Student Competitions
ASET runs two annual student competitions – The ‘Student Stars’ Blog Competition for students about to begin their placement year and the reflective Essay Competition for those who have recently returned to their academic institution.
Both competitions are launched each September and the winners are notified by end of October (Blogs) and end of February (Essays).
One of the primary aims of ASET is to promote the benefits of integrating work and learning. We therefore run these competitions to generate publicity material for placement staff, for them to highlight to future students the value of such opportunities. We also hope such undertakings will help students develop their reflective learning skills.
Blog Competition
New placement students are asked to compete to become our new "bloggers". The winners will be asked to write three 300-word "blogs" about their ongoing placement experiences, over the course of the academic year, with payment of £200 for completing all three.
For details of this competition, please see Student Stars.
Our Bloggers – Winning Entries 2008/9
ASET is please to announce the winners of its 2008/9 Student Stars blog competition. The winners are:
- Julia Lumley from Leeds Metropolitan University who will be doing her placement at Opera North.
- Lee Mackenzie from Nottingham Trent University who will be working for Edwards Duthie Solicitors.
- Charchita Misra from University of Leicester who will be doing her placement at Siemens Transportation Systems.
- Ami Sheerer from University of Westminster who will be working at HMP Wormwood Scrubs.
The original entries are below and the student blogs themselves will appear through the year in December, March and June.
Thanks to all the entrants and the placement staff who helped promote the competition. The standard was very high and the judges really enjoyed reading about all the students' hopes and expectations for the coming year. We wish you all a successful and enjoyable placement.
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Julia Lumley
Eleventh Time Lucky
Waiting to go into my 11th interview I think to myself “maybe I should change my interview outfit”. The smart brown polka dot dress teamed with black tights and heels doesn’t seem to be working. I have realised this 10 interviews and 10 rejection letters later. I started my search for a placement early, as I was set on being in a glamorous PR agency. I could see myself sipping champagne while typing a press release, mixing with movers and shakers and taking long lunches that lasted till tea time. Living the AB FAB lifestyle for a year sounded good to me. When the interview invites came rolling in I was sure I would find a placement quickly, all the rumours circulating around university about people struggling to find placements, starting them late or not even getting one at all, I never thought would apply to me. However there I was at my 11th interview on the brink of giving up. As I wait my mind wondered back through my past interviews, from consumer to construction PR agencies, the NHS and Manchester Tourist board, I tried it all. The same questions I knew all too well, what do you know about us? Why do you want the job? To the unusual questions that I hadn’t spent the night before planning and writing model answers for, what was the last film you watched? What do I say to that when I know the truth is Shrek 3? “Quick think of something intelligent” I tell myself, erm…Shawshank Redemption I blurt… close enough.
Although I became a serial interviewee they never got any easier and my nerves always got the better of me. When I received my first email telling me I had an interview I was excited, but soon the image of a panel of suited stern professionals sat in a row at one end of the room while I perched nervously on a single chair placed in the middle, haunted me. At interview number 6 I was already thinking of giving up, but then there was Opera North. I applied completely last minute and rushed in for an interview the next day. Two weeks later I received the email I had been waiting for since January. My inbox read ‘1 new message’, the from section told me it was from Opera North. I opened it cautiously, expecting to see the word ‘unfortunately’ but it wasn’t there and I saw ‘successful’. Opera North, theatre, drama, meet and greets, opening nights - maybe this could be the glamour I was searching for.
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Lee Mackenzie
Expecting GBH
I have been told that you deal with rapists, murderers and paedophiles. Well, allegedly you deal with them and allegedly their rapists, murderers and paedophiles. I think that sounds pretty entertaining and you may do too.
I am going on placement to a legal aid (I’ll explain later) criminal law firm and I am to be a court clerk. In this role I go to court as a representative of the solicitors and on their behalf I take instructions from alleged criminals and Barristers. It would appear from the outset that there is an art to it and that art is the art of the ‘social chameleon’. I will have to speak with the very wealthy and the very poor and I am not simply talking about the size of the wallet but the abundance of grey matter.
