Jamie Tyler
It was an absolutely incredible experience that changed my view of the world.
The Physics with a Year Abroad programme includes the opportunity to undertake a research project at a partner institution overseas in the 4th year. I had applied back in my last year of school, but until I was actually on the plane I’d always thought that travelling to the other side of the globe to study was a far-off fantasy. I’d travelled abroad with family before, but never this far, and never alone. Although I was nervous at first, it turned out to be an incredible experience that changed my view of the world and opened my mind to what’s possible while studying.
My project was in the field of “social physics”, analysing Twitter data and developing basic models of political user interactions. I chose it because I was confident in my coding abilities, I loved the idea of applying physics tools in an unconventional way, and I got on extremely well with my supervisor. I’ve always struggled to find a specialist subject I enjoy, but I loved working on this project, and I found myself motivated purely by curiosity. This experience has definitely shaped the field of physics I want to explore further.
One of the stand-out things I loved about Australia was the sheer amount of wildlife. From the Daintree River and the Great Barrier Reef to the areas around Sydney, the place is full of animals I never thought I’d see. You don’t even need to travel far outside Sydney to spot kookaburras, cockatoos, wallabies, kangaroos, lorikeets, pelicans, echidnas, parrots, corellas, flying foxes, glowworms, lyrebirds, rosellas—the list goes on.
While studying in Sydney, I joined several student societies and met great friends. Australians are some of the friendliest people you’ll meet, and societies were the main way I got to know others at the university (especially the a cappella society—I had so much fun singing with them!). I was also part of a group of undergraduate and postgraduate students, PhD candidates and lecturers who met weekly to discuss papers and developments in complex systems, and I loved talking about the broader topics behind my project with others in the field.
Studying in Sydney was an experience like no other. On my last day, my supervisor told me that once you come to Australia, you get “hooked”, and I completely agree. I still keep in touch with everyone there, and I hope to be back soon.