The Student Room Group

University: extra-curricular opportunities

Interested in finding out more about extra-curricular opportunities or placements at university? Ask Stephen for some advice.

Stephen is an engineering graduate trainee working on a range of electrical and electronic systems at Science and Technology Facilities Council.
(edited 8 years ago)
I am an Architecture and Planning university student and wanting to go to Art or Architecture or Design related summer school in Europe this year. Does anyone have any advices or suggestions which school to go to? Does anyone also know any informations about bursaries and grants for it?

Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Placement is optional for my degree. I have already secured a summer internship. So I was thinking whether a placement is worth it. I want to train for chartered accountancy which requires 3 years of training experience. But the thing is 'year out on placement' doesn't count as a training experience at all. So I think it will just be me wasting my time.

Anyone has been in same situation as me? I am totally in dilemma right now. I think placement is great for CV, but is it REALLY worth it? Maybe just normal route of graduate scheme is much better.?
To start im happy with the course and university itself. Its already second term and I don't have an established group of friends. I probably had unrealistic expectations but I really wanted to come to university make lots of good friends and just have fun. I was first in a corridor style hall, one of the girls next to me I got on with at first but then she spent most of her time at her boyfriends and so I hardly saw her, the other girl next door to me I also hardly saw. I was close to one girl in those halls and still am but she doesn't really enjoy going out. I transferred halls recently to a supposedly more sociable halls, but I am now starting to think it was a rash decision, my flatmates are lovely but already seem to have their established groups and have already decided to move in together next year. Theres people on my course I talk to but have never been out with outside of uni as they all seem to have an established group with their halls mates. The people im closest to on my course are a girl who commutes to uni and has her own life outside of uni, my closest friend did the foundation year last year and thus already has a house and so I cannot move in with her. Everyone seems to have their established groups and friends and although it sounds sad and pathetic ive been really isolated bored and lonely to the point where im becoming extremely frustrated. I always lie to my family and friends back home saying that im happy and going out etc. I think it is starting to impact my mental health slightly ive been feeling quite depressed and started binging and purging and smoking although im not sure what issue this is related to I just know my mood is not normal. Does anyone have any advice? I really want to make close friends in term two but everyone seems settled and to be having a great time
I'm looking for a work experience placement in Manchester for July of this year(2016), and i was wondering if anybody could give me some ideas?

If it helps i'm VERY interested in all things to do with art & design but not so much craft, i'm fairly interested in computing and i'm also interested in geography but i have considered the idea of getting a placement in somewhere such as a café.

- I really, really need help because i've emailed a ton of places, im running out of ideas and the deadline is in TWO WEEKS! -
Reply 5
I'm thinking about doing the TEFFL internship but I'm a bit nervous as i'll essentially be living in a foreign country for 5 months. I was just curious to see if anyone has taken part in the TEFFL internship and how was their experience?
Reply 6
Hey everyone

I'm a second year at Bath Uni doing Natural Sciences (from the UK) and I'm going on placement next year with LDDN. They are a company which is collaboration of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's hospital. I'm really excited!! Only problem is the internship is completed unpaid and in Boston which, as everyone probably knows, is one of the most expensive cities in the US.

I was wondering if anyone knows of any grants/scholarships I could apply for. I've done some research and my main problem is I'm not studying abroad I'm doing a research position/working so I'm not eligible for anything I've found so far.

Any suggestions would be very appreciated!! :smile:
I just got back from a semester abroad in Canada and would like to get an internship over there in the summer. There are lots of opportunities with big companies in which in theory I could apply for (no mention of having to be a Canadian student), but obv I'm not willing to fly out for interviews.

Has anyone done a proper paid internship abroad, in Canada or elsewhere? I'd be looking at investment banking and accountancy mainly but would consider any business area. Do we know if there are any opportunities for UK students that would involve traveling abroad?

Also what are your thoughts on picking out cities and just applying for internships at small companies/businesses willy nilly? Maybe ones that would be more inclined to skype interviews.

Thanks, :smile:
Reply 8
Hello TSR

I'm an international student from Sweden looking to attend university next year, with the objective of securing a trading job at an IB or Hedge fund.

Background:
Did Business Economics, Maths, International Economics and Finance at the highest level during high school. Grades: A*AAA.

I have experience within trading various financial instruments (successfully) including FX and ETF's. Furthermore I have been working at Deloitte for the past 8 months since I graduated high school.

Despite this I didn't manage to receive an offer from Cambridge nor LSE (economics), however I have recieved unconditional offers from The University of Manchester (BAecon Finance) and The University of Nottingham; BSc Finance, Accounting and Mangament and I'm yet to receive any response from Warwick (economics) which I will firm if I'm fortunate enough to recieve an offer.

