Connor Pearce

"The opportunity to live in another country for a year is such a great life experience, and one that really broadens your horizons as you realise the prospect of going abroad to do a PhD or moving abroad for work really isn't that daunting.

"Though the idea of spending a year in America can seem somewhat overwhelming at first, you find that you quickly settle in and that everyone in Boston is really friendly. I've made some amazing friends in Boston that made the whole experience so much fun, and I plan to visit them in years to come.

"The project work itself, though quite demanding at times, is extremely rewarding. The knowledge you gain in your specific area really makes you feel like you're becoming a specialist in that field, and other astrophysicists really listen and take notice of what you have to say because of that knowledge. The year is very similar to carrying out PhD work and so you get a really good idea of if that is the career path you wish to follow. Given the large number of project choices available you'll guaranteed find something which interests you, and can potentially publish papers on.

"My next steps: Because of the quality of my results I'm currently being funded to stay in Boston over the summer in order to publish papers on my work. Beyond this I'm looking at potentially doing a PhD, possibly abroad, after taking a year out, during which I plan to go back to my secondary school to teach physics."