Synthetic organic chemist Review

I enjoyed the experience I gained which has been invaluable for my development as a scientist. However I did not enjoy working the longer hours as this can be a shock to the system from university! The student scene was great as you were all in the same boat starting together.

I felt that there weren't many social occasions and didn't always feel valued by the team. However I think the people were nice and easy to get along with and there were some social situations that were organised but not as many as I would have liked. The colleagues I worked with weren't of similar age, therefore was sometimes hard to find things in common.

My supervisor was great and one of the best things about the placement. He had a lot of patience for me and helped me with any problems I had. I also felt supported on a personal level and could talk to him about any home issues or concerns I had.

Very busy every day, the work never stopped but I enjoyed the element of having lots to do, but can feel overwhelming at times. There was also a bit of pressure to work over your hours and you wouldn't get acknowledged for it, however it could have just been my office that had this atmosphere.

I was given a lot of responsibility and towards the end I became quite independent.

The skills I have learnt are invaluable and are definitely skills I can use in later life. I have learnt a lot that I can use in my final year of my degree, and will be far more experienced than most of the other students going into their final research project.

I was quiet at times, however with music on in the lab it was never too boring. With lots of people away in meetings a lot of the time it could feel quite dull and quiet, however the people were nice and could always have a chat now and then.

I would say the placement was set up well as there have been many placement students before me, therefore my colleagues and supervisor were well prepared. There was plenty of support at the beginning when it was needed and many information sessions to help with frequently asked questions, which carried on throughout the year.

I feel like there was a lot invested in me, in time spent training me up and also the reagents, materials and equipment I got to use on a day to day basis. I feel the skills I have learnt from my supervisor and by using this equipment has prepared me well for the future.

I feel there is a future to be had, as the area of development interests me greatly, however I did not feel valued on the placement, compared to other friends on placements in other companies when I heard their stories. This is the only reason why I would not apply again.

There was a good social scene between other students as there was so many of us on site. It was a great atmosphere to work with, and also made living with them feel like being at university again - a comforting thought and experience to have in a full time job!

Due to being close to London the price of rent was higher than I would have liked - this also made living costs a lot higher for social situations. The night-life and social scene in the area was not great, but luckily have London on our doorstep which is a quick train ride away.

The night life was not good and most students would go into London to go out which was expensive and tiring as would have to wait for the first train back. However the surrounding area had nice pubs and places to eat but only if you had a car (or bike).

Work related activities, there weren't many opportunities outside work to get involved in anything, or at least I didn't get any opportunities. Social related activities there are clubs that can be joined and many leisure activities to get involved in (for a price). There were also some work socials, but I usually couldn't make them!