Finding your direction: Callum’s story 

Posted on 25 August 2026 • Student stories

We believe some student stories deserve to be made into a movie. That’s why The Open University teamed up with LADbible to transform Callum’s story into a film-style trailer. The movie might not be real, but it’s inspired by true events. Read on to discover the experiences, ambitions and achievements behind Callum’s story…

 

Not sure what you want to do in the future? Finding something that interests you could change everything. Callum didn’t really know what he wanted to do when he was at school. He struggled to focus and left without a clear idea of where he wanted to go next. 

He started studying Business Management with The Open University because he wanted to improve his education, while working in tourism. But he still hadn’t found a career he really wanted to pursue. 

“I wasn’t sure what I was doing with my life and didn’t commit to anything,” admits Callum, now 32. “I couldn’t find anything that I enjoyed.” 

Then his cousin told him about working on drilling rigs in the North Sea. At the time, it was an industry Callum could get into without an existing trade or relevant experience, so he decided to put himself through the required offshore courses and give it a go. 

That decision led to a last-minute phone call asking if he could get to Aberdeen to work on a drilling rig the next day. 

Finding a passion for engineering  

Callum had never worked offshore before. He’d never even been in a helicopter. But when he arrived on the rig, the sheer scale of the engineering happening around him opened his eyes to a whole new career. 

“I was like, this is pretty cool. This is for me.” 

For the first time, Callum knew what he wanted to work towards. He wanted to become a drilling engineer – one of the people responsible for planning and managing drilling operations. 

So when he returned home, he made a big decision. He switched from Business Management to an Engineering degree with The Open University and committed to working towards that ambition. 

Studying on an oil rig  

Working offshore meant 12-hour shifts for 21 days at a time. Callum would finish work and then spend his evenings studying online, learning about engineering while surrounded by it every day. 

“Everything there is man-made. Everything’s there for a reason. There’s no piece of equipment on that rig that’s not been thought about and not been engineered to have a purpose,” he shares.  

“You’re seeing that during the day and then I could knock off shift at night and learn about it in an academic sense. It worked perfectly.”  

As Callum gained experience, work took him from the North Sea to rigs off Morocco and Norway. Studying online meant he could continue earning, developing his career and working towards his degree at the same time. 

“I was earning money while learning and getting a degree, which worked absolutely perfectly for me.” 

And when life changed, his studies could change with it. 

Family circumstances meant Callum needed to step away from offshore work and spend more time at home during the final part of his degree. The flexibility of The Open University meant he could continue studying while helping with his family’s holiday park. 

It also gave him the freedom to make the most of his time away from work. While travelling through Spain and Portugal, Callum would spend his mornings working on his final dissertation before enjoying the rest of the day. 

In 2024, he graduated with a BEng (Hons) Engineering. 

Proving what you’re capable of  

Combining his industry experience with his degree helped Callum secure a graduate role. In 2026, he returned offshore as a Well Site Drilling Engineer – this time helping to plan and supervise the kind of operations that had first inspired him to become an engineer. 

It was a full circle moment.  

“I’ve gone from the person on the rig with no experience to one of the supervisors in quite a short period of time.  

“Getting the education with The Open University has allowed me to move into the engineering side. I definitely wouldn’t be where I am without it.” 

But this could just be the beginning. 

Callum is now increasingly involved in geothermal energy, applying his experience of drilling deep underground to a growing source of renewable energy. 

Geothermal wells target heat deep beneath the Earth’s surface. That heat can be brought to the surface and used to heat homes, businesses and industry – and, at high enough temperatures, can even be used to generate electricity. 

Finding what interests you

Callum started out unsure what he wanted to do and questioning what he was capable of. Finding something he was genuinely interested in gave him a reason to learn – and studying with The Open University gave him a flexible way to build the knowledge and skills to take his career further. 

Looking back, Callum hopes his story will resonate with anyone else unsure of their next step.  

“I never thought I was good at maths until I started studying engineering.  

“Later in life, I found something that I had an interest in, and this helped me to focus and I realised I wasn’t bad at maths, I just didn’t put myself out there, didn’t try.” 

Ready to find your purpose?

You don’t have to know exactly where you’re going. Finding something that interests you is just the first step.  

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