During your placement
Your placement should be a challenging but rewarding experience, helping to prepare you for the world of work after you graduate. To get the very best from your placement experience, make sure you meet the formal requirements and expectations of both your employer and the University.
Whilst on placement, you remain a fully-registered Loughborough University student. It is essential that you keep in touch with your School, check your University emails regularly and complete all academic and administrative tasks at the required times.
You will be allocated a Placement Supervisor, whose details will be visible via Co-Tutor. Your Supervisor and Placements Officer are there to support you whilst on placement and if you are experiencing any difficulties, you should let them know. You can also continue to access support from Student Services.
Key tasks
Contact details
If you start your placement before you are asked to re-register, you must update your term-time address via the Self-Service portal. If you will be living at your permanent home address during Part I, you should also enter this as your current term-time address.
If you change your term-time address at any point, you must update your record via Self-Service.
Online re-registration
Re-registration is mandatory for all years of study, including Part I, and is required to release your maintenance loan. You will receive an email asking you to re-register and should do so promptly, even if your placement has not yet begun.
Changes to your placement
If the details of your placement change – e.g. your expected end date changes, you move to a different site, or are allocated a new line manager, you must let your School know by amending the information held in Co-Tutor. It is essential that the University holds accurate information at all times.
Engaging with your School
During your placement year, you will have a minimum of two meetings with your Placement Supervisor. These are typically held online, with your line manager also present, but you may request an in-person meeting if you are working in the UK. Your Placements Officer will also contact you at the start of your placement to check that you are settling into your new role.
You must attend all scheduled meetings. If for any reason you are unavailable, please contact your School in advance to reschedule the meeting. Placement meetings are important as they allow your School to ensure that you are progressing in your placement and have sufficient support to make the most of your role.
Assessments
Ensure you familiarise yourself with the academic requirements for your DIS/DPS/DIntS. These will be set out in the Learn page for your placement year module. You must meet all deadlines for coursework submission.
Module registration
The normal module choice process for your next Part of study will apply. Look out for an email to advise when the Module Choice window is open (typically weeks 10-11 of Semester 2).
Starting work
Whilst on placement, you are an ambassador for Loughborough University and are still required to adhere to the University’s Regulations and Ordinances. You must always:
- Act within the Terms and Conditions of Employment (or equivalent) agreed with your placement employer
- Understand and work according to your placement host’s ‘acceptable use of IT’ policy or equivalent
- Take reasonable care of your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by your actions
Your placement employer should provide you with an induction and the necessary training to fulfil your role. If you are unsure about any of your employer’s policies, you should ask your line manager for clarification.
Making the most of your placement
As well as learning the specifics of your role, your placement is a great opportunity to hone your employability skills. Some key tips are:
- Make notes of information you learn and people you meet, including names, job titles, responsibilities, expectations and so on.
- Ask questions about what your colleagues do and how you can work together. Showing an interest in other people is arguably the quickest way to build good working relationships with others.
- Agree on your work objectives and use the support around you to achieve these. This can include your line manager, colleagues and/or workplace mentor or buddy.
- Set yourself up to five small, specific goals to achieve. These can include anything that supports you to do well in the job, such as learning a new skill, meeting several people in different departments, learning how to use the company’s software, or researching key organisations within your industry. Fulfilling your goals will help you perform better in your role, show others you are motivated and proactive, and give you a sense of achievement.