I spent half the year studying in Spain and the other half working as a Tour Leader for PGL, France. Below, I’ll describe how I found my placement, as well as the skills and benefits I gained during the process. When I came to the open day at Surrey, a student did a talk about her placement year, half of which she spent working for PGL in France. I remember thinking that this sounded like a job I would enjoy.
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First of all, you are not the only one. It’s very common not to know what you want to do, even in your final year or after you have graduated. So over Christmas how do you respond to well-intentioned family members when they ask “What are your plans after university? It’s ok to say, “I […]
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Hi, I’m Carly. I’m a modern languages student and I spent last year on a placement abroad. I chose to do 50/50 study and work, as I wanted to experience both opportunities. They were amazing in different ways. Studying abroad in France allowed me to meet lots of people from different countries, as well as […]
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Hi, I’m Rochelle and I’m a second year BSc Business Management (Marketing) student here at Surrey. I’m a mature student, studying full-time and working part-time in Human Resources. I have also taken on series of other roles and responsibilities on campus – so I’m a busy bee! Before coming to university, I worked full-time in […]
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Graduate schemes are paid structured training programmes offered by many large employers, usually lasting around two years (between a year and up to three years or more). e defined time frame and structure that distinguishes a graduate scheme or programme from the wider class of ‘graduate job’, which is the general term for entry-level roles that require people with a degree qualification.
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When your placement comes to an end the thought of returning to University for final year can often bring up mixed feelings. Often when your placement year has been a positive experience, where your contribution was really valued it can be a comedown to be thrown back into uni. You find that you are ‘just another student’ again. Your studies can seem irrelevant, what you are doing insignificant in comparison with the ‘real world’.
In contrast if your placement didn’t work out so well socially or workwise, perhaps you are relieved to be back in familiar territory and to catch up with old friends. But maybe you are now questioning your career path. In either case how can you best reintegrate back into university life and stay motivated to finish your course?
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