What are the methods of collecting material, tasks and goals of undergraduate practice? The article provides detailed information about this. There are two ways to document the results of practice - reports. Recommendations are given for difficult cases arising from the practice. The role of those responsible for the practice on the part of the university and the organization is indicated.
The importance of training practices is difficult to deny, since even a very well-trained theoretically trained specialist almost always loses to a skilled practitioner who has worked for a long time at this place.
The purpose of passing a student undergraduate practice. Why is this necessary?
Compared to other types of educational practices, the undergraduate goal is special: to collect material for writing the studentās own final scientific work. It shows how much he has learned the training program for all years as a whole, what are his skills in working with theoretical sources and how he operates with real facts in his profession. This is the main, but not the only goal.
During the practice, the student should get to know the company or organization better in order to understand what kind of work he would like and can do, what kind of profession and profession, if he has a choice, he will gain what kind of workplace he will choose. This is the second.
Another intern must determine what size, legal form and other features of the enterprise or organization are more suitable for him personally with his skills and personality characteristics: a large holding company or a small state-owned enterprise, work related to business trips or work closer to home and beyond. This is the third goal of undergraduate practice. One more will be described below. You should learn more about it.
Guidelines for undergraduate practice
In order to facilitate the studentās task, to more accurately determine the tasks, to specify what exactly is necessary for writing a thesis, what documents should be drawn up after passing the practice, which sections should contain a report on the practice, etc. Moreover, for each graduate specialty. Guidelines include samples and requirements for the following documents:
- report on pre-diploma practice at the enterprise;
- practice diary;
- student characteristics from the place of practical training.
Head of pre-diploma practice and payment for his work
Ideally, the student should have two practice leaders: from the university and the enterprise. For this, a few months before the practice, an agreement is concluded between the enterprise and the university on the adoption of a particular student for practice for a specified period with the provision of the head of practice from the enterprise.
Ideally, the university should provide students with places for undergraduate practice in order to confirm the learning outcomes and oversee the entire process of collecting material for the final work. In reality, it turns out that no one needs students at the enterprise, the manager of the practice from the enterprise is recognized only when signing the report and characteristics, the acquaintance with the enterprise did not take place.
To prevent this from happening, we can recommend the following to the head of the practice from the university:
- carefully and seriously choose a place to practice;
- it is imperative to conclude agreements with enterprises in advance, monitor the issuance of an order on the appointment of a practice leader for these students;
- supervise the studentās internship from the very beginning, getting acquainted with the manager of the practice from the enterprise, the conditions of the studentās practice, the possibility of collecting information and others;
- help student students solve their problems.
The payment of the work of managers in practice from the university and the enterprise is also of great importance, although sometimes a selfless person can be a more valuable leader. Such people as a reward receive only satisfaction from the work done and the respect of students.
If the company does not agree to accept students with whom there is really a lot of fuss, you can offer students as specialists directly to jobs, ready to work for free, but asking in return to provide the necessary materials for the company. As a rule, reports of students who have worked have been more interesting and complete. Very often, a student you like is invited to work where he did his undergraduate practice. So a good student gets a job himself. Here is another goal of undergraduate practice - the opportunity to find a job in a highly competitive environment.
Student report
To draw up guidelines for undergraduate practice, departments are encouraged to use the development for each specialty issued by the Ministry of Education and its structural divisions.
The components of the report will be:
- purpose and objectives of undergraduate practice;
- collecting materials on the work of the enterprise: raw materials, products, cost, personnel, management structure and scheme, and others, depending on the studentās specialty;
- violations and shortcomings in the work of enterprise units;
- recommendations for improving the work of the unit where the practice took place.
The practice report must be signed by the head of practice from the enterprise, its signature is certified by the seal of the enterprise, where its name is visible. From the university, the report is signed by the head appointed by order at the university. If the main goal of undergraduate practice is fulfilled.
Material on the work done does not have to be done in the form of a narrative. For example, a report in the form of an interview with a specialist answering the questions of a student trainee will be interesting. Other forms of reports are acceptable if they meet the goals and objectives of the assignment.
Practice Diary (DP)
These are the studentās daily entries about collecting materials for the diploma, about getting to know the work of the enterprise as a whole and its divisions, about something new and interesting that was not in theory, about shortcomings in the production and organizational issues of the enterprise. DP should be checked and signed by the head of the company. The penultimate week in the DP should contain information on the acquisition of practical skills by the student. The latter is noted as a report on the work done.
Student characteristics from the place of practical training
Student characterization is an important part of the practice report. It should not only characterize how the studentās theoretical knowledge was consolidated by practice, but also note the shortcomings in the studentās level of training in various areas, as well as ways to eliminate them. However, such information in the characteristic is almost always absent. Usually, only the studentās personal qualities are enumerated, not the levels of his preparation and the acquisition of practical skills at the enterprise.
Secret information and its use in a diploma
Admission of students to the information of the enterprise or organization is a very sensitive issue because sometimes leaders and specialists themselves are poorly versed in what is a trade secret for the organization and what is not. Therefore, it is recommended that the practice leaders from the organization or enterprise do not give trainees any information. But students working in such enterprises automatically get access to any information, since it is not divided into public and secret. This is another advantage of students working during practical training at workplaces in their specialty. If the necessary information is really secret, it is recommended that the head of the university change the base of practice.
Problems that students encounter while doing internships
The main few:
- violation of the terms of practice, when, according to the order, the pass to the enterprise is closed, and all information has not yet been collected;
- the inability to collect information for any objective reason (the closure of an enterprise, its verification by regulatory authorities, the lack of information necessary for a given specialty or topic of a diploma and more);
- student conflict with representatives of the practice base;
- illness of a student or practice leader.
All these problems should be solved by the head of practice from the university, who can replace one place of practice with another at the request of the student.
Choosing a topic for writing a diploma and undergraduate practice
The choice of topics for the diploma directly depends on the place of practical training. If the topic of the diploma is interesting to the student, he can choose several practice bases for collecting material. Then one practice place will be basic, where the student will draw up a report, a diary and receive a description, but the head of the practice must agree with other practice bases on the provision of materials to the student.
Very often the topic of the diploma is suggested to the student by the head of practice from the enterprise or from the university, sometimes the student himself decides which topic should be selected depending on the quantity and type of material collected in practice. Sometimes (sorry, rarely) the topic of the diploma helps to solve the problem of the practice base, it is introduced and considered by the enterprise as completed work with the award and invitation of the author to work.