“I love to explain how physics is interconnected with our lives.”
Relevance of physics
Physics is so fascinating because it’s everywhere. For example, the air that you breathe or the phone you hold in your hand. Physics is always relevant. You can always link your passions, such as music, sport or photography, to physics. As a physicist, you are involved in many different subjects, and you work with many different experts. The more you learn about physics, the more you discover there is still to learn.
Applied Physics
The Applied Physics master’s programme doesn’t just give you the 'why'. It also lets you look deeper, individually or in teams with fellow scientists. My specialisation focuses on materials. This field can range from researching how microchips work in your mobile phone to investigating new battery technologies. For example, did you know that solar panels are only about 20% efficient? Physicists want to get to the heart of things. By applying our knowledge, we can use it to our advantage in daily life.
As well as searching for the answers to the 'why' and 'how', I enjoy explaining how physics is a part of our lives. During my studies, I participated in open days, ran guided tours for prospective students, supervised practicals and followed the minor 'Learning to Teach'.
Teaching qualifications
By completing the minor 'Learning to Teach', I obtained a second-degree teaching qualification. Because I enjoyed teaching, I continued with a Master's in Science, Education and Communication to obtain a postgraduate teaching qualification. I like being in front of a class and showing secondary school students how wonderfully interesting and challenging physics is. I regularly took what I learnt during my master's into the classroom. I not only talked about my expertise in materials, but also about other subjects: Optics (detecting cancer with light, for instance) and Fluids (such as needle-free injections). It is wonderful to see how students are amazed and inspired by physic subjects.
An example of a simple physics experiment is blowing over a sheet of paper. As soon as you do, the paper no longer hangs limp, but moves horizontally in the air. At first, this seems strange, because your first instinct is that you would need to blow from under the sheet to get this result. With the knowledge gained from researching this phenomenon, you can determine the best design for aircraft wings. Airflow is very important in the construction of aeroplanes and their wings.
The future
Being a teacher is wonderful, even though the workload can sometimes be high. After obtaining my master's degree, I'm considering working at a secondary school for two days a week, alongside explaining or researching complex subjects at UT or in a company. I would also like to be able to pass on teaching skills to future teachers. However, a PhD assignment researching in a team also seems like an interesting challenge.”