We are proud of our working relationship with our students and continue to improve the learning experience we offer, encouraging feedback from students to help us meet their needs.
Here you can find out what students think of Physics and Astrology at Southampton and the opportunities that have opened up for them since they graduated.
Stacie Powell
I really enjoyed maths and technology at school and wanted to apply it to the questions “Where did the world come from?” and “What will the world be like in future?”.
The wide range of options at Southampton allowed me to explore the subject and discover the frontiers of physics. It was inspiring to get the opportunity to research as a professional at one of the top research institutes in the world, the Centre for Astrophysics at Harvard University.
In addition, during my undergraduate degree, the excellent support of the Physics department helped me to compete in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for Great Britain, where I became a double Olympic finalist on the 10m platform.
This propelled my career and motivated me to undertake my PhD at the University of Cambridge. My research involves looking for clues on how the sun and planets were formed in other young stars. The beauty of research is the excitement of finding something new that no one in the entire world has discovered before.
Joe Sargent
Physics is fundamental; it has an application everywhere. I chose to study physics, not only because I enjoy it, but also because I knew it opened a wide range of career paths. Employers requiring technical, numerical, logical and problem solving skills love to recruit physicists.
I now work for Merck Chemicals as a research physicist, developing the newest generation of liquid crystal materials. The education I received at Southampton has given me the confidence to be a leader in this field where no two days are the same. In research, I enjoy having to solve technical problems which no one else may have worked on previously.
The diversity of real people I met and studied with at Southampton has taught me life skills, which are as valuable to me in my career as my physics. These skills have opened up opportunities for me to progress within Merck and travel to Europe, America and East Asia, meeting customers and colleagues. In hindsight I’m so glad I chose to study physics at Southampton.
Sarah Cronin
Physics is about problem solving, finding out how stuff works and why things happen. I enjoy a challenge and like working out logic puzzles; this is why I chose physics. As well as this, I knew that choosing physics would teach me skills, which could be applied to many other disciplines, opening many doors for me and so widening employment prospects after uni.
Since graduating last year I have begun a PhD in Medical Physics at the Institute of Cancer Research. I love how all the theory that I learned in undergraduate studying can be applied to real-life problems.
I really enjoyed studying physics at Southampton uni. It was a good mix of theoretical work and practical labs. There were many options when choosing modules, everything from maths to history of science to medical physics and nano science. I loved the variety in my degree.
Dan Summons
I am currently working for Oliver Wyman’s Corporate Risk practice, which works closely with leading organisations to effectively manage risk and enable them to make risk-adjusted strategy, investment and capital allocation decisions.
My background in physics has enabled my professional success and development. Studying physics refined my ability to distil problems down to their key features and develop solutions in a clear and methodological way. My ability as a physicist is a highly valued commodity in finance and is enabling me to carve-out a specialist and rewarding role as a trading risk analytics expert.
Southampton will always hold fond memories for me. My experiences there have helped form the person I am today. Southampton is recognised as a good university, with many courses taught by world-leading researchers. Not only is it academically a great place, but socially it is hard to match. Some of my best friends, 10 years after starting at Southampton are alumni, and not just in physics.