My Degree Journey
Before we dive into my experiences as a final year MPhys student, we need to discuss the year abroad part of my degree. This has had a big impact on my experiences this year.
In the fourth year of my degree, I completed a research placement in the wonderful city of Heidelberg in Germany. This had a number of life-changing consequences and was truly fantastic. However, it meant that when I got back to York for my final year, all of my close friends were gone. So that was fun.
Heidelberg in all of its glory. Definitely visit if you get the chance.
The Big Return
Actually, coming back to York WAS fun, particularly since I got lucky and landed in an amazing house. Well, it was not all luck. In my third year, I participated in three university clubs/societies alongside my course.
I met some brilliantly lovely people. One of those people then invited me to live with them and some of their friends, and now they are my friends too.
This is the best thing about York, and what helps make it such a special place. The people here are just incredibly lovely and welcoming. Being an active part of the university community through societies, physics outreach work, and as an ambassador for the university and for physics has let me truly make the most of this. My top tip for anyone about to start a degree, especially those with placement years or years abroad, is to get involved. It really is what has made my time at university so special.
Physics in the 4th Year
When it comes to my actual degree, this year has definitely been my favourite year academically. All of my modules have been my choice, so I am only studying topics I am interested in. This has made the whole thing very enjoyable. However, the big standout of this year has to be my project. It is simply so cool to do actual proper science, even though it is not my first time.
York has a large Physics of Life group, where physics methods and principles are used to learn more about biology. I simply love physics and have always found the complexity of life truly fascinating. This intersection of fields is very exciting to me. And now, through the school’s Project X scheme that gives MPhys students the chance to arrange their own project, I am now studying the dynamics of a DNA-protein interaction. How cool is that!
Okay, it might not be for everyone, but that is what makes final year so fantastic. You can finally pursue the topics that really interest you and do some real science. You can choose from a huge list of projects, even if you don’t want to organise your own project with an academic.
This allows you to really choose one that is for you. In fact, waiting for the list can be a very good idea, because a lot of the projects offered can look more interesting than anything I could come with at the very least.
The School of Physics, Engineering and Technology in its majesty.
To Summarise
I am really enjoying my final year, and my whole degree has been life-changingly wonderful. I cannot imagine anywhere else I would have wanted to study. The people I have met have become the world to me, and the opportunities I have had have been rich in number and quality. Thank you York. I would not be the person I am today without you.
You can find the experiences of other Physics students here if you’d like to read about them.
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