The Mid-Way Meet Up Event Poster

The Placement Connectors team coordinated and delivered four Mid-Way Meet Up events for current placement students to network, exchange tips and experiences, and hear from external speakers. This year there was an impressive total of 54 attendees across all the events, which is just over a quarter of all current placement students!

The events took place on Zoom every Monday in February 2021 with placement students, connectors, and staff coming together to reconnect; students shared their placement experiences, assessments queries and discussed what they need to consider before returning to their final year of study. It was a great celebration of their placement achievements so far.

Special guests from Microsoft, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Eaton, Iris, PerkinElmer and Sussex Partnership Trust delivered talks throughout the events on potential career and development opportunities at their companies. Each guest speaker provided students with insights into graduate roles that they may wish to consider after completing their degree.

In addition, mental health expert Sophie Seale delivered a session on how to improve and sustain physical and mental health in these tough times whilst on placement. University Housing Officer Lucy Walker also attended to offer advice on how to find accommodation for the students’ final year.

To find out more about placements and to register your interest, please visit the Placements website.

Students’ and staff feedback on the event

Lead of the Psychology Professional Placement Scheme, Sue Sullivan

"It was a useful tool to reconnect with students and hear about their experiences to date."

Placements and Work Experience Officer, Jasmin Tse

"The Placements team are incredibly proud of our 14 Placement Connectors for all their hard work and effort into creating, organising and hosting the Mid-Way Meet Up Series 2021; the first of its kind! It was wonderful to see placement students, placement returners and recent graduates share their experiences and offer advice on settling back into university and life after university."

International Business student

"The Mid-Way Meet Up earlier this month was a brilliant chance to reconnect with fellow placementers and listen to some really interesting guest speakers. From mental health experts to alumni, it was genuinely very insightful. While this took place virtually it was still an interesting and worthwhile experience. Thanks to the uni for organising and keeping us on the radar and in the loop."

Business and Management student

"It was a really informative and thoroughly enjoyable event. I particularly enjoyed the talk on stress. It’s great to know that the Placements team are looking out for wellbeing as well as our career advancement. The interactive activities were great and it was nice to catch up with some of my course mates."

Business and Management student

"Well-presented and well hosted, the Mid-Way Meet Up covered all aspects ranging from the importance of mental health to housing situation for the upcoming year and a chance to meet two Microsoft ambassadors and understand the work they do was something that I enjoyed especially."

Psychology with Clinical Approaches student

"I think the Mid-Way Meet Up is a really good idea. I felt estranged from other placement students and this felt like an opportunity to reconnect."

Further information: http://www.sussex.ac.uk/careers/jobs/placements