So I’m going to have a stab at it (if you excuse the pun) and hopefully take from it what I need and that is practical experience of the Courtroom. I hope to sit behind Barristers as they deliver stinging cross-references, subtle persuasion and suitable charm whilst I sit in front of alleged criminals as they become nervous, overwhelmed and use the f-word too many times (or at least that is what I’ve been told).
I shall have to deal with these people daily. Each will have their individual tale to tell and a unique offence to follow. Yet all of these people will have one thing in common and that is that they will not be able to afford their legal representation. This is where the term ‘legal aid’ fits in. The government pays.
And so I help to deliver a pillar of justice required in the British society since the 13th Century, lets just hope that if I hear ‘guilty’ from the jury’s foreman, its not followed by a punch in the face.
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Charchita Misra
A Change……!
‘Only I can change my life. No one can do it for me’ (Carol Burnett, 1936)
Two years ago I left my country to pursue my studies in UK so as to get a globally recognised degree and an international exposure. Although Engineering is not one of the usual career choices for female students, it had attracted me from my childhood where my grandfather encouraged me to understand how the world revolves around something that is invisible – electricity!
Having attained a place at the University I thought that I had achieved it all! However, a few months into the course I realised the importance of practical exposure, which is required for every Engineer to enhance their skills. After guidance and encouragement from my personal tutor I changed my course to the ‘Year in Industry’ and started looking around for placements which would compliment my chosen field. These required frequent visits to the career centers, tailoring CV’s, filling out application forms, writing covering letters and practice for assessment days. The biggest challenge was to remain patient during the period, which I call ‘Rejection Days’ (otherwise known as crying-my-heart-out days!) and learning from the mistakes which I committed during the interviews (mostly out of nervousness). After a couple of interviews I saw myself improving and remaining calm (internally!) until I finally secured my place at Siemens Transportation System.
Once I was done with celebrating my success, after a few weeks I started to worry about my coming year. Since I found out at the interview that I would be working on projects to derive solutions by using the company’s integrated control systems, I was petrified as to whether I would be able to understand the specialised systems and to incorporate it into the projects.
I am glad to say that I was proved wrong. From the very first day at work, I was greeted with a structured induction and training program to help me blend into the organisation. Apart from my line manager, I was also assigned a personal mentor who would guide me throughout my placement.
From that day on I have been given proper training and responsibilities which have made my learning absolutely enjoyable and I look forward to the rest of the year which I hope will change my future and me…for the better!
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Ami Sheerer
Experiencing Life on the Inside!!
I was thrilled to be told that I would have the chance to work at Wormwood Scrubs for my placement year. The thought of working in HMP Wormwood Scrubs for my sandwich year 2008/2009 is mind blowing, I’m so excited. I have been interested in forensic psychology for as long as I can remember and would love to achieve a hands on experience of working with criminally minded individuals, gaining an insight into their world and what makes them commit crime after crime.
I am hoping to have lots of prisoner contact and the chance to interview prisoners and possibly deliver the different programmes I have researched, such as enhanced thinking skills and drug and alcohol abuse programmes. I would love to experience helping a prisoner in a way that changes their lives for the better and in doing so the victims of such people, whilst preventing possible future victims of crime in the community. The psychology department I am to be placed in is exciting and energetic with lots of projects going on and hopefully I will be given lots of responsibility.
I would also like to become more knowledgeable about the prison service, as well as other public services such as probation and the police force who work alongside prisons to prevent crime. As far as I am concerned working in a prison is not only about helping inmates lower their chances of re-offending, but also about keeping individuals in the community safe. I would jump at the chance to be someone that makes a difference.
During my placement I would also hope to discover a few things about myself. This experience for me is about gaining some direction in my life and choosing the right career path. At this moment in time I want to finish my degree and then go on to complete my MSc in forensic psychology and finally become a chartered psychologist after years of demanding training. On the other hand I may not enjoy my time at Wormwood Scrubs and may decide I want to do something slightly different. Either way this experience will be worthwhile and I know I will learn a lot.
