Episode 72: Class of 2022 - Niamh, BSc Physics

Our final graduate of 2022, Niamh, talks to us about international experiences, the real world, and getting out there. 

Multi Story Edinburgh brings you voices and experiences from the University of Edinburgh community.

In this season we talk to graduates from the Class of 2022. How are things going? What did they learn? What helped and are we back to normal yet? We also ask our guests to tell us where they go when they need to get away from it all and what do they do when things get a bit too much.

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All opinions expressed are those of the individual and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Edinburgh.

Multi Story Edinburgh has been created and produced by the Alumni Relations team at the University of Edinburgh. If you are interested in telling your story, please get in touch and let's talk.

Music from freemusicarchive.org: Since When by Mise Darling and Gentle Chase by Podington Bear

Artwork: Vector created by upklyak / Freepik 

Transcript

[Theme music]  

Voiceover 00:12 

Welcome to Multi Story Edinburgh, bringing you voices and experiences from the University of Edinburgh community. 

Niamh 00:24 

Okay, so my name is Niamh. I did BSc in Physics at Edinburgh. And so I finished this year in 2022. Okay, so in September, I moved to Madrid. And here I've started the first year of a Master's degree in Nuclear Fusion and Engineering Physics, which is a big name. And so far has really just been kind of a continuation, or even a repeat of the physics that I did in Edinburgh actually. I guess it's really quite exciting at the moment, because there's like, you know, there are lots of big fusion stories in the news. Even yesterday, the US announced that they've managed to get what's called ignition, which we're not quite sure about. But it's definitely an exciting time to-- to be in nuclear science and nuclear physics, I guess. And so, my M1 year I will do here in Madrid. And then the second year I will do in another European city. So the great thing about this programme is that I get to live in two different countries, two different cities, for the two years of the Master's. So this year, Madrid, and then next year, it will be one of Marseille, Stuttgart, Prague, Ghent, or Nancy. I guess the idea is at the end of it, that you come out, having lived in different countries, and so can be, you know, can be an international scientist, whatever that means, but are comfortable, I guess, working with people from different backgrounds and living in different places, being able to adapt to different circumstances, I think, which I think is really cool. And then they do also incorporate a course in -- in the language and culture of the country that you live in each year. So it does mean that you are kind of forced to-- to learn a little bit of the language, which I also thought was great.  

Niamh 02:17 

I think that I always wanted to do kind of renewable energy, which is a thing that actually kind of disappeared off my radar for a while, while I was in Edinburgh. Not completely, I think I stayed kind of in adjacent subject areas. So for a while I was on the Physics with Meteorology degree programme. And so like, I think, for me, it was kind of my interest in climate change that kept me there and in between the two. But then at the end, I ended up accepting a place on this Master’s that is actually in renewable energy. I think I was really excited to be given the place. And I think for me, that excitement was proof that it was probably a good choice for me.  

Niamh 02:59 

Well, I was actually considering going straight into a PhD programme at Edinburgh. And one of my very good friends from Physics actually did start a PhD at Edinburgh, straight after her BSc as well. And I did think long and hard about it, I don't think that I regret not choosing it. But I definitely miss Edinburgh. And so probably moving away was a good thing, in that it’s given me an appreciation of what I really liked about Edinburgh. And that I... made me see that I had a really good time when I was in the city. So I'm Irish, I don't think that I wanted to go to Ireland, for a Master’s. I think that, you know, I wouldn't realise that I will go back there at some point, but maybe not quite yet. But then, I had lived in France for a year, before I came to Edinburgh. And speaking French kind of gave me the ability to kind of consider that as a place to study. I didn't really know what I wanted to do to be honest. And so, I was kind of just applying to lots of different places where I could potentially go and where I could see myself and you know, each one had a different thing that was attractive. And then I did also consider like going straight into work. So the whole way throughout I was also looking at, kind of, what different jobs I could do. Like, I had considered a few different consultancies that work with companies trying to transition towards operating more of like in more responsible ways, be it socially or climate-focused. And so I did also consider that.  

