Industrial Placement Student Review

I really enjoyed my work placement. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in research and would like to spend a year developing their own scientific skills. It has allowed me to develop as a person and as a scientist, and has given me skills which will be beneficial for me in my final year and as a graduate.

I felt quite valued. It was clear that the work I was doing was of value, and that I was contributing something that the department actually cared about. At the same time, you are a student and you do feel like it, as everyone else has so much more experience. Everyone else is also mindful that you are a student so I was sometimes not included in more important department meetings and such.

I was given all the support I needed. I work quite independently, but by sitting right next to my manager she was always there if I needed help. At the same time, there is a large expectation that you will develop and work independently from your manager, but this can vary depending who your supervisor is.

It varied considerably, which I think is the nature of research. I would have a list of experiments I needed to do and I tried to get them done as soon as possible. Some days I would have very little to do and felt a little wasted, due to incubation times of my experiments. I would spend these days reading. Other days I would work very long hours and not have a break all day, which is worth bearing in mind. It is not a constant workflow.

In terms of my own experiments, as soon as I showed I was capable of being independent I was given full responsibility of my work. I planned and carried out all of my own work, and only consulted my supervisor to give her the results. This can vary depending on your manager, so it is worth asking them about their management style.

The skills I developed were probably the most valuable part of my placement year. I have learnt so much, and not just practical on-the-job experience. I have developed as a person, gained much more confidence in myself and my abilities, learnt many skills needed to be a successful scientist and made many connections. The set working periods has made me a much more productive person, now when I have a task I am able to put my head down and get the job done as opposed to getting distracted. I am also better at communicating my thoughts and ideas with others.

The general atmosphere was quite relaxed. Everyone was very friendly and nice, willing to help you if they could. They weren't overly fussy of what you wore or how much you chatted, or having breaks. There was quite a lot of emphasis on just getting the work done, outside of that everything else was fairly relaxed. We quite often went on socials as the students and also as the whole department.

The placement was well organised, as it had been running for a while before me. My manager was used to having a student and knew what to do in terms of paperwork. A lot of the organization is self-driven though; if you want something done, you should ask for it.

The company invests a lot in the students, as they want them to return as graduates. I was able to learn a lot of cutting edge techniques and use a lot of expensive equipment, and there was no question of cost even though I was a student. If I needed something for my experiments, I got it. They are also very encouraging in terms of attending seminars, and completing online learnings which may benefit you.

It depends on your ambitions. For a scientist in R&D I feel like the graduate program is not very appealing, as it is in very limited areas and there is little flexibility. They do not offer any biology-based PhD schemes either, and are a little cryptic as to how you could work there in the future. For chemists there are a lot more opportunities, as there are for people in business or HR.

Yes, there was a very good social scene. There was a society ran by the students for all of the students, which put on a few big events throughout the year like the Christmas ball and summer boat party. Also, as a department the students got together quite a lot to do social things. Colleagues also occasionally joined in.

Despite the fact it is nearby London, living in Stevenage is fairly cheap. If you get accommodation near the site you can walk to work, or alternatively there are buses throughout. The accommodation is not too expensive either, roughly £400-£500 a month. There are lots of different estate agents you can go through. There are also a lot of restaurants, supermarkets and chains in the area for shopping.

Stevenage is not particularly well known for its nightlife. For a quiet night down the pub, there are quite a few nice places you can go. In terms of clubbing, there are one or two bars that are popular but in general for a big night out people tend to get on the train to London (30 minutes away).

There isn't a huge amount going on in Stevenage, but still enough to keep you busy. There are some local sports clubs but some are only accessible if you have a car. Again, if you want to do any activities or such then a car is needed to actually get out of Stevenage and explore the local area. That being said, it's very easy just to get the train to London where there is lots to do.