Industrial Placement (R&D) Review

Fantastic experience, met lots of great people as there are around 100 industrial placement students at the site I was based at. Would recommend it to absolutely anyone doing any degree - a placement year has been the best opportunity I've had throughout my entire degree.

Everyone was very friendly and helpful, and students weren't treated as "different" to the rest of the employees. Towards the end of my placement when I was more confident in certain lab techniques and use of some equipment, I was asked by a full-time employee to teach her how to use the equipment, which was a really great feeling.

Probably the best aspect of the entire placement - my supervisor was extremely friendly and approachable and gave a fantastic level of support. He was keen not to micromanage, and so I was very often given a task and left to get on with it, but I was always reminded that I could ask for help if I needed - this approach made sure that I learned so, so much, rather than if I was spoon-fed.

It varied quite a lot - some days I was really busy all day and the day flew by, others were quiet and could drag a little, but the overall balance was fine.

I was given full responsibility for the project that I was carrying out as required by my university - I took control of the direction I wanted it to go in, the experiments I wanted to do and the pace I wanted to go at, all with the support /guidance of my supervisor.

This was probably the main reason I wanted to do a placement year - to gain skills and experience in a research laboratory - and I feel that I have definitely achieved this over the year. I am much more confident in a huge range of lab techniques and skills, as well as soft skills such as giving presentations that would be useful in any job. Writing a dissertation-style project report has made me more confident for my final-year project as this was essentially a practice run.

Everyone was friendly and helpful.

Really well organised - no problems meeting project requirements for my university. Good student body/committee to organise events for students ranging from social events (Christmas ball, summer boat party) to career development events such as CV and interview practice sessions.

I would love to come back and work at GSK as a graduate - the people and the working culture are fantastic and it would be a privilege to have a career here.

Because there are so many placement students at GSK, particularly at the site I was based at, it was a great opportunity to make friends. The events organised by the student committee were good fun.

I worked down south so it isn't as cheap as where I go to university but sharing a house with other students meant the rent was affordable and definitely within our means relative to how much we get paid.

Pretty poor, but it was close to London by train which was great for a night out.