How would you rate my chances of getting an internship at a major IB/Hedge Fund? (Trading Desk or M&A). Furthermore, I'm having trouble deciding between Manchester and Nottingham, is there any significant differences between the two and do the banks look differently upon a BA compared to a BSc?
I'm a humanities student in Scotland and would like to find an internship in London this summer in marketing.

I think digital looks interesting; social media, SEO, content writing, PPC...that sort of thing.

I've had a look at several job boards and have applied to loads of positions advertised but I'm not getting anywhere.

Can anyone help!?
Original post by Student Money Week
Interested in finding out more about extra-curricular opportunities or placements at university? Ask Stephen for some advice.

Stephen is an engineering graduate trainee working on a range of electrical and electronic systems at Science and Technology Facilities Council.


Hi all,

I hope your courses aren’t stressing you out too much! As mentioned above my name is Stephen, and I’ll be talking a little bit about extra-curricular opportunities and placements, and answering your questions. When I went to university, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do when I graduated, and getting involved in the above helped me to figure these things out as well as develop the skills graduate employers look for but don’t often get the chance to use on your course.

Being a student at university can open a lot of doors, and it’s not just what you do in the lecture hall that counts. There are multiple opportunities to get involved with other things that can be just as rewarding as the degree itself:

Look for chances in your students’ union to contribute to things going on around your location. This could be things like volunteering at an event for a local organisation or fundraising for charity with your SU’s raising and giving (RAG) group. It’s a great way to meet new people outside of your current social circles, and if you’re shy or busy with other things, you can just dip your toes in and sign up for one event without having to commit to more if you don’t want to.

If you want to get a bit more involved with putting your time and effort into topics and causes you are interested in, there may be relevant student societies or clubs that run regular events you can join. As an engineer, I joined my uni’s branch of Engineers Without Borders UK where I learned more about how engineering helps people, especially the poorest and most vulnerable, which complemented the more technical side of things which I learned in my degree. There are also similar groups for different subjects such as MedSin and Friends of MSF (Doctors Without Borders). You can also represent other students, either as a course rep or a student parliamentarian.

Outside of the SU, you might look for groups and organisations that align with your interests; you may have a local branch of a professional institution that relates to what you are studying. I joined my local branches of the Institution of Engineering & Technology and the British Science Association, as both of these groups had events that interested me, and increased my knowledge of what’s going on in science and engineering, you may also have local groups around that match up with your interests. It’s also another great way to network!

Placements, whether it’s a bit of work experience before starting uni, a summer placement between uni years or a full industrial placement year, are a good opportunity to get a taste of what life in the working world and within your industry is really like, and depending on what kind of placement you are doing, also earn a bit of money along the way. I had placements at different companies and used them as a chance to see if working in my industry was really like the image I had of it in my head. This was extremely beneficial to me, as it allowed me to identify exactly what I wanted to go into as a graduate. Even if you do a placement and it isn’t what you’d hoped for, you now know you probably wouldn’t like working at that company or in that field as a graduate and you can spend your time and effort looking at other options.

You can use both your extra-curricular activities and placement experiences to develop your soft skills and competencies and as examples to use on your CV or when you are being interviewed for something new. They give you an edge over the competition, but I’ve found them to be rewarding experiences in their own right. Keep in mind that these opportunities don’t often make themselves obvious, and it’s up to you to take full advantage of them when you find out about them. You may even need to create your own opportunities such as planning your own event, or starting your own student society, if there is something you really want to do, but the payoff can be well worth the investment!
Original post by leayvenne
I am an Architecture and Planning university student and wanting to go to Art or Architecture or Design related summer school in Europe this year. Does anyone have any advices or suggestions which school to go to? Does anyone also know any informations about bursaries and grants for it?

Any comments will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.


Hi leayvenne,

I can't advise you on what is good for architecture as my field is engineering, but if you are seeking out grants and bursaries, then I would recommend taking a look at what professional institutions can offer. If you are studying a course which has a path to chartership in that field after you graduate, then the chances are there is a corresponding professional institution that supports students and professionals on that path. You may be interested in the Royal Institute of British Architects, they have this webpage which is all about undergraduate funding and funding opportunities: https://www.architecture.com/RIBA/Becomeanarchitect/Fundingyoureducation/Studentfunding/Howtofundyourstudies.aspx

For those studying other subjects, it's worth seeing if there's an institute which matches up with what you are studying, as they will likely have similar information for what you are studying. For example, I am an electrical/electronic engineer who is a member of the Institution of Engineering & Technology (IET).
Original post by walkers38
Placement is optional for my degree. I have already secured a summer internship. So I was thinking whether a placement is worth it. I want to train for chartered accountancy which requires 3 years of training experience. But the thing is 'year out on placement' doesn't count as a training experience at all. So I think it will just be me wasting my time.

