E3 Academy Student Review

This placement is going really well, I feel like I have learnt so much whilst being here. I'm not left to just make coffee- I actively always have an engineering project to be working on.

I feel valued here. My colleagues give me advice, and honest feedback when I ask them how I am getting on. Being on the E3 scheme is really good, as it means that the 11 of us that are on the scheme are alwasy encouraging each other.

My manager is amazing. At the start of the placement he gave me a full overview plan of the projects that I was going to be working on and made a timeline for me. this meant that I always knew what I should be working on, and also what was coming next. He is very approachable, so if I have a question this is not an issue at all. He also gives me feedback as I go along, which is really helpful

I wasn't always busy, and this does get frustrating at times. However, I believe that this is the way that the working environment differs from University. At University, there is always something to do, like an assignment or an exam to prepare for. However, in the office this is not the case. Getting the information you need takes longer because you have to find out what resources you have through contacting people, rather than them being freely available (like a textbook, for example).

I was given full responsibility of my personal project whilst on placement, to make a connection between an online tool and a Raspberry Pi- a connection that no one in the country had made before. This was amazing as I got to learn so much as I went along. If I was having trouble with it, no one in the office really knew what to do next so I had to find out the information myself.

I have learnt a lot of computer science skills whilst being on this placement. I can tell just how valuable they are because I feel that if I had had this knowledge in my first and second years at university then I would have absolutely aced my computer science and programming modules. This placement has made me realise how far I have come in terms of my programming skills since before University. Being part of a group project during placement is also great. It means that I have experience in working in a team-0 this experience will aid me in my third year group project at University.

It was a quiet office - so much so that you could hear peoples full conversations on the phone, but this works well for my working style, as I work much better in silence. Everyone in the office was super friendly. This is my second summer placement here, so I know people quite well now, but everyone seemed really happy to see me upon my return this summer!

Really well. I was never in a situation where I didn't know what my plan was for the day or where to meet etc..

I received some data protection training and some training (mandatory) on some Siemens software. However, I would have liked to be part of some presentation skills training or something like that.

As long as I get a 2:1 in my degree, I have a place on their graduate scheme. Because the E3 Academy is so well set up and streamlined, this makes it easier for me to know what to expect when it comes to the grad scheme which does not make it nerve racking or daunting.

The social aspect of my placement is great- I've made some really good friends. We all live together and travel to/from work together which makes it really easy to get to know everyone. We do things after work and on the weekends, which takes away from some of the stresses about being on placement. People often go to the pub on a Friday as well which is lovely.

The closest place to the office is Didsbury, which is quite expensive. However, the rent where we stay is cheap and has bills included, although it is not a very nice place. Going out is normal, but food and pubs are quite expensive-especially considering we're in the north of the country.

Quite good. I don't go out here half as much as I would at University, but the nights out are good none the less. I'd say there's probably something here for everyone.

Not really. There are pub trips on Friday but that's about it. However, me and my work friends do things outside of work together. Because of the scheme I am on there is one or so activity outside of work per placement.