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1st Blog (Autumn 2008)
Julia Lumley
Hot Desking, Divas and New Beginnings
This was it. My first proper job. I had a new swanky apartment in Leeds city centre, a new wardrobe full of office wear, I was brimming with anticipation and itching to take on my new role as Press and PR Assistant at Opera North.
For the first few weeks I had to desk hop as I didn’t have my own. Soon the proud day came when I got my very own desk positioned by the window (a luxury in any office) and equipped with a computer and phone. At first every time it rang I assumed they had the wrong number, but before I knew it I was answering press enquires, supervising photo shoots and attending radio interviews with the Beyonce of the opera world. Everyday there was something exciting happening. Of course I had my daily chores, such as searching the daily newspapers for anything opera related. This is how I learnt the art of ‘skimming’, however it took a while for me to resist reading any article featuring Gok Wan, the TV guide, my horoscope, and the horoscopes of everyone I knew.
My first experience of opera came a few weeks into September. Opera had always conjured up the thought of hours of oversized singers belting out songs in Italian. However the classic Tosca changed my mind. With a diva playing the lead, the press side was always going to be busy, from getting her lunch to even standing in for her… ‘She’s pulled out of the interview last minute’ Lindsey (my boss) rushes over to tell me, ‘will you do it?’ Will I do it? I think to myself, do what? She speeds off to a meeting, adding ‘You’re living the sex and the city lifestyle aren’t you?’ and I’m left wondering what I can possibly say and how she got the idea I’m living like Carrie Bradshaw.
I did the interview-they didn’t use it and my five minutes of fame were no more, but I reassured myself I’m in PR we’re supposed to be behind the scenes, not in the limelight.
So far life in a press office is pretty exciting, with the opening of a new venue and an opera about cosmetic surgery coming up which already had the press in a frenzy. My placement year is set to be full of excitement and new experiences.
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Lee Mackenzie
I Still Haven’t Settled
I was dropped right in it. No morning welcome round the water cooler with co-workers. I didn’t even go to the office on the first day of my placement. I was rang the night before and told that I was to be in the Central Criminal Court near St Paul’s Cathedral in central London the next day at half nine.
I was to sit behind a highly reputable solicitor advocate who was working on behalf of a client that had been accused of falsely imprisoning a woman, for a year, whilst beating her occasionally. Notwithstanding those bombshells, the solicitor advocate was the central partner of the entire firm. The über-boss. Hmm… I thought. Had a placement been the best idea?
I reminisced, longingly, about the year before. Of strawpedos, Edward cider-hands, the nights out and lazy days after. With those thoughts I went to bed.
Turns out however that this was the best way to do it. I found the court with an hour to spare. The boss was a mild man, charming and even understanding of my situation. The case was a host of shocking allegations far too personal (and entertaining for a law student) to be written here and primarily it was a fun job.
I did then as I still do now. I go to court, take a note of proceedings, look after clients and witnesses and generally become a source of information on the court case for the firm. I generally sort things out and it’s the perfect position to watch how the court works and gain experience. Obviously the office work (clocking hours…) is boring but that’s a small drop in the ocean of cases I deal with. In fact I’ve barely set foot in the office at all and I’m glad.
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Charchita Misra
On my first day at work at Siemens Mobility I was handed an IET (Institute of Engineering and Technology) approved training programme, which means this year in industry will contribute towards the professional experience I will require to gain Chartership. What a wonderful start! This not only gave me a sense of elation but also motivated me to plan my career and goals for the next 5 years.
I have been assigned a project involving the switching of communication lines from the old feeders out to tiny and efficient Remote Terminal Units. This meant I was given the responsibility to design the configuration and test them until the same is handed over to the customers. From the very first day of my involvement in the project I realised that it is not a mere lecture in university, it is a whole new system of hands on education which one gains by accumulating experience. It was surprising how I could learn something new everyday, even though I might be doing the same thing for a week.
I have been also sent to other departments such as Development, Quality Control, Purchasing, etc. to gain an understanding of the roles of different departments in a project and the way they integrate everything for the smooth functioning of the company and help us work more efficiently. This has broadened my knowledge from the technical area to other facets of management in industry and has also helped me to know as well as appreciate the role that they too play…like little building blocks all helping in building a majestic structure.
