Summer Student Review

My placement has been very interesting. I have learnt lots of useful and transferable skills that I am sure will help me in my final year of university. I was exposed to a wide range of interesting projects which always kept me on my toes and prevented the work from becoming boring.

My work was appreciated by my team mates. I was given lots of praise which helped boost my confidence in the workplace. I was also given lots of guidance and tips for improvement which has helped me become a better engineer. My work is actually going to be used which makes the effort feel worthwhile.

I was given lots of technical guidance on projects when it was required. I was also left alone a lot which gave me the space to work things out for myself and also manage my own time, which was a nice responsibility. There was always someone I could talk to should I have any technical problems.

I was kept very busy at DSTL. There was plenty of tasks to get on with across multiple different projects. This kept me interested as I wasn't doing the same thing every day. I got to work in different teams each with different deadlines allowing me to learn how to manage my own time.

Over the course of the summer placement I undertook at DSTL I learn't lots of very useful skills that I will be able to take with me from the work place into my final year of studies at university. Without this great opportunity I would have missed out on many skills.

The office was a relaxed and comfortable yet productive working environment. It made working very enjoyable and my team members were easy to get along with and very helpful and approachable. This created a very positive working environment that allowed me to get on with my project work and achieve my goals.

During my placement I undertook a number of internal training courses across a wide range of different areas from health and safety to technical skills. These were very informative and useful and have provided me with lots of skills that will help me out in the work place in the future.

The majority of people who do a placement here will be invited to come back full time after graduation, provided DSTL are happy with there performance. This also comes with a sponsorship bursary that is awarded at the start of each year of university once a student has been sponsored.

There were lots of other placement students and also new graduate starters within the company so it was easy to make friends. There is a scheme that runs social events with all the new starters meaning you get to know everyone very quickly. Example activities include BBQ's, pub quizzes and bowling.

DSTL is located in Salisbury which is relatively cheap to live in. The company runs a free shuttle bus service to take people from the town center to the site which is helpful if you cant drive. In addition there is lots to do in the town center, there are many pubs and restaurants.