First of all, I would like to congratulate you on receiving your offer for The University of Manchester and SEED. This school has a very supportive atmosphere, and I wish you the very best of luck on your university journey.

One rather common aspect of university courses in SEED is ‘Placement’. A task where you go and seek ‘real-life’ experience in your particular field. Often times, you find and apply for this placement yourself with the support of your tutors on your course. For example, I am a second-year BSc Education student currently doing a 40-hour-placement with a charity called ‘ReachOut’. I go into a local school and mentor pupils on skills they will utilise in their future. A rewarding and fun experience that contributes to my university course!

The idea of placement may seem daunting at first, especially if you haven’t experienced work in your chosen field before. But I want to assure you that with the support of your class and tutor team, it becomes easier and often an enjoyable time. However, you need to consider different things when researching and applying for your placement.

Location

Where is your placement? You may need to travel to reach where you will be working. So, it is important to consider how you will get there. Is it within walking distance? Or will public transport be a more appropriate option?

Some companies may even offer online placements which may be a more accessible option for some people. It is important to research and consider these things for your own benefit whilst also understanding the importance of this experience.

Furthermore, it will be useful to research whether a placement may offer reimbursement for potential travel expenses.

Timings and Scheduling

As I mentioned prior, often you may have a set number of hours you need to complete for placement in your course. Therefore, you need to make sure this is available to you when applying somewhere. This can come in many different forms. For example, if your number of overall hours needs to be 40 hours, you may do 5 hours over the course of 8 days or 2 hours a week for 20 weeks. It can vary and be something to consider when fitting placement into your university life.

It is important to remember your personal limits whilst also challenging yourself. Looking into the options is vital, whilst also seeing how these options align with your current timetable of classes, assignment due dates etc…

Your own academic progress!

It is also important to think about how your potential placement will benefit your own academic progression. There are many different options of places and roles to complete your placement, each giving different experiences and allowing for different skill development. When looking through these opportunities, try to consider how the role you apply for might allow you to progress in your own aspirations and improve your skill sets. This will not only benefit your current academic position but also your future when applying for jobs and opportunities.

Overall, being able to complete a placement is a fantastic way to develop skills. Not only in-person working skills, but also things such as CV development. So, my advice as a fellow student would be to embrace the experience, go out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. Allow placement to be an enjoyable and informative experience into your professional development!

Written by Olivia, a current BSc Education student

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