Personally I feel I have developed tremendously, whether be it getting up early (which will definitely please my father!) or learning how to plan, manage, organise and take responsibility of the tasks given to me. While I go on my holidays to pleasantly surprise my parents with my new born personality, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!
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Ami Sheerer
A whole new world.....
Walking through those gates for the first time was extremely daunting and even now, further along into my placement, I cannot get used to the feeling that I am entering a different world. In fact I have come to realise that “a different or new world” is exactly what prison is; the inmates here and in prisons across the country have to make a new life for themselves, a life away from their loved ones, a life squashed into a tiny concrete cell. It may shock people to hear this, but it is difficult to not feel sorry for them and to want to hope that they can turn their lives around.
My time so far in prison has been simultaneously eye opening, thrilling and nerve racking. At first it appeared that I needed to prove myself trustworthy and responsible before being allowed to set foot onto the prison wings. During this time my workload involved mainly administrative duties such as processing referrals for inmates who wanted to attend a programme the psychology department runs, which improves thinking skills by changing attitudes and thinking through debates, role play and teaching. Other duties involved filing and updating databases, which was interesting as I read about inmates’ unfortunate backgrounds. A project I have recently finished was the annual prisoner survey; collecting and analysing data on prisoners’ views of the running of the prison, healthcare system, treatment by staff and so on. However after this probationary period I was given more freedom and was escorted around the prison and had lots of contact with inmates, which at first was slightly intimidating but very quickly I became used to stopping and talking to those I recognised as I went about my daily duties. I know already I am going to love my placement.
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2nd Blog (Spring 2009)
Julia Lumley
World Premieres, Celebrities, Royalty and Only Half Way Through…
Half way through my placement and so much has happened, I’ve found it hard to compact it into one blog. From a PR perspective working in an opera company is a challenge in itself. Finding ways to change people’s misconceptions of opera, getting permission to do press work and convincing media that an opera story is worthy for their publication. Although with an opera by a famous comedy writer and about the controversial topic of cosmetic surgery it was a little easier…
January was complete madness, everyone wanted to feature the world premiere of Skin Deep. Offers from national newspapers came flooding in as soon as I sent out the press release; my inbox had never seen so much action. The weeks leading up to the opening were filled with TV crews, radio, rehearsals and last minute interviews with cast members. My role was to generally run around, organise parking, locate keys for certain rooms and supervise interviews. As I sat behind the camera watching the writer of Skin Deep (who also wrote Alan Partridge) being interviewed I thought to myself how did I go from PR student to PR guru (ok that may be a bit of an overstatement - eat your heart out Max Clifford) but I definitely felt settled in my role.
Throughout the last 6 months I have been given more responsibility and taken on many projects. I write press releases for the orchestra concerts monthly, I have set up a competition in a well-known magazine and even managed a fashion photo shoot and above all I get to wow my student friends with all my exciting endeavours. ‘I’m mixing with celebrities now you know’ I tell them, after my star struck meetings with a Hollyoaks star (singing in an up coming opera) and the Prince of Wales, who came to visit Opera North’s new venue.
A call from my placement tutor a few days ago meant the assessment of my placement was looming and I can’t help feeling disappointed that in 6 months I have to leave. I have learnt so much already and the next 6 months look set to provide much more excitement and lots of new experiences which I can’t wait to get stuck in to.
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Lee Mackenzie
Not Guilty
The greatest challenge that I have faced within the time I have worked at Edwards Duthies is attempting to get a person very close to being classified as legally insane to understand exactly what was going on. The man clearly needed a hospital order, which basically means that he will be put in a mental institution and he clearly did not need to go to trial. Yet try telling him that!!
Initially the client had been charged with a s.18 assault. That’s legal talk for a pretty hardcore assault. It wasn’t anywhere near that level of severity but because it was an assault on a police officer they’d bolstered the charge. (There’s a sickening lack of humility within the police, each one believes that they are the law. If I could wreak profanities on this page I would. Still it’s great fun being on the defence side when that is the case.)
