Name: Amanda Paul
Profession: Physics student, data science intern
Attended York High School: 2013 – 2018
Post-16 attended: St Peter’s School, York
University or college? Imperial College London
Favourite subject at school: Physics, Geography, Spanish
What I thought I wanted to do: Become a physics professor.
What I ended up doing: Still studied physics but ended up getting into the data and technology industry instead of pursuing a Master’s degree and PhD (but I may return to these later).
How I got here: Persevered through my GCSEs with a positive outlook! Every institution of higher education and future employer will look at these and you need them to keep as many options open for your future self as possible.
I was also never afraid to ask for help. Whether I struggled to understand a concept, needed help to revise efficiently, or struggled with time management, my teachers were there to help me in all aspects. Remember, they want to see you succeed!
Most useful skill or character trait for my job: Balancing working independently and working as a team. I definitely struggled with teamwork before going to university but the sheer volume and difficulty of the content, plus all the group projects, meant I had to be able to share my knowledge and areas of expertise with others and take help from peers in things I was weaker in.
This helps me now as a data science intern as the projects we work on are so wide-reaching that we have to be able to communicate effectively with each other.
Top tip! Enjoy your school years but don’t forget to work hard 🙂
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