I made sure to make the most of opportunities given to me this year. I was awarded the role of Physics Subject Ambassador at my school, which included responsibilities such as mentoring younger students who were struggling, sharing my passions for physics via assemblies and open evenings, and running Physics Society.
For this I made several presentations on the applications of physics, focusing particularly on Civil Engineering as this is my preferred area- these included working through different types of bridges and bridge building activities, as well as using particulate theory to look at dispersion of pollutants in waterways.
Building off of this, I entered a 3 minute Video Competition run by Physics Partners to talk about the applications of Chaos Theory. In February, I had the rare opportunity to go to CERN in Switzerland, as well as the Swiss Plasma Centre, which was truly awe-inspiring to explore. Another opportunity I had was working with the Trust on their Adventure Golf activity in Chatham, where I enjoyed sharing my love for problem solving and creativity with the families who attended.
By embarking on the IB Diploma Programme I have been able to explore a wider knowledge base in a way that I feel will really help with my future engineering studies; I have found my coursework elements to be especially helpful opportunities for this. For example, in my interdisciplinary Extended Essay (4500 words) I used both a Physics and Design Technology perspective to critique the success of the London Millennium Footbridge. After learning about resonance in suspension bridges as part of this, I chose to design my own experiment to explore the efficiency of damping on horizontally versus vertically suspended bridges for my physics coursework element. This summer, I also worked on my maths coursework element, so I independently investigated the mathematics behind the design of pergola structures to optimise strength and minimise materials.
I also tried to make a conscious effort to proactively absorb information outside of school: I have attended a series of 10 mathematics lectures run by Parallel which were aimed to improve problem solving skills; I have also about buildings and structures from the Egyptian Pyramids to the Golden Gate Bridge and I have been attempting to improve my CAD skills using programmes such as Fusion 360 as well as beginning to learn Revit, which I know will be useful to me in my future career.
I have recently been focused on my end of year exams which substantially contributed to my UCAS predicted grades which I will need for university applications. I found juggling all of my subjects challenging, but proactively made use of all support available and feel it paid off.
I have begun looking into my university options, and using some of my scholarship money towards travel to look at universities such as Southampton, Bristol, Bath and Sheffield, which I loved and will seriously consider applying to for Civil, Structural or Architectural Engineering. I have also spoken to my Arkwright sponsor about these options, exploring the possibilities of a year in industry and a semester abroad, as well as other general tips about the workplace.
Overall, I have had a challenging yet successful and rewarding year 12 experience, and I look forward to what is to come next year and thereafter.