{"id":7438,"date":"2020-12-14T14:09:58","date_gmt":"2020-12-14T14:09:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.york.ac.uk\/student-voices\/?p=7438"},"modified":"2020-12-14T14:16:29","modified_gmt":"2020-12-14T14:16:29","slug":"my-year-in-industry-expectations-and-reality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.york.ac.uk\/student-voices\/2020\/12\/14\/my-year-in-industry-expectations-and-reality\/","title":{"rendered":"My Year in Industry: Expectations and Reality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It is hard to believe it has been over three months since I started my year in industry<\/a> placement with the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust\u2019s Upland Research team. I have learnt a lot and had so many great experiences. Make no mistake, the last three months have been hard, and definitely not quite what I expected. But they have also been a lot of fun!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the Placement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I started, I expected to be learning lots of new things. This what I was really looking forward to about doing a placement. I knew I would be doing fieldwork in the Pennines and doing parasite counts. I also knew that I would have to attend a 4×4 driving course. Whilst these things have happened, in many ways, the placement has been very different from what I expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New responsibilities <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t realise quite how soon I would be given the responsibility of working by myself and I have surprised myself with what I am capable of. Doing a placement puts you in new situations and I think this is one of the biggest benefits I have got from it so far – not only the experience of those situations but also the confidence to know I can deal with more unfamiliar situations in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day-to-day work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Although I had given thought to what I might be learning before I started, I had not really given much consideration to the actual day-to-day work. I had not thought about how, once I had learnt how to do a strongyle worm count, I would then be spending a lot of days in the lab processing hundreds of guts from red grouse. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though the work is enjoyable, particularly the fieldwork, it can become less so when done repetitively. I have found doing something else at the same time makes the time pass quicker, such as chatting or listening to the radio. And never underestimate the power of a lunch break treat to brighten up a day! The placement has sometimes felt like it is not as exciting as I had expected but I think this is because my expectations were unrealistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside the Placement<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Getting involved in activities outside of my placement was something I was really looking forward to; I wanted it to become just as big a part of the year in industry as the placement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not quite what I’d planned…<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I was hoping to join a local Girlguiding unit and hockey team, as well as having regular trips back home and to York. However, COVID-19 threw a rather large spanner in the works! I have only been home once, and I have not seen any friends from university. When I moved up, the hockey team was not running, though it has started up since, and whilst I was able to join a Brownie unit, all the meetings have been virtual so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

… But every cloud<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

But I have done other things which I didn\u2019t expect to. I have been making the most of living on the doorstep of the Pennines and going out for long walks at the weekend. Also, I have joined a bird ringing group, and I shall soon be getting my trainee permit. I nearly turned down the opportunity to do this because of all the other things I intended to do, but I am so glad I did not. It is good to have plans but don\u2019t let them prevent you from making the most of any unexpected opportunities that come your way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Expect your expectations to be a little wrong<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The huge change in lifestyle, whilst expected, has still presented some challenges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not being at university seems to simultaneously give both more and less time. The time outside of the placement is mine and I can completely forget about any work, but there is not a lot of it. My time is also a lot more structured. Unlike university, I can\u2019t just go shopping at 2pm on a Thursday or get some work done at 8pm on a Sunday. You are limited to when you can do things, and this is a challenge I wasn\u2019t expecting. It has meant I have had to become much better at motivating myself to do tasks when they need to be done, rather than putting them off until I feel more like doing them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another unexpected challenge has been just how exhausting the work is. Make sure you think about what the lifestyle will be like on your placement and be prepared for a big change from university. But if there is one lesson I have learnt from the last three months, it is that you should always expect your expectations to be a little bit wrong!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t forget to read my previous post – My Year in Industry: First Steps \u2013 Getting a placement<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n