Summer Student Review

I enjoyed my placement a lot as it gave me invaluable experiences that I can take back to my university and will no doubt help me with my studies. The experience is always a positive and I was thrown in the deep end and in a way it turned out to work for the best.

I felt very valued by my colleagues. Upon beginning the placement they all welcomed me and showed me how to do everything. Later on some colleagues trusted me enough to ask for advice.

The tutor I had was excellent as she had just been qualified for 1 year and so was a student herself only a short time ago and knew exactly my needs. The other advantage was that her knowledge was fresh and she had a wealth of knowledge to share with me.

The store was a very busy one and although it kept me busy there was sometimes a bit too much pressure to be placing on a student. I think it is important to remember that the student is an addition to the team and should not be treated like a regular employee and given too much responsibility and be relied on too much.

A lot of responsibility was given to me from the very first week. On the one hand tis is good as it made me feel trusted but on the other hand it has to be realised that with responsibility comes alot of pressure as I become responsible for doing particular tasks. However it is important that the store can function easily without the student.

I think the first hand experience is a great way to put learning into action and also to put into action at university during my studies what I have learned from the placement.

The general atmosphere is quite tense as it is a busy store. At times when it was quieter the spirits of the staff would be lifted and I would enjoy it more but when the demand gets higher then the atmosphere tends to be quite dull.

The placement was very well organised especially by my tutor who ensured I was always doing different tasks and had a go at trying everything which is important for two reasons. Firstly it ensures that I make the most of my time there and secondly it ensures that I do not get emotivated.

The company invest in me very well with the high quality of tutor and also with the time in store they give to me in order for me to be able to carry out my placement (39 hours per week).

Employment prospects are not great as there are less pre-reg places than summer students. Combine that with external candidates the the prospects are not as good as they could be.

There was only one day in the whole 6 weeks to meet fellow students. This day was excellent and very enjoyable but was short-lived. There should be more training days like this.

Not too bad. It was in a busy highstreet area with plenty of choice.

I don't go out at night.

Very limited as not all the staff are sociable.