Industrial Placement Student Review

I really enjoyed my placement year. As well as doing my individual project, I was able to gain experience in multiple areas which my team focuses on. This expanded my skillset. Not only did I improve my lab skills but also soft skills like presentations, preparing posters, and my confidence in a workplace.

I felt very valued by my colleagues and saw the work I did have a big impact on my team and across other collaborations. I would always receive feedback and appreciative comments from my team members. Even when doing little things they would always be thankful for my input and my opinions were respected.

My supervisor would always be available to support and guide me. At the start this was more structured but as I integrated into the team more and more I took more charge in this area. I have meetings with my supervisor regularly but I know I can always approach them if I have any issues or just simply need their advice on a piece of work or my planned experiment!

At the start the days were less busy, however they were filled up with training. However, as the months went on, I became more and more busy, as I gained independence in the lab and more confidence to do things by myself. I also had my report to write, therefore this would fill my breaks.

I was given as much responsibility as I could handle. Of course being on the placement for only a year this was limited but I felt appreciated and the work I did really had an impact. I would help with important projects and would do all the lab work and data analysis for these.

I feel much more confident going into the lab now and following new protocols and trying new techniques. Before the placement this was not my strong point and I am glad I have improved for my final project at University. Furthermore, I have become more fluent in reading scientific literature and also confident to present my findings to a wider audience.

The atmosphere was always very positive! We had hot desking so you could be sitting next to anyone everyday. But this was great as you could get chatting and meet a lot of people. Everyone here is super happy to help you out in any way! There was also a lot of cake! :)

The placement was really well organised. Could be improved with stricter deadlines.

The company has a group for early careers who organise a lot of symposiums and even a trip to a site in Sweden. I felt like this allowed me to expand my networks and knowledge outside of my everyday job. There were also talks every Tuesday lunchtime which were about a different topic each week. It also meant that you could reach out to a lot of new and senior people!

There is a graduate scheme however this is very competitive. The skills gained during the placement will however make you more appealing. The process will be the same as for other candidates, however the experiences you can use can make you stand out. There is also time during your placement to find out more about this scheme.

Yes we socialise a lot, going to the festivals in Cambridge (food/beer/science festival) and going out too. Furthermore with early career group organises a lot of socials for us where we get together. Some socials include a pub crawl or a BBQ, we also had a sports day and have a planned punting trip.

Cambridge is expensive to live in, however I lived in a cheaper area so it wasn't too bad. Sharing houses with other students can also save you some money. Overall, the city is expensive, including public transport, but that's why everyone has a bike! However you do get paid, and this should be more than enough to cover these expenses.

I think it is quite good! There are a few clubs and a lot of bars and pubs around Cambridge. Depends what you like, a chilled pub trip or a night out, but there are places to do both. Furthermore there are students around who make the nightlife more lively. However I did not go out that much.

Yes there are plenty of sports clubs (volleyball, netball, hockey) and other clubs, including a salsa and circus club. Furthermore, there are evenings where you can learn how to code and also scientific talks around Cambridge. Just do some digging around online or ask around when you get here, you will be likely to find something. Whatever you are interested in, there should be others!