Why I chose to study Physics at Birmingham

Choosing a degree in Theoretical Physics was a huge decision for me that took a lot of thinking. Choosing a degree is incredibly difficult, but I was motivated towards Physics at Birmingham during my A-Levels for many reasons, including things like my passion for the subject, the course itself, the University’s prestigious reputation, and more.

Why Physics?

I chose Physics in part due to its relevance today. There are dozens of unanswered questions in all fields of physics, and working on these different problems is how we can continue to innovate and push physics forwards. As well as this, physics offers a welcome challenge, with a tough mathematical basis and a lot of difficult concepts to unravel, physics poses challenging problems that I enjoy taking the time to work on. Specifically, I chose Theoretical Physics because I find the harder mathematical content to be interesting, as well as the greater number of written modules.

Why Study at Birmingham?

I chose Birmingham for a few reasons, including the flexibility of the course. From Year 1, the course already offers optional modules, and this continues all the way through the degree. Due to the broad nature of physics, you can really specialise down to the fields that interest you (or take part in a range of different areas) very quickly, which is an aspect of the course that I found to be incredibly interesting. As well as this, Birmingham’s Physics course is well-renowned, with a lot of resources available to students that help both within and outside your degree, and incredible lecturers with years of teaching experience. As well as this, the University offers a huge number of sports and societies at a high level, making extra-curricular activities easy to access as well as fun and rewarding. Finally, the city itself was a large draw, as there is always something new and exciting to do!

Advice for Future Students

Picking your degree might be one of the toughest choices you can make and will have a huge impact on your life and career. Think carefully about the choices you make, as they will stick with you - but equally, don’t be put off by the challenge or the new lifestyle! University life is definitely tough, and can get busy, but it's worth it. You gain skills and experiences that will stick with you for life, and through physics you can study exciting new fields you’d have never been exposed to otherwise! For me, Physics at Birmingham was an amazing fit, and I am excited to see where it takes me next.