Niamh 04:38 

I think that had I gone to work straight away, I probably would have thought about going back to do a Master’s at some point. But I think, you know, after like, gonna, you know, use the P word and say after the pandemic, I have maybe-- I maybe felt that studying wasn't necessarily what I wanted to do for another couple of years straightaway, and that I was maybe a little bit bored of it, that I needed like some new motivation, some new inspiration, maybe to kind of get moving, to see the world a little bit differently and not just, you know, still be stuck with my books and my screen all the time. Because I feel as well, like, maybe here even more so than in Edinburgh, that as a student, you mostly socialise with other students. And you do get kind of a skewed view of reality and a skewed view of the world, because everyone is doing a similar thing. You know, everyone's degree is obviously different. And everyone treats it differently and lives it differently. But at the end of the day, you are, you know, working towards a relatively similar goal, you've got to be self motivated, you've got to know your deadlines, your-- everyone is constantly thinking about their essays and their exams and hand-ins and tutorials. And sometimes you kind of maybe don't see the real world, that's happening outside of that? I maybe felt a bit more acutely when I was away from Edinburgh during, like 2020-2021. And so the prospect of maybe living in the real world, I guess, was a little bit more attractive for a while. I'm a little bit more careful to prioritise time for social things, I try and do a thing or get away almost every weekend. Because I think, yes, spending all of your time studying is fantastic if what you want to do is study, but I guess I'm also interested in other things. And I actually really like speaking to people and meeting people and hearing what they have to say. And so, it's nice to meet a different set of people, every now and again.  

Niamh 07:03 

I don't think I ever have any, like, concrete plans. But I think that I'm always quite aware that there are lots of different possible ways to do things. So like, I guess, after my Master's, I might do a PhD, I might not, I might just go and get a job, I might also take a little bit of time and travel and put off going to start work or start a PhD that will, you know, block up for, you know, an extended period of time. And once you're in there, it's more difficult to escape? Maybe not to escape, but to take that time. So I guess I am quite conscious of what committing to any one thing means. And so I think-- I maybe like to plan for all scenarios, or at least have an-- have an idea of what I would do in each scenario. Like, you know, if I come to the end of my Master’s, and I've seen a really cool PhD that I would like to do. Sure, I will apply to that. But I will also have a-- I will probably also have a backup, which is, you know, having applied to some different jobs that I'm also interested in and that I've seen posted forever. If you know if one path isn't making itself available, that's okay. Yeah, we'll take advantage of what opportunities are out there. And though, you know, those can make themselves available with zero notice with years of notice. And it's kind of just about weighing up how you feel about things at the time? Well, for me, at least, it's about weighing up how I feel about a certain path at a time, at a given time, and then making a decision based on that and where I see it going. And also maybe like its-- its duration, like its future duration. I think that I'm also kind of aware that I maybe don't have the longest attention span in the world and like need a change of stimulation every so often. And so I guess the thing that's going to last several years is maybe something that I would give a lot more, I would be a little bit more wary of committing to than something a bit more short term. Yeah no, the world is so uncertain that it's really difficult to... like, you can't be sure that things will be the same in five years. And yeah, I guess at the moment that's particularly obvious. 

[Theme music]  

Voiceover 09:48 

We also asked our guests to tell us where they go when they need to get away from it all. And what do they do when things get a bit too much?  

Niamh 10:00 

So, I kind of had a bit of a think about this and I would say that my escape hatch is probably the front door. I think that, for me, going outside is the best thing that I can do for myself if I'm feeling a little bit stressed or under pressure. I really like to run. I play Gaelic football and handball. And so, for me, anything that lets me run around is kind of really, really great. And I also really, really love the mountains and I grew up in the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. So for me, kind of my ideal Sunday is-- is a run up the hills probably. So and that I try to always have a little bit of that that weekend to let the week go and get myself ready for another week. I think being stuck inside is really hard for me.  

[Theme music]  

Voiceover 10:52 

Join us again soon for more voices from your Edinburgh community. 

[Theme music] 

Transcribed by https://otter.ai