Anyway as I said the client is charged ridiculously and there is no way that our client is going to plead to its severity and to be fair that’s right. We enter the Court and tell the Judge that our client will not plead guilty to it. The Judge indicates to the prosecution that they should drop the strength of the charge to a level that our client will accept guilt for. The prosecution rightly do.
It is then the defence team’s job to speak and take instructions from the client on whether he will accept the charge. This communication was unbelievably difficult.
The client agreed wholly that he had performed the assault. We’d take him through the incident and he’d agree fully. Then we’d ask how do you plead to which he’d always say not guilty. He was obviously afraid to do it! We told him that if he did say not guilty to the plea then he’d have to go to trial and he would lose the trial (the evidence was overwhelming). After literally three hours of explaining he saw sense. We called everyone back into the Court to see how he pleaded. The court clerk stood up and asked ‘how do you plead?’. His answer was not guilty…
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Charchita Misra
A Chain of Never-Ending Challenges!!
Engineering could be defined as providing answers to challenges. Eight months into my year in industry, I cannot count how many challenges I have experienced on my project(s)!
After passing through the stage of designing the configurations in the projects, I came across a big challenge, i.e. testing to prove that the configuration works according to the customer’s requirement. I had to document and implement an easy testing strategy so as to ensure that these tests could be repeated until the site handover. Although all the sites were similar in the project, each had its unique characteristics, which had to be identified and hence implemented in the design. I had to ensure the reliability, accuracy and compatibility of the designed configurations with the hardware. I started out with obtaining compatible test equipments, and then worked on ways to improve my testing techniques by looking at the results I obtained during the initial tests until I finally produced the testing strategy. But at the end I feel extremely elated when a customer finally nods his head with satisfaction after I finally complete the tests according to the documented procedures.
During my time in the Development Department I was assigned to select an appropriate transceiver to be implemented in the design of a purpose-built modem. Due to the requirement of a low data rate, I obtained the available high data rate transmitter and receivers, and worked on possible ways to modify the circuits to provide a low data rate signal in a defined budget. I spent three weeks revising, testing and re-revising/re-testing the equipments and the circuits until I came to an ‘optimum solution’ which again has scope of improvements.
The chain of challenges have urged me to think creatively while using the knowledge I had gained from my university which otherwise would have been resting somewhere in the back of my mind. It has been exciting to provide answers to small / big challenges as they were real engineering tasks, rather than simple questions from a book. Although I am currently building a logical structure for a required functionality in a project, I am well prepared and confident for the cycle of challenges to follow…
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Ami Sheerer
The Joys of Research!!!
Spring 2009 - time for me to start the dreaded university research project. The criteria: 5-6000 words relevant to psychology and HMP Wormwood Scrubs. Easy I thought. How little did I know!!!
All too quickly it became apparent that this was going to be the most challenging piece of work I had yet to complete as a student. Although I had many ideas, I realised that relevant to the psychology department and relevant to the prison were two entirely different things. The Senior Psychologist had to agree and approve that what I was investigating was going to benefit the prison and the inmates and not just provide the psychology department with information and statistics. Eventually I found something interesting AND RELEVANT.
A scale (The Goal Attainment Scale) currently used to measure the improvement in the ‘difficult to manage prisoner’s’ behaviour and attitude, appears to be perplexing some of the staff who use it to score prisoners attitudes and behaviours. I intend to discover how reliable and valid the scale is, and to suggest recommendations for further development. This will hopefully lead to the scale being used more accurately, and consequently provide more tangible results, follow ups of prisoner’s cases and more effective treatment and so on. Starting the literature review was relatively easy; I am enjoying researching the tool and have nearly finalised this. The more complex part was completing (for the first time ever I might add), an ethics form for the psychology department/prison. There was so much to think about and to take into consideration due to the sensitive material I was researching, as well as various questions about making sure the study was valid; I had to refer back to my University texts books many a time, which was rather nerve racking as it was scary to think that I had forgotten nearly 4 years worth of work after approximately 6 months. However, the senior psychologist here at HMP WWS has approved my project and I am about to commence interviewing prison officers, psychiatric nurses and chartered psychologists and analysing prisoners files to see if they correlate with the results of the scale. Now that I have passed the hurdles of choosing a piece of research and having it approved, I can safely say the next hurdle of actually doing it is going to be the most challenging and daunting part so far.
