Biological Sciences Placement Student Review

I found the placement was enjoyable. It provided ample opportunity to broaden my knowledge of the industry and scientific research. I was able to network with professionals and attend seminars and lectures by experts in their respective fields. With the majority of my time spent in the lab, I was able to gain valuble hands-on experience that complemented and consolidated the work I had previously done at University.

Every one was kind and I felt like the work I was doing was valued. I was encouraged to present my work to our team regularly. The team was interested to know more about my project work and how it could be applied to future work at the company. Having these meetings provided opportunities to discuss new ideas to progress the work in new directions.

The work environment was very inclusive. My colleagues were approachable and helped me settle in quickly. Organised team building events encouraged us to build strong working relationships and helped me to understand everyone’s role within the department. I felt comfortable asking for help and advice whenever I needed it. I worked very closely with my team, especially my supervisor, who were always happy to help with anything.

The most interesting work was the lab based work and most days I was in the lab carrying out experiments, which kept me busy. Detailed write-ups were required to record all experimental work, so it was important to get the right balance between hands-on research and office work, both researching and recording/analysing results.

Throughout the placement I was responsible for managing my own time and to some extent the project work. I had regular catch-up sessions with my supervisor where we discussed what needed to be done next and what was achievable. As I became more independent in the lab and developed a better understanding of my project and aims, I was able to contribute more to the planning of the project and the experiments that needed to be carried out.

During my placement, I gained a lot of hands-on experience in the lab, much more that I had experienced at Uni. It helped me to understand the theory I had learned at Uni and apply this to real problems and project work. Having to keep detailed and accurate records and completing a detailed project write-up will help me going into final year, where a lab based dissertation will be required.

The atmosphere was as expected. Some days there was lots going on, but everyone was kind and approachable. Organised team days were often off-site and gave everyone the opportunity to build stronger working relationships. The social committee often organised quizzes and in the summer outdoor events and BBQs were organised to bring the group together and discuss each others work etc.

GSK are used to having students every year, so the set-up is very organised. As students awe were encouraged to get involved with as much as possible and make the most of the year. We were able to tour the sites and get involved in student organised events, such as a Christmas Party and Boat Party on the Thames. For my project work, my supervisor had organised everything I needed before I arrived in September, so I was able to start in the lab on my very first day.

There was a lot of training to begin with, getting to know the legal side of things and health and safety in the labs and general work space. Throughout the year I was given training on new equipment and I was able to approach different members of my team to get help with new lab techniques etc. If I wanted to find out more about a particular area of the business or science my supervisor was my first port of call and endeavoured to help as much as possible.

There are schemes in place which encourage you to look at future employment at the company. You are given plenty of information about these, but they are still very competitive. It is best to discuss options with your supervisor and use the year to broaden your network and make strong connections for the future. Personally, I have decided to go on to do further study but will maintain the relationships I have made and will consider employment here in the future.

There was always something going on at the weekends with the other placement students. We often organised nights out in London or weekend trips away to other UK cities or abroad. With so many other placement students to socialise with, there was rarely a weekend where there was nothing going on. Being close to both London and Cambridge meant there were plenty of different things to do.

The living cost was reasonable. Being just outside London made living costs cheaper, yet I was close enough to the City to be able to take advantage of its social and cultural perks. The rent for my accommodation was quite a bit cheaper than at Uni, but this did vary for each individual.