Technical Student Review

I was given a great deal of freedom and support from my supervisor who provided me with challenging but worthwhile work. There is an ethos of collaboration and help at CERN which makes the work much more enjoyable.

The work I did was of real value to the group and I was encouraged to take it further and management made decisions based on the results of my research. Everybody is very friendly indeed.

You get as much guidance as you want or you can choose to work things out for yourself. It is a very flexible way of working. My supervisor sometimes deliberately won't tell me answers as a game and I have to solve the puzzle for myself but even that is guidance and I am better off as a result.

The work varies, sometimes there is a rush to do some experiments while the machines are at the correct temperature and we get a slot at a moments notice. Other times, things calm down and you can work at a more relaxed pace.

I was given complete responsibility over my area of research. Nobody was looking over my shoulder while I was working but I can't say I was running the show because I often met my supervisor to ask him how I should proceed. If I knew more and was more confident I would have been running the show, it is down to personal preference.

This placement brought together many areas of my degree that I had considered disparate before. I was using techniques and theory from the first principles of physics and engineering which will always be relevant and useful.

I consider the work fun but there is a lot of thinking and study required to do well. The thinking and studying pay off when you see the results you expect or maybe you can explain some unusual phenomena. I found this very rewarding indeed!

CERN is an international organisation which employs a huge number of students every year and they have a streamlined process for induction. I think the actual work placement depends to some extent on the supervisor and the work they organize. My supervisor was great and from speaking to others, most people have a similarly good experience.

CERN has a free library and students are encouraged to study interesting topics and there are lectures by people at the forefront of physics in the world just for the interest of CERN workers. I was trained in a number of areas and my supervisor was happy for me to take time to pursue interests and learn new skills.

Many students go on to study for a PhD or become a fellow at CERN. Even if you do not, working at CERN is very impressive to other employers and will hold you in good stead for the future.

As there are so many students in the same position, there is a thriving social scene where you can meet so many interesting people from around the world. There is a mailing list for people on placement and you get emails inviting anyone and everyone to do this activity or that activity. It is a very friendly place to work.

The cost of living in Switzerland is very high but so is the salary. I could afford to go out whenever I wanted and pay my bills etc... and still had some money left over at the end but there's no way you could describe Switzerland as cheap as chips!

Geneva has everything a typical city has to offer and there are also a number of towns on the French side where you can go to socialise.

Much like a university, there are many clubs and social events to cater to all kinds of interests from sports to partying to learning languages.