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3rd Blog (Summer 2009)
Julia Lumley
The PR World is Where I Want to Be
My dad looks at me in disbelief as I explain to him the finer details of Mozart’s work. This is when I realise how much my placement at Opera North has influenced my life. Maybe working in a theatre for a year has made me too dramatic, but I truly believe that this year has been the best experience of my young life so far.
Looking back now I can’t exactly remember why I wanted to do PR. I think it was something to do with my high-flying PR cousin who mingled with the England Football Team and told tales of going round to Carole Smiley’s house. Now nine months into my placement I am positive I made the right decision. I’m sure if you put my details into one of those career adviser systems, my results wouldn’t bring up Public Relations. I don’t yet have all the qualities and skills to work in the PR world. But my manager here at Opera North has been a great mentor and an inspiration and encouragement for future achievements. This has fuelled my determination to do well in my final year at university and succeed in my future career.
I know I want to go into PR, but I have had a tendency to change my mind. While at Opera North I have encountered many different career paths and took a fancy to most of them. From photography, filming, journalism, marketing, choreography, radio presenting and professional blogging. Opera singing has crossed my mind, but was quickly ruled out by the fact that I can’t sing!
So I know I want to do PR, but what type of PR? I have really enjoyed being part of a big organisation and so I think I would like to do that rather than working for a PR agency. I have loved working in the theatre and seeing what goes on behind the scenes, from hearing operatic voices bellowing out from the toilet cubicle, seeing the wonders of the wig and costume department, and clambering to the top of the fly tower to see how the scenery is manoeuvred. From these experiences I would definitely like to be involved in the entertainment industry.
I have three months left here and although I’m looking forward to some of the lazy student lifestyle, I will miss Opera North…although rest assured ‘I will be back,’ but not in a Schwarzenegger way, in an appreciative novice way.
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Lee Mackenzie
When I started my year of work in the ‘real’ word, I assumed that it would be worse than life as a student. I thought getting up every day at a certain time with such structure and rigour would, to be honest, ‘do my head in’.
It has not been a worse way of life.
Yet it has not been a better one.
Unfortunately and as bleak as it is, the next 40 years of your life will be spent doing very similar things at very similar times and the only thing that will break that cycle will be holidays and hangovers. Bored yet? I know I was by the end of it.
As fun as meeting a cannibal is, it just doesn’t happen enough, usually it just happens once and, generally, it’s not pleasant. Yet, I cannot put up with going to the same building every day.
A desk!? The worst creation of man. Kept from the top slot only by nuclear weapons and Noel Edmonds.
Yes, I met a cannibal. Truly fascinating, no? But for every cannibal there are 100 bundles waiting to be sorted, a couple of faxes to send and an annoying person that you have to make idle chit-chat with.
Disillusioned you could say, but not with law. Law is still a noble profession and very interesting to study. I look forward to it and the challenge of next year. I think it’s beginning to dawn that work is indeed, work and hard work is… well you get the picture.
But before you all think I’m a lazy git, here are my reasons. I hate most people. The way I look at things, initially hate everyone and then the people you do like will have obviously gone through rigorous testing. They are unlikely to mess you about. You’ll find most people are horrible (especially in London - a cheap dig for which I’m sorry) and people are self-obsessed. None more so than in the Legal profession. Not once during the whole of the time I commuted with the commuters (with their computers) did I see anyone strike up a conversation. It’s impossible to talk to each other when the only thing on your mind is yourself. And that is all the reasons…
So here’s to university, I’ll savour this final year. So cheers and all have a drink on me.
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Charchita Misra
May 27th 09: Ready with my cup of coffee, I sat down to go through my usual morning emails when I stopped on a message asking me to confirm my final review meeting with the Head of Engineering. As I started reading the email my mind went through a flashback of memories from the day I joined Siemens.
