Placement year proving tricky to secure

[Emptynestermum]

Have others found difficulty getting a placement year organised? It seems so competitive. My son has had 2 or 3 interviews but with many high quality students applying for the same position the odds are against him, so it's looking like he may have to go straight into his 3rd and final year at uni. He's a Biology undergraduate.

Have others found this? Any advice welcome. :)

[bojorojo]

What placements does the university have? Presumably not enough. Is the 3rd year placement part of the degree? In which case, surely the university cannot change it to a 3 year degree? I would start looking at the small print. Is the placement optional or a requirement? I did not realise Biology had placements as it is not vocational.

[derektheladyhamster]

Watching with interest as ds is looking at a 4 yr marine biology course with placement. I just niavely assumed that they'd all get one

[GlitteryShoes]

Yes, my son found it very hard to get a placement that matched criteria and was the right timeframe, and he was a really high quality candidate ( had worked abroad in a zoo, had loads of experience). He did eventually get something through the British Council, they have a lot of microbiology placements in exotic and dangerous countries if that would suit your son. Sadly, after all his hard work, my son has had to drop out of his placement as he has a head injury from falling off a cliff, so I would say to your son to persevere, as there will probably be late placements due to people dropping out.

[GlitteryShoes]

Definitely look at the British Council - you apply to them and if they accept you they have a clearing system for placements. They definitely had marine biology stuff this year.

[Emptynestermum]

Thanks for the tip re the British Council, I will look into that. Sorry to hear your son had a fall. The uni has had many placement positions advertised in different aspects of biology - he prefers convervation to research and more lab based roles. We will keep trying and hope for the best. Otherwise he will just go into his final uni year, which wouldn't be the end of the world ..but a year working is such good experience for them.

[GlitteryShoes]

My son was supposed to be doing a year's conservation work at Yosemite - it looked amazing. I think they already have replaced him though :(

[Emptynestermum]

What a shame, Yosemite is amazing, we stayed there for a few days once. But falling off a cliff there would be scary, the most important thing is he is ok ...puts everything else into perspective. x

[GlitteryShoes]

it would have been fantastic but at the moment I'm just glad he is alive. I was very glad when he got the Yosemite one. His other choices had been something in Iran and looking at Zika virus in Brazil. He is so reckless he probably would have got into major trouble had he actually got to Yosemite though.

[Emptynestermum]

It is a worry when they are reckless or adventurous isn't it. Why can't they go for a nice safe office job!

[bojorojo]

Could he volunteer with the National Trust? Or another conservation charity. I know it is not earning money, but could be worthwhile.

[Emptynestermum]

Thanks bojorojo. We will definitely look into voluntary work. It's not essential to earn money, especially if he's able to live at home. The experience would make it worthwhile.

It would be great to hear about similar work, paid or voluntary, that other biology students have done. :)