I have just finished my placement year in Science Communication at ISIS Neutron and Muon Source, STFC in Oxfordshire. It’s been a fantastic experience, so here are some of my best bits, top tips and a final look back. You can find my other blog posts about my placement here.
The highlights of my placement year.
One of my favourite parts of my whole placement was my proximity to incredible research. Part of my job was to speak to visiting scientists about their work and share it with the public, usually through writing or social media. I think I forgot at times just how cool the research I was seeing is! Below is a photo of a T-Rex rib bone that I saw in my last week. An opportunity I’m not sure I will ever have again.
Towards the end of my placement, I represented STFC at Harwell Open Week. This is a massive public engagement event, held across the campus, including facilities such as the European Space Agency. I was able to show my family around where I have spent the past year, which was definitely a highlight.
I also took part in two school days during the Open Week. I had one of the most rewarding experiences of my placement when I gave a tour to a group of students who were deaf and therefore reliant on reading my lips. This was initially a challenge as I had to adapt my tour style. No more talking as I walked or while the students’ backs were turned. Afterwards I received some of the most lovely feedback I have ever had. I kept re-reading the email!
My top tips to make the most of your placement.
- Start saying ‘yes’. It’s easy to shy away from an experience or a piece of work that you’ve never tried before. But the best time to do this is on a placement, where you aren’t yet expected to have a complete skill set.
- Speak to as many people as possible. Whether they are fellow placement students, grad students or someone much higher up the career ladder, you never know what you will learn. It could just be a friendly chat about something completely unrelated to work, or a valuable conversation that will help your career in years to come. Either way, I never regretted any conversations I had this year.
- Engage in training opportunities. Most organisations will be supportive of any relevant training courses you want to attend. So take some time to explore what you can get involved in to upskill yourself.
- Ask for feedback. Possibly my only regret from this year was not asking for more feedback. The people I worked with were really good at letting me know when they were happy with my work, but I wish I had asked for more constructive feedback, to really help me improve my abilities throughout the year.
A reflection on my whole experience.
I’m beginning to sound like a broken record when I tell people how much I have enjoyed my placement this year. It has been really inspiring to be surrounded by so much science and technology. But what has really made my year fantastic is the people I have met. It sounds like a cliche, but I’m a big people person. I have left so many meetings and conversations this year with a smile on my face, motivated to do my work.
I have never even known anyone to work in an organisation where virtually every staff member loves their job and is happy to be there. This created such a supportive and inspiring environment at ISIS, where I really felt valued, despite being a lowly placement student!
All of the science I encountered was fascinating (even the physics that went way over my head) and I’m proud of the work I produced this past year. I learned a lot about science communication. My experiences have helped me to begin carving out a career for myself, hopefully involving science writing and social media.
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