Ella Guise MPhys with Astronomy, 2018, current Astronomy PhD student
I chose to study here as an undergraduate because of the opportunities attached to the MPhys with Astronomy course, including the Tenerife trip in 2nd year, the possibility of the year abroad at Harvard in 4th year, and the opportunity to use the telescopes as a part of the master’s project. I also thought the location of the University was ideal as I prefer a campus-based University, but the city centre is just a bus ride away.
The structure of the PhD allows for more than just your project, with the chance to be involved in outreach/demonstrating as well as having regular seminars and lectures which allow you to learn more about astronomy in general.
I then chose to continue at Southampton for my PhD as I thoroughly enjoyed my degree here and felt that the research groups in the astronomy department were relevant to my research interests. The structure of the PhD was also appealing, as it allows for more than just your project, with the chance to be involved in outreach/demonstrating as well as having regular seminars and lectures which allow you to learn more about astronomy in general.
The course, and continuing on to study a PhD:
One of my favourite aspects of my MPhys with Astronomy degree was using the telescopes on the roof of the physics building for my masters project. My project group and I used the telescopes whenever possible to observe new supernovae, and obtaining our own data made the project much more exciting. The skills that I learnt while processing the data have been very relevant to my PhD.
I also had many opportunities to practice presenting throughout my degree, and I took part in multiple programming courses, both of which have been very helpful as presenting and coding are important aspects of astronomy PhDs.
My advice to current and prospective students:
Take advantage of the opportunities to get involved in things, whether it’s outreach or societies, as university is one of the best places to try something new.
If you’re thinking about studying for a PhD, talk to your supervisors or personal tutors! I got a lot of helpful information when doing this and was given advice which helped me feel more prepared for the interviews that I had.