My SURE project taught me some more advanced Python skills and improved my problem solving skills

What have you enjoyed most about your course so far?

I have enjoyed the experimental parts of physics, which has been very surprising, but I have been involved with some interesting experimental projects in the last few years. In my second year I got to work with radioactive sources and radiation detectors, as well as performing x-ray diffraction on ancient Roman coins. My favourite experiments have been part of my third year project, where I have been investigating the emission spectrum of rubrene, an organic semiconductor, through the use of spectroscopy.

What skills have you developed during your course?

The most valuable skill I’ve developed during my course has been coding. I had no previous experience with coding but we learnt Python as part of our course. Mainly, I use Python for data analysis. My experiments generate large amounts of results and processing this much data is done most efficiently with code. 

Additionally, between my second and third years I got involved with the SURE scheme and undertook a research project. This project involved creating a flexible software that simulates antineutrino emissions from spent nuclear fuel. Whilst challenging, due to my limited coding experience up until that point, this project taught me some more advanced Python skills and improved my problem solving skills. I was able to collaborate with my supervisor and the research group I worked for, allowing me to become more involved in the School. 

What would you say to a student thinking about studying your course at Sheffield?

I would highly encourage anyone thinking about studying physics at Sheffield to do it! It is very challenging and you have to put in a lot of work, but it's also very rewarding and the School is very friendly and motivating.