Technology Degree Apprentice Review

On a day to day basis we are just regular computer science students. We attend lectures, seminars, tutorials and labs just like any other student. We also have the opportunity to join sports teams and any other societies we might be interested in. This is great as it provides a fantastic balance to our weeks.

Attending university has taught me a huge amount. Living away from home has forced time management - in fact life management skills upon all of us. Balancing study and social time is a challenge but life is good fun. The academic skills I've learned include a detailed knowledge of programming languages like Java and Python.

I enjoy my programme a lot. I get the opportunity to get the degree I wanted, whilst gaining invaluable work experience. To top it off I get none of the debt usually associated with attending university in the UK. The professional support from PwC has been excellent, with lots of opportunity to gain exposure to Senior Partners and ask lots of questions.

Considering I'm taking part in the first year of the programme, it has been very well organised. Clearly, lots of planning has gone into it to make sure there have been no hiccups along the way. All the engagements have been very professional. Our course coordinator has always been really approachable if anything has gone wrong and it's been quickly sorted for us.

Support is minimal since it makes sense for the University to supply this during term-time. However, quarterly reviews and constant email traffic means you never feel disconnected from the company, despite spending 9 months of the year at a distance. A professional buddy is also always there for us if we have any worries or concerns about life in the office.

The university has an extensive support network. It is sometimes overworked, but if you need it it is there. Support from lecturers has been really good on the whole. Many will reply to emails quickly and in detail, and often you can organise office hours to go over any larger concerns or queries in more depth.

I can imagine that my time at university has prepared me really well for my placement role. I feel confident in my set of (admittedly basic) skills, but perhaps more importantly it's taught me how to learn efficiently, ask the right question and socialise with people you may not be familiar with.

Yes, there have been a few extra-curricular activities to get involved in since I've started. Some have been more professionally orientated, such as welcome drinks and annual focus talks. Others have been more social, such as the festive drinks, charity dodgeball events and the opportunity to enter the PwC Birmingham half-marathon team.

Yes

I would recommend joining PwC to a friend because it has been a first class experience so far. Before joining you might imagine that working professionals of a big 4 company may be intimidating and dismissive. The opposite has been true, everyone we've met has been extremely friendly and welcoming always giving us plenty of time and attention.

Before attending any assessment days make sure you've done your research; it will make the day way less stressful and in fact give you the chance to express yourself more if you're confident talking about the firm. Most importantly make sure you relax. The assessments are for both parties! You need to make sure you're right for PwC, and PwC need to make sure you're right for them! If the match is right, you'll have nothing to worry about.