My placement year has given me a head-start on my route to get IET Chartership. I have realised how each task relates to a specific level of the required competencies, and the way they integrate to help you prove your professional experience. I also got the opportunity to train on something completely new by using the knowledge I gained in my undergraduate studies, and I can now use this to contribute to the final year project requirements. The placement year has assured me that my decision to pursue Engineering as my career was correct, as I have immensely enjoyed the exposure which Siemens gave me to broaden my knowledge and put my thinking cap on.
Apart from academic skills, my personal qualities have been tried and developed immensely over this year. The planning and problem solving skills I have used while designing the configuration are now being used to plan for my final year project at the university and I have decided to again stretch myself to learn something new which I was vaguely introduced to while at Siemens, namely Fibre Optic Communication.
As the bridge between my placement year and my university is narrowing, I have realised that the placement year has given me a wonderful insight to my life after graduation. I now can visualise my career five years from now. I am now ready to welcome the change of going back to university and complete my graduation so as to then expand my wings into the world of opportunities…..
So, “to fresh woods and pastures new”…with hope and the knowledge that experience being only a name we give to our mistakes, I carry with me the confidence that I shall overcome the challenges in the coming year.
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Ami Sheerer
My future inside!!!
When I attended my interview at HMP Wormwood Scrubs, I was asked what I wanted to gain from my placement experience. I distinctively remember replying that I wanted to shadow forensic psychologists, that I was hoping to have lots of prisoner contact, the chance to interview prisoners, the possibility of facilitating on programmes run by the psychology department and generally that I wanted to become involved in as much research as I could, and learn as much as possible. During my placement I also hoped to discover a few things about myself. This experience for me was about gaining some direction in my life and choosing the right career path. When I first started my placement I was relatively sure that I wanted to go on to complete my MSc in forensic psychology and finally become a chartered psychologist after years of demanding training. However, my mind was open enough to know that I may not enjoy my time at Wormwood Scrubs and it may lead me in a whole new direction
In relation to my final year of study and future career I know that forensics is still the area I am most interested and passionate about, however, this placement has opened new doors such as counselling within forensic psychology or maybe forensic psychology but within the probation service opposed to the prison service. I have always been interested in forensics, but working alongside those studying for their Masters in counselling psychology at Wormwood Scrubs has enlightened me to another area of psychology that holds my interest. When making my module choices for my final year, these were the first two I requested.
In retrospect, I can say that my time here was fantastic; I have learnt so much and truly appreciate the opportunity I have had to meet and work with prison officers, probation staff, psychologists, psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists and so many more professionals, not forgetting the prisoners themselves!! Many people find it hard to believe that I loved working in a prison in close contact with prisoners, but I really have enjoyed it and it’s one of the most amazing and rewarding experiences I have ever had. I am 100% sure that I want to carry on working in a similar environment, supporting those who are less fortunate and need help to turn their back on the criminal world.
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Essay Competition
For all returning placement students, the essay competition offers a chance to write retrospectively about their placement experiences and help inform others about the benefits of undertaking a work placement. The winning 900-word essay will be awarded a £700 prize.
The competition is launched each September, with a deadline of early December and the winner announced in February.
For details of this year's competition, please see Essay Competition.
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Essay Winner
The 2008 Essay Competition has been won by Tim Chapman from the University of Kent. Tim is studying Computer Systems Engineering and undertook his placement at BAE Systems in Rochester. Congratulations to Tim who will receive the £700 prize. Thanks to all the entrants who made the judges' job very difficult (yet equally pleasurable).
In addition the judges wish to give special commendation to Alyxandra Milne from Liverpool John Moores University and Stephanie Rostron from Leeds Metropolitan University who will receive runner up prizes of £100. Alyxandra worked at Chester Zoo, while Stephanie did her placement at Dorint GmbH, a German hotel chain.
Tim Chapman's Presentation Ceremony
On 13 May 2009 Tim received his prize in a ceremony held at the Department of Electronics, University of Kent.
From left to right in the top photo are Professor Sarah Spurgeon (Head of Electronics Department), Keith Washington (Tim’s Mentor at BAE Systems), Tim Chapman (final year student studying Computer Systems Engineering), Nick Martin (Chief Technologist at BAE Systems, Rochester, Kent) and Amanda Monteiro (ASET Director). Winston Waller (Industrial Placement Tutor for Electronics) and Catherine Butler (Placement Officer) were also in attendance to help celebrate Tim's success.
