| About Heather | "Hello my name is Heather I am a second year Public Relations student at Leeds Metropolitan Univeristy. "Originally from Preston I am never far from home. I took a year off to travel round the world after college and after a freshers year full of meeting new friends and the shock of going back into full time education, I am now settling in properly into my second year to being a Leeds student!! "The hard work is becoming a reality now and I'm having to start looking forward to and start planning a year out placement next year. Is it just me or is everything happening so fast? "I have taken a few new things on this year such as a job (novel I know!) and I have started a foundation course in Spanish to expand my knowledge in languages." |
I felt it was quite an achievement to get through the first year of university, to survive unscathed and now be settling nicely into my second year. Yet I have been thrown into a state of turmoil again, as many other students may have, through the prospect and fear of my placement sandwich year. Within various courses across the Leeds universities, choices will differ to what people do in their sandwich years, from spending a year studying abroad to a year in a chosen industry. We are all in the same boat and though we should be expecting this part of the degree to come around, as we did apply for it, it is still a daunting prospect. To be thrown out of the now familiar studious surroundings, which we have grown to love, into a different culture, country and possibly the 'real world' of work. Not only that but having to deal with the prospect that all the friendships and relationships we have developed over the past two years, may have to be put on hold and could potentially be absent when we come back in our final year. When our fellow students may have, yes dare I say it, graduated. Although frequently involved in short term adoptive placements myself as part of my Public Relations course, I fear my third year away will be quite different. A whole year outside the sphere of education, in the workplace nine hours a day five days a week, how will I keep up with Hollyoaks? After the initial panic I started to get used to the idea and decided to take a more positive view. Though the thought of having to move to a different area of the country, make new friends and act in a professional manner in the workplace may be intimidating it is also quite exciting. Making contacts and friends along with learning about a subject that I enjoy seems an ideal way to spend a year. Now I just have to find that placement! | 
