Summer Research Placement Student Review
at University of Nottingham
Internship (1 Month+)
Research
Nottingham
Review Submitted: September 2026
Overall Rating
4 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4/5
-
Overview of Role
4/5
-
Skills Development
5/5
-
Support and Guidance
3.5/5
-
Company Culture
3.5/5
-
Overall Experience
5/5
-
Future Career Prospects
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis.
I was a research assistant on a 4-week summer research placement. I went to a primary school and the Nottingham archives to look at old log-books and misc materials to learn more about Victorian and Edwardian education. Day-to-day I was either at the school or archives cataloguing materials, or I was on the university campus or at home doing secondary research and writing down my research notes.
Were you given much responsibility during your placement / internship?
Yes. I was responsible for determining the topic I ended up focusing a research poster on, and for going to the school and determining the best course of action. But my supervisors took on the responsibility of contacting the school when they didn't engage with us as much as we had hoped. They also gave us advice on how to approach the research.
Please rate how meaningful the work you were doing was
4/5
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills, or developed your existing skills?
I learnt problem solving and adaptability, as well as how to work with archived materials. I also learnt how to present my research in the form of an academic poster, as well as developing my skills working in a professional research context.
How would you rate the training provided during your experience?
4/5
How would you rate your development of industry-specific skills during the experience?
4/5
How would you rate your development of personal / soft skills during the experience?
4/5
Please rate how these skills have helped you in your career development
4/5
Support and Guidance
How much support and guidance did you receive during your placement / internship?
I had weekly meetings with my supervisor, as well as weekly check-in meetings with the overall placements team. I also had workshops on poster creation and careers in research.
How would you rate the support and guidance from your line manager?
5/5
How would you rate the support and guidance from the wider team?
5/5
Company Culture
What was the company culture and general atmosphere like?
It was positive and enthusiastic, as well as supportive and encouraging.
How would you rate the inclusiveness of the culture?
5/5
How would you rate the social opportunities?
3/5
How would you rate the diversity initiatives?
3/5
How would you rate the charity, sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives?
3/5
Overall Experience
To what extent did you enjoy your placement / internship?
I enjoyed it a lot. The lack of cooperation from the primary school we worked with reduced my enjoyment a little but that wasn't the fault of the placement team or my supervisors, who still helped me gain a lot from the experience
Please rate your level of enjoyment on your placement / internship
4/5
Please rate how your experience met your expectations
3/5
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend University of Nottingham to a friend?
Yes
What advice would you give to others applying to University of Nottingham
The summer research placement is really valuable, and you get more out of it when you put more into it, so definitely do as much as you can to connect with and learn from your supervisors, and try to treat it like a real job.
Future Career Prospects
Please rate the future employment prospects at University of Nottingham
5/5
Did you receive an offer to return as a graduate?
Waiting to hear