Anyone has been in same situation as me? I am totally in dilemma right now. I think placement is great for CV, but is it REALLY worth it? Maybe just normal route of graduate scheme is much better.?


Hi walkers38 and congrats on getting yourself a summer placement!

I thought about the same things before starting university; should I take the time to do placements, or just finish the degree as soon as possible to get on the career ladder? For me, as I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to go into when I finished, I decided to go for summer placements and do an optional placement year on my course. This gave me the time and relevant experiences I needed to figure it out. That summer placement ticks an important box as your potential graduate employer has a professional reference they can contact regarding your application, and if it's an application to the same company, that's even more of an advantage you'll have, but even if you know what you want to do after you graduate, further placements can still help out.

You could for example work for a different accounting company to directly compare which working environment you prefer, you might prefer having access to the networks and resources that larger companies have access to, or you might prefer a smaller company with a more informal and flexible arrangement. You can also use an extra placement to compare things that are external to the job itself, like doing a placement in a quiet location, then doing the next placement in a place with a bit more going on and then you can decide which geographical locations you would prefer when applying for a graduate position.

If you're completely certain on which company and where you want to work, or you're not fussy either way, then the above is less of a factor, but an extra placement under your belt will still give you an advantage over the competition when it comes to applying for your desired graduate position, and it can help in negotiations if the advertised salary is a range. It's up to you to decide if that's worth waiting an extra year to graduate though, if you're not in your penultimate year, a happy medium might be to avoid doing a placement year and apply for a placement for next summer so you avoid waiting an extra year, but still get some more experience.
Original post by annabell2014
To start im happy with the course and university itself. Its already second term and I don't have an established group of friends. I probably had unrealistic expectations but I really wanted to come to university make lots of good friends and just have fun. I was first in a corridor style hall, one of the girls next to me I got on with at first but then she spent most of her time at her boyfriends and so I hardly saw her, the other girl next door to me I also hardly saw. I was close to one girl in those halls and still am but she doesn't really enjoy going out. I transferred halls recently to a supposedly more sociable halls, but I am now starting to think it was a rash decision, my flatmates are lovely but already seem to have their established groups and have already decided to move in together next year. Theres people on my course I talk to but have never been out with outside of uni as they all seem to have an established group with their halls mates. The people im closest to on my course are a girl who commutes to uni and has her own life outside of uni, my closest friend did the foundation year last year and thus already has a house and so I cannot move in with her. Everyone seems to have their established groups and friends and although it sounds sad and pathetic ive been really isolated bored and lonely to the point where im becoming extremely frustrated. I always lie to my family and friends back home saying that im happy and going out etc. I think it is starting to impact my mental health slightly ive been feeling quite depressed and started binging and purging and smoking although im not sure what issue this is related to I just know my mood is not normal. Does anyone have any advice? I really want to make close friends in term two but everyone seems settled and to be having a great time


Hi annabell2014,

I'm sorry to hear you're feeling that way. The university or students' union should have student counsellors that will listen to you and can offer advice about it. Information on how they can be contacted should be visible on their website. There is also advice available on the NHS website: http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/studenthealth/Pages/Copingwithstress.aspx

If you are looking to make new friends, perhaps you could try helping out at a students' union volunteering event or fundraiser, that I talk about a bit more in my first post? You'll then get to meet lots of other people who are also helping out and make new friends. You'll also have something in common with them as you've both decided to help out at the same event and will possibly see each other again at future ones. Student societies and sports clubs are also used to seeing and welcoming new members throughout the year, so perhaps you can join a couple that you are interested in and see what happens?

I hope things get better for you!
Original post by JustGabrielle01
I'm looking for a work experience placement in Manchester for July of this year(2016), and i was wondering if anybody could give me some ideas?

If it helps i'm VERY interested in all things to do with art & design but not so much craft, i'm fairly interested in computing and i'm also interested in geography but i have considered the idea of getting a placement in somewhere such as a café.

- I really, really need help because i've emailed a ton of places, im running out of ideas and the deadline is in TWO WEEKS! -


Hi JustGabrielle01,

Many graduate recruitment sites often have sections for placements and internships, some examples:
https://targetjobs.co.uk/internships
http://www.milkround.com/jobs/internships-and-work-experience/

It's definitely worth having a look on these sorts of sites and filtering by location to see what's near you if it absolutely has to be in Manchester; many companies will ignore prospective emails if they have some sort of application process on their website. For smaller companies, they will be more flexible, but it may be difficult to get in contact with them in the first place, generally phoning up is more difficult for them to ignore than an email, although an email can be sent after a phone call with information such as a CV. Networking is also really helpful if you are looking for someone locally, are there are lecturers you know that might know somebody? Are you in an art or design student society that might have local contacts?

