Physics Personal Statement Example 26

When I read Brian Greene’s ‘Fabric of the Cosmos,’ I saw the pieces of the universe begin to fall into place like a jig-saw puzzle. Learning about elegant theories such as how entropy explains the direction of time’s arrow, or how string theory attempts to unify Einstein’s relativity with quantum mechanics stirred a fascination inside me. Not only do I want to learn about these theories and read about them in books or watch lectures and documentaries; I want to create them. I want to observe the universe from the front line of research and shed some light on the pieces of the puzzle that remain blank.

A-level physics introduced me to the basic concepts and gave me a strong foundation but the passion I found for physics came from the activities I pursued outside of school. I enjoy listening to podcasts and talks to keep up to date with the latest developments in research. Recently I listened to a particularly interesting episode of Oxford Physics Public Lectures about ghost imaging using the Klyshko model. I find it interesting to see the contrasts between classical and quantum physics. To learn more about quantum optics I read a paper written by Professor Yanhua Shih which went into more detail, applying the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen studies and the nonlocal behavior of a pair of photons.

To broaden my learning further I've watched several lectures by Leonard Susskind at Standford University. I believe these lectures have prepared me for topics that will be covered in university and given me a valuable head start on understanding complex ideas such as Einstein’s special and general theories of relativity. I found the concept of relativity challenging at first but the feeling of satisfaction when the theory fell into place in my brain is one of my favorite things about physics.

I’ve always had a passion and aptitude for maths; I remember being 11 years old and sitting down in my room working my way through a GCSE textbook trying to gain as much knowledge as possible, so taking the subject for A-Level was an obvious decision. My enjoyment of maths has definitely been one of the driving forces behind choosing physics as my area of study. Solving problems using logic and creative thinking is one of my favorite parts of the subject. I am currently teaching myself some modules of further maths in my spare time and I am very fascinated by the more interesting ideas and theories I am being introduced to such as complex numbers and matrices.

In December 2020 I took part in a Nuclear Physics Masterclass hosted by the University of York. Over these four weeks, I learned about the concepts of fusion and fission and investigated features of the heaviest oxygen isotopes to model neutron stars. I also used advanced MRI software to learn about proton therapy and how to optimize cancer treatments. This masterclass gave me a taste of doing my own research and fuelled my desire to learn more about the applications of physics to the real world.

I decided to take a gap year before university because I wanted to have an experience of the world outside of education and gain more independence. I spent 6 weeks working at a bed and breakfast away from home where I gained skills in communication, attention to detail, and many other valuable skills. I also attended a residential marine science course in Pembrokeshire where I learned different ways to analyze data while leading a project on how wave exposure affects the distribution of plastic on the beach.

Outside of school, my main hobby is piano which I've played since a very young age. Learning piano has provided me with useful skills such as self-discipline, commitment, and the ability to perform under pressure. Proving my ability to work as a strong leader, as part of my A-Level in theatre studies I volunteered as a young leader for the school’s youth theatre group. As well as this I was made a prefect in year 13. My responsibilities included planning and overseeing events to raise money and doing lunchtime duties once a week.

After completing my degree in physics I want to continue to develop my knowledge and help to unfold the mysteries of modern-day science. I am looking forward to learning more about developments in physical science and contributing my ideas concerning natural phenomena.