IP Respiratory Biologist Review

A large intake of placement students mean there are many people in the same situation as you which is great in making you feel more confortable.

Many placement students are taken on every year so everyone is used to working with students, we are given our own responsibilities and trusted with our own work. People appreciate that students know what they're working with and appreciate our input.

If I need help I can always contact my supervisor who will help. I've never felt unable to do something and if he'll be unavailable for a long period such as for a holiday he'll let me know and check I have every thing in order for while he's gone.

At the start of the year I didn't have much to do due to the research I was helping in currently being in a slow point relying on cell culture which takes time. Over time though the work picked up and I now have enough work to keep me busy.

After the first time running a process through to learn it I was left to do it unattended from then on with a protocol. I analyse and present my own findings.

My experience with practical work will be useful for my preoject when I return to university for my final year and in my PhD. The experience as a whole will be useful in any working environment.

An appropriate working environment. Everyone was focused and there would be people to talk to if you needed, everyone was friendly. In labs it is regulary just students talking while we do our lab work or we would have music playing which is good as pipetting can get monotonous.

Very well. Placement students are common so they are quite used to keeping the admin involved sorted.

I was trained in everything important for my work here. Lectures are constantly running on site which we can choose to go to, training is also put on for departments for information specific to our area of work.

Many students taken on for placement means we individually don't have any specific increased chance of a job. We have been told that at an interview stage we would be just favoured as someone who had done a placement at another company. Having done a placement though will obviously give us an edge over candidates with no experience.

Many students were in the area and we were all added to a facebook group before beginning work which can be used to to oragnise meeting up. Even within most departments there are multiple students who will form a social group. This potentially prevents socialising with full time staff though as we tent to seperate into staff and students, we do however have work socials which everyone goes to where we all socialise.

Fairly cheap. Easily covered by our salary in my experience. Many rented houses were available and information was provided for us by the previous placement students. The house I live in has been rented by GSK placement students for the last few years. Alcohol in some of the clubs was a bit pricey but in others alright so as long as you know where to go it's fine.

Several pubs and a wetherspoons around the old town high street were available for a pub evening. Not many clubs were available. Even less if narrowed down to good clubs. However London isn't too far away although you then may need to leave in time for the last train.

There is not a lot going on in Stevenage but it isn't far to London. The cinema was a popular social event however and many restaurants are in Stevenage especially along the old town high street. I personally was involved in a youth theatre production showing at the theatre in Stevenage while on my placement.