There's lots of general information about different types of work experience and getting them here: https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/work-experience-and-internships

Good luck!
Original post by zonsori
I'm thinking about doing the TEFFL internship but I'm a bit nervous as i'll essentially be living in a foreign country for 5 months. I was just curious to see if anyone has taken part in the TEFFL internship and how was their experience?


Hi zonsori,

I haven't done a TEFFL internship, but there might be others on this site that have decided to do so. It might also be worth searching for people's blogs online as I'm sure some people would've documented their experiences.
Original post by Anna7711
Hey everyone

I'm a second year at Bath Uni doing Natural Sciences (from the UK) and I'm going on placement next year with LDDN. They are a company which is collaboration of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's hospital. I'm really excited!! Only problem is the internship is completed unpaid and in Boston which, as everyone probably knows, is one of the most expensive cities in the US.

I was wondering if anyone knows of any grants/scholarships I could apply for. I've done some research and my main problem is I'm not studying abroad I'm doing a research position/working so I'm not eligible for anything I've found so far.

Any suggestions would be very appreciated!! :smile:


Hi Anna7711,

Congratulations on getting your placement! I also had to look at raising fund for a placement I did abroad, so I know how daunting it can feel. It might be worth taking a look at what your professional institute can offer in terms of grants and bursaries, as some have funds reserved to support students. For example, the Royal Society of Chemistry have an undergraduate research bursary: http://www.rsc.org/ScienceAndTechnology/Funding/undergraduate-bursary.asp

The Royal Society of Biology have a list and the 'Biochemical Society Summer Vacation Studentships' might tie in with you're doing. There may be other bursaries from those two societies that could help you as well if you look through their lists.

Also, it's worth asking your lecturers about your situation; their school/department may have funds reserved to help students that have opportunities such as this, or they might know more about where such funds can be found.

Good luck!
Original post by Dominoes
I just got back from a semester abroad in Canada and would like to get an internship over there in the summer. There are lots of opportunities with big companies in which in theory I could apply for (no mention of having to be a Canadian student), but obv I'm not willing to fly out for interviews.

Has anyone done a proper paid internship abroad, in Canada or elsewhere? I'd be looking at investment banking and accountancy mainly but would consider any business area. Do we know if there are any opportunities for UK students that would involve traveling abroad?

Also what are your thoughts on picking out cities and just applying for internships at small companies/businesses willy nilly? Maybe ones that would be more inclined to skype interviews.

Thanks, :smile:


Hi Dominoes,

The best place that I know of when it comes to finding general placements specifically abroad are the range of schemes advertised by the British Council: https://www.britishcouncil.org/study-work-create There's a good range of things to do on there, but no guarantee you'll find placements in the field you most want to work in.

I think it's worth a try attempting to apply for internships at companies abroad; if you don't ask, you never get! That said, it could be significantly more difficult for a company to take you in as an intern compared to a Canadian national, so you'll really have to make the case for why they should pick you over anyone else. Smaller companies may be more flexible and willing to Skype, but that's not to say it's impossible to do so for larger companies, as I've managed to do so on one occasion where I was abroad, so you could try those too.
Original post by MathSpec
Hello TSR

I'm an international student from Sweden looking to attend university next year, with the objective of securing a trading job at an IB or Hedge fund.

Background:
Did Business Economics, Maths, International Economics and Finance at the highest level during high school. Grades: A*AAA.

I have experience within trading various financial instruments (successfully) including FX and ETF's. Furthermore I have been working at Deloitte for the past 8 months since I graduated high school.

Despite this I didn't manage to receive an offer from Cambridge nor LSE (economics), however I have recieved unconditional offers from The University of Manchester (BAecon Finance) and The University of Nottingham; BSc Finance, Accounting and Mangament and I'm yet to receive any response from Warwick (economics) which I will firm if I'm fortunate enough to recieve an offer.

How would you rate my chances of getting an internship at a major IB/Hedge Fund? (Trading Desk or M&A). Furthermore, I'm having trouble deciding between Manchester and Nottingham, is there any significant differences between the two and do the banks look differently upon a BA compared to a BSc?


Hi MathSpec,

I specialise in engineering so I cannot give you any useful advice on this topic, but I'm sure other users of this forum can offer you more insight on the Finance/Economics sections of this website!
Original post by hannahbanana7
I'm a humanities student in Scotland and would like to find an internship in London this summer in marketing.

I think digital looks interesting; social media, SEO, content writing, PPC...that sort of thing.

I've had a look at several job boards and have applied to loads of positions advertised but I'm not getting anywhere.

Can anyone help!?


Hi hannahbanana7,

I specialise in engineering, so I can't give you specific advice, but it might be worth asking in the careers and jobs related forums as well is the marketing/sales/PR section for advice and getting your CVs/covering letters critiqued by them so you can further improve them.

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