James
Rawlings

Current role: PhD Candidate and Demonstrator at NTU - Soft Matter Physicist

"Having started on the Foundation degree in Physics at NTU, to fast-tracking to the BSc (Hons) Physics course in second and third year; I continued on from undergraduate to postgraduate study, as my future career plans involved aspects of research. I want to do a PhD after I graduate so I decided a Masters degree would be the best step to get to the required level, I felt the MRes would better suit my needs and show my devotion to research.

The course stood out from other courses because I got the opportunity to focus on a discipline that I had a passion and interest in, especially the medical physics aspects of the course – something which I have a personal interest in. As well as the university being based in Nottingham which is a great city to study in; spending so much time in the city has only made me enjoy it more. Everything you need is essentially at your doorstep.

The taught modules of this course really do help prepare you for a career in physics, lab components and coursework are divided into different things you might come across as a professional. It’s a nice aspect to have as part of a course and something you don’t particularly experience at an undergraduate level, so it feels like I’ll be able to manage real working situations.

Research laboratories within the department are all kitted out with the equipment you need to be successful. There are plenty of places in Clifton Campus, including the library, to get access to computers and specialist software; and the turn around and support you get is fantastic.

This course really provided me with something new and exciting - as my project can take me in many directions from publishing my own work to exploring new ideas that have come from my project as there are still many unanswered questions that I have found along the way. If anything, this course has made me more excited to become a researcher in an academic environment.

Postgraduate study is a lot more challenging than undergraduate. The staff treat you like a physicist now and you have to start acting like one. Despite the more challenging work that comes with a Masters degree, it’s very much worth it and the course teaches you skills that are essential for a career in science.

I’d recommend this course to anyone who has a particular interest for conducting and leading their own research work, but also has a keen interest in medical physics and material science. The resources available for the course are fantastic and the support and advice from staff is something you wouldn’t get at another university. Most importantly enjoy every second of it because you won’t experience anything like it again."