Synthetic Organic Chemistry Undergraduate Review

I was always kept busy with interesting and exciting work, contributing towards active projects. I had opportunities to perform a variety of reactions using many different machines and setups. The work was rewarding due to the nature of the field - you could see how every day gradually contributed to the eventual delivery of a drug to patients.

I was given the opportunity to contribute to various meetings and brainstorming sessions, able to out forward ideas and present the work I had done as if I were any other member of the department. Being given current-project work meant that what I was doing would be relevant to the decisions made about the future of the projects (however far down the line that was). An all-round welcoming atmosphere meant that I was quickly made to feel part of a friendly and supportive team.

The support and guidance I was given was well balanced - as an undergraduate, I certainly needed a lot of supervision to begin with but once I found my footing I was working independently and able to ask for help less and less and more ask for confirmation that I was looking in the right direction.

There was rarely a day when I was looking for work to do. The next project was often lined up before I'd even finished the previous, meaning there was a quick turnover. This was a bit hard to manage at times but I appreciated that I wasn't spending all day waiting for work to come in.

I was given quite a bit of responsibility by the end of my placement. I needed quite close supervision to begin with due to the nature of lab-work but before long I was trusted to complete tasks on my own and come to my own conclusions, confirming that I was correct with my supervisor when needed.

The experience I have gained has already helped me make decisions to sculpt my career in the future. It has made me more enthusiastic about pursuing this kind of work as a career and I now have a better idea about how to get there while also getting the first foot on the ladder.

The atmosphere was always friendly and supportive. It was great for getting work done but always able to have a laugh. The welcoming and productive environment meant that any new starters were quickly made to feel part of the team and any disagreements were dealt with in a professional manner.

As a large company, there was a centralised approach to the hiring and management of the placement students but the departments were largely in charge of what we did. There were some communication problems, as can be expected within a large company but mostly, the placement was well-organised and I felt like everything well set-up and under control.

I was given a lot of generic new starter, and role-specific training at the beginning of the placement and was offered the same further training opportunities as any other employee, as appropriate. I was able to attend a number of sessions and events that progressed my development as a chemist.

There is not a guarantee of a job upon graduation but having been trained for this particular role, it would be beneficial to the company to employ an entry level employee with a background within the company so there's a decent likelihood it would be beneficial to prospects upon graduation.

The other students were all very friendly and always up for getting together to do stuff, whether that be the local pub quiz, going out to Canterbury or down to the beach. Colleagues occasionally got together for a meal (including the departmental Christmas meal) and there was the occasional celebration at work.

Nothing was too expensive, provided you weren't seeking out the swankiest places in town. Not dirt cheap but the usual array of quality and pricing was on offer.

Canterbury, with some great pubs, bars and, I'm told, an alright club, not too far away and some nice pubs and bars in the various towns slightly closer to work. Many nice restaurants dotted around, not too hard to find somewhere nice for a meal.

Each employee is given 5 days paid leave for volunteering, a lot of employees taking part in the brilliant STEM community within the company to deliver demonstrations to a number of local schools. Some social activities were also organised by the company but anything other than that was organised off your own back.