LiA Week 2
A rather unusual week for me – definitely one with plenty of ups and downs.
This was the week I really started to feel the effects of homesickness. It wasn't actually jet lag (it was only a three-and-a-half-hour time difference after all), but more the difficulty of staying connected with everyone back home.
When I woke up, everyone was at work. By the time I got home from Let's Talk Science, it was around 8pm back home and everyone was winding down for the evening. Trying to play PlayStation with my friends led to some rather questionable sleeping patterns!
For me it was dark, while for them the sun was just beginning to rise.
The Highs
This week was fantastic for outreach. We delivered two of the main activity kits: Magnet Madness and Animals & Ecosystems.
Being a physicist, Magnet Madness was definitely my favourite.
The sessions always begin with a short introduction where we introduce ourselves and ask lots of questions to gauge the confidence of the class. Before we'd even started, the children had already latched onto my accent, trying to figure out if I was Scottish or Irish.
The main activity involved testing different materials with strong magnets. Before touching anything, every group had to predict whether each object would be magnetic. One of my favourite parts involved Canadian cents. Some older coins were made almost entirely of copper, while newer ones contained steel beneath a copper coating. We never told the pupils this. We let them discuss amongst themselves (debate is probably the more accurate word!)
Watching the conversations unfold was fascinating. They already knew iron, nickel and cobalt were magnetic, but now they had noticed something else was going on! This is where it got interesting.
Discovering in this manner is what makes science fun.
After each group had finished, we came back together as a class to discuss the results. Unsurprisingly, the coins caused the biggest debate. Some of the children were incredibly determined to convince everyone else they were right. It could get a little rowdy, but I actually loved that. Good science isn't always exactly quiet!
To finish, I spoke briefly about where magnets are used in the real world, from MRI scanners (made in Scotland – fun fact) to superconducting magnets. Their teacher asked me the name of the levitation content and where she could find a video for them in the future.
Seeing their reactions reminded me why I enjoy physics so much.
Although this was just another outreach session for Let's Talk Science, it was a particularly important one for me. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to fully contribute, full of enthusiasm.
One important thing, that has stayed with me this entire journey is that:
A child asked me,
"How do I get your job?"
I found that incredibly touching.
Maybe my accent made science feel a little different that day. Maybe talking about magnets sparked something. Maybe it won’t change much!
Or maybe, years from now, that conversation will be one of the reasons someone chooses to become a scientist.
It's about making young people ask why.
On a lighter note, I also managed to visit Signal Hill and, completely by accident, stumbled across the Janeway Teddy Bear Convoy one day.
I heard dozens of trucks honking their horns and immediately assumed there must have been an accident. Instead, I looked across towards the hospital to find hundreds of trucks driving around with teddy bears attached to the front. The convoy raises money for the Janeway Children's Hospital and only happens once each year.
I don’t think my timing could’ve been any better.
The views from signal hill were just surreal, truly a once in a lifetime experience for me to see this on such clear skies and get up there at night time. My other flatmates were eager for me to see it at night time and in day light but I think night time won!
The Lows
As positive as the outreach was, this was also probably my most challenging week so far.
Unfortunately, I experienced several problems with a flatmate which eventually led to me changing accommodation. The situation became unpleasant and, ultimately, unsafe.
For a few days I found myself avoiding going back to the flat altogether. I showered at the gym before work and often stayed out for as long as possible. Cooking became difficult too, so most evenings I would just either try new food spots or avoid dinner at all and tried to make up for it with larger breakfasts and lunches.
Looking back, I'm glad I made the decision to move as quickly as I did.
My partner and I joke about running out of "spoons" to describe our mental capacity, and this week I definitely felt like I had very few left. Balancing outreach, homesickness, accommodation issues and everything else left me mentally exhausted.
To add to the pressure, this was also the week my university exam results were released. Normally my partner and I open our results together, so checking them alone from the other side of the Atlantic was a strange experience.
Thankfully, they went really well, which lifted my spirits more than I expected.
Overall
Although this has easily been one of the most challenging weeks of the placement, it's also been one of the most rewarding.
It reminded me that outreach isn't just about explaining science. It's about inspiring curiosity and building confidence. Showing them that the careers that seem unreachable are completely in line with their capabilities.
The kids were learning but so was I.
I learned a lot about resilience that week, and what it takes to just keep pushing yourself in reasonable ways.