A Day in the Life as a Woman in STEM

November 18, 2021

• Topical

What inspired you to study a STEM subject at university?

I have always been curious about science. When I was little, I used to conduct experiments in my garden, by cutting up different flowers and trying to make perfumes.

Yet my curiosity to understand how things work is what made me passionate about science and technology. While in sixth form, I was fortunate enough to go to the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. I just remember thinking how cool it would be to understand the little interactions that are happening within all this equipment. How does it work? That’s what has driven me to study science in higher education.

What does an average day look like for you?

As a student, my days are filled with lectures, tutorials, and lab sessions. I often will spend the morning in lectures on anything from astrophysics to classical mechanics. After lunch, I spend my time completing any outstanding worksheets and then I will probably attend a problem class or have some time in the laboratory working on a group project. If I do have a lab session, then afterwards I will go home to analyse the data. Otherwise, I might spend the evening relaxing with friends or watch a film.

What are some interesting projects you have worked on?

The best project I have worked on was when I was still in school. We proposed a plan to build a self-sustaining greenhouse, which I still think to this day is a very cool idea. The whole project took a few months to complete, and I was working in a team of six. By the end of the project, we came up with a design for a greenhouse that could feed, water, and keep any plant you put in it alive. I learnt so much from that project not only about science and engineering, but how to plan out a project and work with people with lots of different ideas. I was so proud when we received an award for our work.

Did you have any work experience prior to university?

Although it’s so tricky to get work experience in STEM whether you’re still in school or at university, I was able to get two experiences while still at school. In year 11, I spent two weeks at a prosthetics and orthotics rehabilitation centre in London, where I got to see how Physics and Biology were combined to really change lives. That was an experience that really pushed my love for the applications of science.

Then, in sixth form, I spent a week at a Radiation Protection Centre. I was able to learn about how Physics was used in medicine to test machinery and treat patients. I even got to wear a lead apron and play around with x-rays for a whole afternoon. For me, that really secured my desire to study STEM at university.

What would you like to do after your degree?

The classic question everyone dreads. To be honest, I’m not completely sure, but I would like to do something where I can use my degree to help people. The NHS runs this really interesting Clinical Scientist Master program that I am really interested in. I would have the opportunity to study how science is used in medicine such as in MRI scanners, nuclear medicine, and radiography. I would also be able to work alongside studying with placements in hospitals.

The other area of Physics I am fascinated by is space. Colonising Mars and setting up a base on the Moon are all big topics in the media right now. I am really interested in maybe working with a space agency and seeing where a career in astrophysics will take me.

Any advice for young women looking to study a STEM subject further?

I have two pieces of advice:

Be curious. If you are interested by science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, then keep that curiosity and see where it will take you. Studying at university makes you really appreciate how all these subjects intertwine and just how many questions are yet to be answered about the world we live in.

Take any opportunities you can. There are so many great mentoring and insight days provided by small companies and even universities. Even going to your local science museum or reading an article in a magazine like The New Scientist, can keep you interested and engaged with your subject.

I think STEM subjects are always going to be important and to answer those big questions we need people to keep investigating and experimenting for many years to come.