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Lom’s marathon plans

Guest post by Lom Machin. Lom is a first year Physics BSc student, and they are taking on the challenge of running the 2022 London marathon in partnership with Karnival — the Students’ Union fundraising organisation — and the Meningitis Research Foundation. Is there a word for excited and terrified in equal measure? Something you’ll …

Grace’s summer research internship: mapping the cosmic web

Guest post by Grace Gilbert (4th Year MSci Physics student) who recently spent time on a funded summer research placement in the Nottingham astronomy research group working with Prof Alfonso Aragón-Salamanca.  As previously described in this blog, many of our undergraduate students gain valuable resaerch experience by working on summer internships here or abroad. We …

Open Days 2021: Teaching physics in the time of COVID (and beyond)

Our Open Days for prospective undergraduate students look a little different this year. Normally the whole university would be gearing up to welcome crowds of thousands on to campus for two days in July, with an multitude of student ambassadors showing off our beautiful campus. (Sunny weather and ice cream by the lake a definite …

Nottingham Physics receives funding to boost local graduate opportunities

Some good news for students who want to develop their careers close to home after graduation. In this guest post by the School of Physics and Astronomy Placement and Partnership Officer Dr. Olga Fernholz, we learn about new funding we are receiving from the Office for Students to support regional opportunities for highly skilled employment. …

Two terms down, one to go: we’ve come a long way

Autumn term: check. Spring term: check. Time for the Easter holidays then a final push through our Summer term.  But first, a quick reflection on the academic year so far. (And what a year it’s been.) Now I’ve been in the UK for over 20 years, and when I first arrived learned much about the …

On Stars, Ciphers, and Cigarettes

Guest post by Floe Foxon (BSc Physics and Astronomy, 2020), whose final year of undergraduate studies featured international travel, research, published papers, and ultimately a job offer. Congratulations Floe on all your accomplishments! What do stellar reactors, medieval cryptograms, and smokes have in common? Probably nothing. Regardless, the final year of my BSc in Physics …

Physics and Music

One of the great benefits of studying at university is realising how so many subjects are interconnected in sometimes surprising ways.  Many of our staff and students are interested in exploring e.g. connections between physics and music, or between physics and art. Our physics undergraduates can take up to 10 credits per semester outside the …

A different sort of graduation: #WeAreUon

Normally graduation is a much anticipated day in the academic calendar: nibbles, speeches, and photos with students and friends at the Physics reception, followed by pageantry and funny hats at the official ceremony. It’s a chance to celebrate and acknowledge achievement, and it’s also a chance to say goodbye. Of course nothing is ‘normal’ at …

Giuliana’s virtual summer school at the European Space Agency

The whole world has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with enormous disruption felt by all of our staff and students. However, that didn’t stop Giuliana Le Grazie-Brennan (BSc Physics and Philosophy, class of 2020) from making the best of a slightly unusual summer research opportunity. In this guest post, she describes her experience of …

Hugh’s experience on the MSci Physics with Science Education course

Science education is a important career path for some of our graduates, and we offer a number of options for physics students to gain practical experience in schools during their undergraduate studies. For example, the third-year PJU project module run by the School of Physics and Astronomy is open to application from any BSc or …