our world-leading environment and sustainability research underpins a wide range of postgraduate programmes. In our Meet our Students series we look at the journeys taken by those studying MSc courses within the Graduate School of Environment and Sustainability, explore why they have chosen to study with us and learn about their experiences at the University of Exeter, Cornwall. Today we hear from Charlie Hamblet, an MSc Exploration Geology student!
Name: Charlie Hamblet
What course are you studying? MSc Exploration Geology
Where do you call home? Horsham, West Sussex
Where did you complete your undergraduate course? Cardiff University
What was your undergraduate course? BSc Exploration Geology
Did you work or volunteer before starting your MSc programme? If so, in what roles?
I have been employed as a Chef in a hotel for the past 7 years where I have worked in holidays and breaks in between education across the full range of restaurants within the hotel. I have been doing this from secondary school all the way to my most recent period of work during the Christmas break of my master’s degree. My roles have ranged from basic preparation, and have developed into running entire sections of a kitchen during summers. My most recent stint in the kitchen was focused on helping prepare for my brother’s 3-month residency at one of the restaurants in the hotel following his success on this year’s Masterchef the Professionals series. I also undertook a 6-week placement as part of my undergraduate for a gold exploration company in Wales where I worked as a field assistant and used the data collected to construct my dissertation.
What attracted you to your MSc course? Why did you choose the University of Exeter?
I’ve always heard that Camborne School of Mines offers the best masters course for mineral exploration through word of mouth during my undergraduate. I was told by one of my professors at Cardiff that he often gets requests for references to apply for the course, and after comparing the syllabus to other master’s degrees in the country I found that it was the most suitable course for me. There is a rich history and well-established group of CSM alumni that I have been introduced to on Linked In, and there is definitely a sense of pride among students about being part of such a widespread group. The University of Exeter is also high ranking with great graduate prospects which makes it more attractive.
What do you like about living and studying in Cornwall?
Cornwall is a really nice place with plenty to see. Its got a rich history of mining, with examples practically a stones throw from the campus, making it a really interesting place to live. Its easy enough to visit many of the disused mine sites, we have been to a few on field trips, and have also focused on some really local examples in some of the coursework submissions, so it is nice to be within range of some of the areas we write about. The local geology is also really interesting and unique when compared with the the rest of the UK, and is one of the hotspots for mining some deposit styles which are not found anywhere else (in the UK). Its easily accessible from Falmouth/Penryn, especially when walking along coastal trails.
What are you looking forward to most about your course?
Im really looking forward to the upcoming trips, such as the international trip to later on this year. It will be great to visit offshore mines that would otherwise not be accessible. I am also really looking forward to the dissertation at the end of the year, as I am hoping to do an industry placement on a exploration project to collect data. There are so many different deposit types to consider when applying, and you can end up in some exotic places working on world class deposits. It will be a really rewarding piece of work, giving the opportunity to use what I have learned through the course on an independent project.
What skills and experiences are you hoping to gain from your course?
I am hoping to gain (and have already gained some) knowledge on improving my efficiency of field related exploration techniques, including basic skills such as accurate identification and interpretation. Also computer based skills in resource modelling and cartography are valuable. I want to be (and think I will be by the end of the course) in a position where I can confidently walk into a job and have already had experience during my masters in much of the tasks. By doing this masters, I have already increased my knowledge on activities such as core logging and GIS, and am looking forward to the upcoming modules which look at exploration techniques and interpretation in more detail. I am also enjoying the presentation side of the course, although it began as being a bit daunting, it is really valuable to practice presentation of data to an audience, as it is a really key element in a job.
What have been the highlights so far?
So far I have really enjoyed the practical aspects, such as in depth hand specimen, thin section and polished block mineral identification which I feel are preparing me for an eventual job. One of the best points so far was undertaking a field trip to a local mine, and doing a brownfield reconnaissance-style assessment of the area before presenting what we had found as well as producing a map of the mineralisation styles in the area. As well as being out in the field, it was really enjoyable to be given the opportunity to assess an area for potential further mining, such as constructing ore body estimations based results collected in the field.
What are your career aspirations?
I want to go directly from my masters into a job, preferably an offshore exploration project in Australia. This would allow a gateway into the industry and exploration experience on good deposits. It is useful to know of the CSM Association which have members all over the world, and even offer jobs to graduates which are not offered elsewhere. During my career, I would like to travel to different countries and experience a range of settings and deposit styles.
The Graduate School of Environment and Sustainability brings together experts from across the spectrum of earth and life sciences, engineering, humanities, social sciences and business. Our programmes are all designed with a focus on developing solutions to global challenges and creating a better future for our planet and its people. Help lead a global Greener, Healthier and Fairer revolution by studying one of our world-leading, interdisciplinary Masters degrees here at the University of Exeter, Cornwall. See our Masters programmes here.