The astronomy field trip to Tenerife was definitely a big sell for me. When I went on the trip in my second year, it was really cool to have total design control over my project and to gain experience in the professional observatory.
I really liked being part of Physoc. It’s a really sociable society and they organise a wide range of events. It makes you feel part of a community, as the society has links with PhD students and the academic staff as well as undergraduate students,
During my extended project work in 3rd and 4th year I felt very happy to talk to professors, to ask for advice and support when I needed it. It’s a very warm and friendly department, and I felt fully respected by the staff and fellow students.
Through my degree I gained confidence, both to talk in front of people in lots of different situations, and in myself – you can have set backs in your degree, but keep going. During my final year project my supervisor was very supportive and this gave me the confidence and self-belief that I could do a PhD.
There were lots of opportunities open to me at Southampton too. I took part in outreach activities, which has been very important in my current job working in outreach and public engagement with SEPnet.
I also did a SEPnet summer placement in industry, working at an InfraRed camera facility, doing the characterisation work of the detectors. That was really interesting and helped me to develop different skills.
I also tried my hand at kayaking, Muay Thai and netball whilst studying.
Enjoy it! Get involved with Physoc early on as it’s a good way to get to know people on your course and these are the people who will give you support throughout your degree.
Take any opportunity that appeals to you – say yes to things that pop up in your inbox, just get involved, try it out and see if it suits you.
I chose a career that played to my strengths because I learned what I liked doing from experiencing Outreach at Southampton (I helped set up the accelerate particle physics roadshow at Southampton and organised visits to a homeschool group for Physoc outreach), doing my SEPnet placement and organising conferences and events.