Tim's Winning Entry
Industrial Placements; Beyond Academic Learning
Industrial placements are often a highly valuable and important part of any degree course, but are not always considered by students when applying. I cannot stress enough the value of the extra year; it gives you the opportunity to gain some experience in your chosen field and better prepare yourself to enter the world of work.
After a lot of thought I decided that I wanted a course which taught both Computer Science and Electronics Engineering. This had the benefit of keeping my options open, which was particularly important as I was unsure of what field would most interest me. With the course I selected I could work as anything from a computer programmer to a hardware engineer. When applying for my placement I was fairly certain that the software side would suit me best; my CV reflected this. However, I actually got a placement as an Electronic Engineer, something I had not had a huge amount of experience with. It turned out to be an eye-opening experience and I now know that this is the job for me.
When you first start your industrial placement you will quickly learn the stark difference between knowledge and understanding. University furnishes you with a good knowledge of your chosen subject, but it is often difficult to truly understand the concepts and why they are being taught. By immersing yourself in the working environment for a year you gain an understanding of the concepts you have learned and how these concepts are utilised to resolve everyday problems.
I worked for a total of fourteen months at a BAE Systems site in Rochester, Kent. The site is involved in a wide variety of work, but specialises in cockpit display systems for pilots, mission computers, flight control systems and inceptors (control sticks). During my placement I worked on a research programme developing a small computing solution for the mission systems element of the business. This would be used to sample data from various sensors around the aircraft and display the information on one or more of the cockpit display elements.
For the first few weeks I found it incredibly difficult to make progress. At university you are only exposed to relatively simple circuit designs in order to illustrate the concepts being taught. By contrast the circuit designs at BAE Systems are incredibly complex and utilised technologies with which I was unfamiliar. Over time I began to develop a better understanding of the concepts I was taught and how they could be utilised within the technologies and processes used at BAE Systems. This helped me to design a major part of the computing solution in the first few months of my placement. By the time Christmas came around I was holding a bare circuit board with my design. It was really great to participate in getting my design built, then testing and integrating it into the overall system. My final task was to document my design with a datasheet so that it could be utilised as a building block within other products at BAE Systems.
While on your placement you also begin to appreciate that there is much more to learn than just your subject matter. You must learn the processes and procedures that must be followed at your particular employer. You must have a good grasp of time management and task prioritisation. You must also have a decent level of people skills; you are often dealing with colleagues, customers and suppliers on whom your work may depend.
Whatever you may be doing, make the most of any opportunities that come your way. Due to the course I had selected my knowledge of Electronic Engineering is not as extensive as someone taking a dedicated course. The placement has given me the chance to greatly enhance my knowledge of this area and learn concepts which I had not dealt with before. I was also able to experience different aspects of work at BAE Systems in Rochester and at other sites.
Thanks to my progress over the year I have been given a conditional job offer and sponsorship for the final year. In addition I have organised a sponsored final year project, utilising the knowledge and experience gained during the year to hopefully improve my results. The fourteen months spent at BAE Systems have been more valuable than I could have possibly imagined. I have emerged with a greater understanding of my subject and of myself. I had the chance to experience a job with which I had little experience; as it turned out something which I have enjoyed immensely.
We all feel a sense of accomplishment in the work that we do, no matter what the subject matter. It is this that we strive to find in our place of work; it is ultimately what makes our work enjoyable. I get this feeling when I see a piece of electronics that I have designed; when it is integrated into a larger system and works as was intended. At the very least the industrial placement is an opportunity to try and find this feeling; to find the job that is right for you
All in all the industrial placement year is an invaluable experience that should not be missed. If you have the option I highly recommend that you make use of the opportunity. At worst you will come away with experience to enhance your CV for future job applications and have some idea what work is like. At best you will gain an understanding of your chosen subject and what aspect of this most interests you. This is something that cannot be taught; you must learn this lesson for yourself.
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