University of Reading Computer Science with placement year

[fluffythecat1]

Anyone had any experience of this degree?

@scissy Because students apply for a course with placement! They don’t apply for the standard course. They get pushed onto it. How is that reasonable? It’s not reasonable to not give accurate info and many unis give the impression they have banks of placements for students. They don’t. They are competitive and hugely time consuming. Not much evidence that these dc get the highest paying jobs either. Sometimes a 4 year integrated Masters is better. After all, the best students do get jobs! The non placement ones aren’t all unemployed because they have naff CVs.

If students and parents spend a little time getting informed, they quickly become aware that there is not a bank of jobs waiting on a ‘year in industry’ degree course. I have found the OP generous and very helpful in sharing the experience of their DC in this process and appreciate their contribution to the conversation.

Integrated Masters isn’t desirable for my ds. He’d rather have the Masters option open further down the line if he wants to specialise more.

Anybody with half a brain will know you don’t get given a job guarantee with these courses, the onus is on students to get them and it’s competitive out there. It’s an optional pathway.He was happy to go on either so not pushed into anything.

Its not about graduating straight into the highest paid jobs either. It’s about building a career and getting that first job. Job satisfaction is important too.

And you’re not making sense with your over all
point with “ the best students do get jobs”. What does that mean?

Well let’s just insult loads of parents and students who believe they are signing up for a course with a placement available. They don’t think they are applying for a job. Obviously not but the title of the course is with a placement year. Not a possible gap year for a placement. It’s false marketing and just because you know thd time of day, msny students and parents think the universities are far more proactive with industry links and opportunities. Back in the day they were! So parents haven’t got up to speed with reality. Therefore reality should be spelt out.

But it’s obvious! As you say these are jobs. The course descriptions describe how they give support to find said jobs as opposed to just giving them one. Companies aren’t going to give unis jobs to give out to people they haven’t met. Intelligent young people surely will know the onus is on them to find a placement and nothing is guaranteed.

@Cl0ckface Most people don’t see a placement as a student as a job. It’s that simple. Universities, on line, often don’t explain students might need to apply for over 20 placements. Or more. It’s false marketing not to explain fully that they don’t have companies with placements and that every placement is hugely competitive and you find your own!

These are examples of what two universities say about a placement year. Obviously one is a disgrace. It’s meant to be the 25/26 info. There isn’t any! The second - totally oversells the placements available and really gives the impression the university has great placements available. They say the students will spend a year on placement and that their partners provide the placements. It’s a rosy picture to say the least! Almost certainly untrue for all students.

@MNHQ why on earth has my post been deleted?