Internships and Placements
Internships
Internships are sometimes called Summer Placements. They are 2-3 month employment opportunities tailored to students looking to build their experience in an industry.
Internships are usually advertised on company websites or job sites like Ratemyplacement or GradCracker, but there are also summer research projects at many universities, including Warwick's Undergraduate Research Support Scheme (URSS)! Some companies don't take first year students for internships so the URSS could be a great way to get some experience early on during your degree! The deadline to apply for the URSS is usually February.
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Other applications for summer internships are usually open during Term 1 and Term 2 depending on the company!
Placements
Placements are 12 month employment opportunities for students in their "Sandwich year" (in between 2nd and 3rd year). Students can choose to do this domestically or internationally, in industry or at another university.
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Typically, students will start applying for 12 month placements in the Winter (October/November) before they want to do their placement. For example, a BSc student on the "Sandwich year" course will begin applying for their placement year in Term 1 of their second year.
We would recommend starting to look around on company websites and recruitment platforms over Summer so you're ahead of the game.
Financial support during internships and placements
While you'll usually receive a salary on a placement year, you may struggle to find paid internships over the summer. However, don't let this hold you back from applying! There are plenty of financial support schemes, bursaries and more to help with living costs during your work experience.
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The Royal Society of Biology provides a good list of available Undergraduate Studentships: https://www.rsb.org.uk/get-involved/grants/undergraduate-studentships
Finding accommodation
Finding short-term accommodation at a good price for your summer internship can be a bit tough. For a placement year though it won't be so bad.
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For short-term summer accommodation off-campus, shop around on rent sites like Rightmove and filter for "Short-term" in the Rent section. Spareroom.co.uk could also be a great way to find short-term accommodation for a bit cheaper if you're happy living with strangers for a little while.
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On a placement year, finding accommodation will tend to follow the same process as finding a flat for second-year!