The placement scheme was a major factor in my decision to choose Bath.
I wanted to gain industry-based lab experience and workplace-related skills, and they're only available through a placement. I was also keen to start building my professional network and make decisions about my future, and I wasn’t disappointed.
My work as a research scientist in the R&D lab saw me complete 10 different projects in the year, working on three or four at any one time. As a result, I had to sharpen up how I managed my time, an aspect of self-improvement I’ve brought back to my final year at university.
Both my study time and lab projects are far better planned now! I’m also a more confident and efficient reader of research papers thanks to the exhaustive reading required in my work: another useful skill for my final year.
My time at GeneSys Biotech benefited me in so many ways and was vital for teaching me that scientific research requires a lot of perseverance. I feel much more confident in my own abilities and well-prepared for the future. I definitely see myself continuing with a lab-based career as I felt I fitted in well on placement.
My advice is to answer questions honestly in your application, and be yourself. Working in industry means you’ll be in a team, and there’s no point pretending to be someone else and then discovering you don’t fit in.