Semester abroad vs. placement year??

Hi ejidjxisjwkdi,

I’ve recently graduated from the University of Plymouth and I was so envious of everyone who got to do a placement year. Like kkboyk said above, gaining a years’ worth of professional experience puts you far ahead of other graduates as your CV is that little bit more developed professionally.

However, if a year abroad really interests you then you should go for it – it still looks fantastic on a CV and builds key skills. I actually studied abroad in Spain for 3 months during the summer of my second year. I applied for a Santander Mobility Scholarship through my University which meant I secured over £4,000 to move to Spain for 3 months and enrol in an Intensive Summer Spanish course. I am still so grateful for the opportunity as it changed me completely!

I know that the Santander Universities network extends across the UK – I would definitely enquire with your University’s career service to learn more about it and to see if it’s offered where you are. If it is offered, you could always study abroad during the summer and enrol in a placement year if you really can’t decide between the two

Regardless of what you choose, both years will develop a whole host of new skills and that is really exciting. Let me know if you have any further questions!

- Seren, University of Plymouth Student Rep