As a student who has recently been posted (yes, to Aberdeen of all places) I can say that there doesn't appear to be a great amount of personal preference taken into account. I requested Farnborough and instead two others who did not were sent there. In these circumstances I think it's important to keep in mind that NATS can and will send you where they wish and it's a risk associated with a fantastic career.
I can only fault the distance from my friends and loved ones involved with me being at this unit, all my colleagues and managers here are friendly, approachable and engaging. However it is a distance that I am not prepared to live with forever, how I resolve that problem remains to be seen!