Undergraduate Research Placement Student Review

The work placement in the R&D division at AstraZeneca was the best experience I have had. There is no other placement that I can experience real life drug discovery research and be part of a project that is ongoing in real life. Especially, I was able to independently work on research, which is a rare opportunity as an undergraduate student.

Everyone in the team was very supportive, and welcoming. Even outside the team I was allocated in, I could comfortably ask questions to anyone on site due to the warm atmosphere of the work environment. Everyone seemed to take interest in the work I was doing even though I was an undergraduate student.

There was constant support from my supervisors. We had weekly catchups to discuss our data. I could always walk up to them to ask questions. The support that was given in the way that made me think of my own answers rather than merely told of the answers. This helped my cognitive and problem solving skills.

There were busier days within the week, but it could be controlled by my own research plan. There was a good balance between busy days and non-busy days, where I could focus on preparing for next experiments or compiling/analysing data.

I was independently managing and running experiments, but also got support from my supervisors in the start. I was given basic introduction to laboratory techniques, and when I was comfortable, I could run my own project. There was a lot of responsibility given to me, and I felt relied upon to produce results.

The skills I have gained will definitely help my studies and career in the future greatly. The real-life laboratory experience in a pharmaceutical company is different from undergraduate studies/research experience. The techniques, machinery, and work ethics in a work environment are definitely key skills and experience that will help transition into my future career.

The atmosphere was very calm and at home. The office was hot spot style (no assigned seat), therefore you could sit next to new people from different divisions/teams. There was no strict dress code and everyone seemed to be comfortable at the work place. Generally a lot of freedom on how and where to work, as there are individual seats around the office/ in small rooms.

The placement was well set up, and the cells/materials/equipment I needed to start my project was already ordered by my supervisor so I could start my project promptly. There was initial meeting with the supervisors to brief and discuss the project background. Everything was well planned out and went according to plan without major issue.

I believe the company provided a lot of support and investment into each placement. There was never a time where we had to change our plan/ give up on a project due to a lack of investment. If any additional equipment or materials were required, the company provided us with everything.

I applied for a position at the company in a separate country. The experience I had at the UK AstraZeneca site definitely was an advantage during the interview process and the connections I have made during the placement has helped me during the employment process.

There was a group/society consisting of placement students, where they occasionally had social events and lunch meetups.

Cambridge was a very expensive area to live in, and not too different from London. The rent is expensive, but also the travel expenses are large. Socialising in the area is difficult, as there is little entertainment compared to London. Many placements students travelled to London on the weekends for socialising, which was extra travel expenses.

There is not much activity at night, without many people walking in the streets.

There is not many activities happening in Cambridge, especially as Cambridge is a student community and without any introduction it is difficult to participate.