Foundation / placement year

Is it worth doing a foundation year at uea and not being able to do a placement year or going to uni of essex without a foundation year but with a placement year instead ?

Uea is slightly higher then uni of essex in the rankings

Hi there 👋

Which degree are you going for?

I'd advise looking at the course modules for each year at both universities to see if anything appeals to you over the other.

Have you visited either of the campuses yet? It's where you'll be living for the next 3-4 years so it's important that you get a good vibe and feel safe and comfortable.

Best wishes
Essex student Rep - Hayley
2nd year biomedical science

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by EssexStudentRep

Hi there 👋

Which degree are you going for?

I'd advise looking at the course modules for each year at both universities to see if anything appeals to you over the other.

Have you visited either of the campuses yet? It's where you'll be living for the next 3-4 years so it's important that you get a good vibe and feel safe and comfortable.

Best wishes
Essex student Rep - Hayley
2nd year biomedical science

I feel stuck between studying Computer science and marketing and management

I think I have decided on essex as I would rather spend the extra year working.

Original post by Anonymous

I feel stuck between studying Computer science and marketing and management

I think I have decided on essex as I would rather spend the extra year working.

The placement year opportunities are great, I'm going into my placement year this October. Mine is unpaid as it's integrated with my degree but there are loads of paid placement opportunities. We've got a fantastic placements team and they're really involved with the process of applying and giving advice throughout your second year when you start thinking about it.

Have you had a look at the modules for each course, is there anything that might help to make your decision? Both have transferable skills for a future career, what are you thinking for a job you might like to do after you graduate?

Best wishes
Essex Student Rep - Hayley

Reply 4

Anonymous #2

Original post by Anonymous

Is it worth doing a foundation year at uea and not being able to do a placement year or going to uni of essex without a foundation year but with a placement year instead ?

Uea is slightly higher then uni of essex in the rankings

The latter sounds better, imo rankings don't matter. Experience is quite important when looking for jobs.

Yeah I do find it a bit weird how much people talk about Russell Group for example because all it is is a group of universities, that aren't necessarily the best but the name has got a bit of prestige. Where you went to uni will have very little bearing on your future job prospects to be honest. It's better for your CV to get a 1st at a lower ranking uni than a 2.1 or 2.2 from a higher ranking uni. Having a year of working experience will set you ahead of your peers when you graduate too

Best wishes
Essex Student Rep - Hayley

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by EssexStudentRep

The placement year opportunities are great, I'm going into my placement year this October. Mine is unpaid as it's integrated with my degree but there are loads of paid placement opportunities. We've got a fantastic placements team and they're really involved with the process of applying and giving advice throughout your second year when you start thinking about it.

Have you had a look at the modules for each course, is there anything that might help to make your decision? Both have transferable skills for a future career, what are you thinking for a job you might like to do after you graduate?

Best wishes
Essex Student Rep - Hayley

Hey Hayley
I have looked the modules for both courses and they seem to be similar just have different names.
I havent looked round at UEA in person but I've heard good things about the university however I have looked around Essex campus unfortunately it wasnt the whole tour as it apart of a sixthform trip but it looks nice and its in my top 5 for sure. I absolutely love the town and its somewhere I would love to live after graduation
Career wise I feel like i would like to go into software development maybe games development but I know its an extremely niche sector. I am trying to keep my career options open and I would love to do a masters degree after however I'm not entirely sure if I would want it or need it to be a computer science based subject.

If you get the chance you should come down to one of the open days we hold through the year. Next one is Saturday 16th September, then the one after that is Saturday 28th October
https://www.essex.ac.uk/visit-us/open-days

These are great as you get a chance to meet academics from each department so you can have a wander around and talk to people about the different courses. I knew I was interested in science but it helped me in narrowing down which specific course and I settled on biomedical science. There's a few different computer science degree options so it would help to chat to people about what your options are. You can get tours of the campus and accommodation as well.

On the social side, we have a game development society. It's not all about coding, some students are more into music, art and graphics design etc and it brings everyone together to create real playable game designs. Bear that in mind if you decide on marketing, you still have the option to join clubs and societies for totally different things you're interested in.
https://www.essexstudent.com/organisation/12079/

You can also do your undergraduate in one area and switch it up for your masters to specialise in something else. Integrated masters degrees are a great option but if you're a bit undecided I'd stick with the placement year and decide on your masters later. You may find you really love a particular module or area of study that you hadn't thought of as an option before you start your degree, so leave yourself space to grow and change your mind and enjoy the whole uni experience 😊

Best wishes
Essex Student Rep - Hayley

(edited 9 months ago)

Original post by Anonymous

Is it worth doing a foundation year at uea and not being able to do a placement year or going to uni of essex without a foundation year but with a placement year instead ?

Uea is slightly higher then uni of essex in the rankings

Hey there!

It's great that you're considering UEA as the university for you! I actually did BSc Marketing and Management at UEA for my undergrad and really enjoyed it! I didn’t do a year in industry but did a summer internship in the summer of my 2nd year as a social media assistant and gained invaluable experience. It was great because I used what I'd learnt in my 1st and 2nd year modules, like Digital Marketing, and adapted it to my summer role. Whilst doing a placement year has its benefits, you should also considering spring/ summer internships that give you the same work and practical experience just over a shorter period. But this means that you can do multiple ones and see what sort of industry/ career you want as well as get a really well-rounded experience of working for multiple organisations.

As for UEA, we're a Top 25 UK University (The Complete University Guide) and from my experience the Norwich Business School are really supportive and involved in your degree to make sure you're getting the most out of it. If you want to have a look around our wonderfully green campus we have an Open Day coming up which you can book onto here or view our virtual Open Day here. Like Hayley mentions above, this is a really good way to see if the uni is the right fit for you by chatting to current students and staff as well as seeing if the uni meets your own personal criteria.

I hope this helps and let me know if you have any other questions!
Isabella (MSc Brand Leadership) :smile:

Foundation / placement year

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