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"The placement scheme was invaluable and helped me advance as I gained real life experience working for ten weeks to compliment my degree."Laura-Alexandra Smith | The Royal Society of Chemistry | Designated Safeguarding Officer and Education Coordinator
As part of my third year I undertook a placement. The placement scheme was invaluable and helped me advance as I gained real life experience working for ten weeks to compliment my degree. During my placement, I worked as a Health and Wellbeing Development Officer at a local authority based at Education HQ. This gave me a real sense of how local authorities engage with communities and how education is delivered on an authority-wide level.
I had the opportunity to interact with elected members of the local authority, Education Scotland, Sports Scotland the NHS Community Healthcare Partnership, and others. I was expected to behave and deliver deadlines, like any employee, and because of that I never felt like 'just a student!'
The biggest impact from my Abertay experience has to be the friends I made on my course. It was truly amazing meeting like-minded individuals who are now friends for life. Also as someone with Spatial Dysgraphia, the support I received from the student center was unparalleled.
My most memorable moment was when a fellow student and I set up the Food Science and Nutrition Society. The week before Christmas, a colleague and I walked around Abertay collecting money to donate to the Dundee Food Bank, which was run in tandem with the food donation box in the union. Due to the generosity of the staff and students we raised £300 for the food bank in just a few hours.
I was a STEM Ambassador since third year of university, and it helped me to gain confidence and develop my "soft skills" alongside my academic studies.
