Rosie Hayward

"My result are explorer, investigator, and quality controller. Although, I have to admit, I had to take the quiz a few times and rethink my answers to get this result. The first few times I didn't see myself in my results at all, but all this means to me is that I'm not a good judge of my own character without thinking about it carefully! I wouldn't be disheartened if you don't feel like the first result you get reflects how you actually like to do things. Explorer and investigator fit me fairly well as a researcher. I'm curious, I enjoy solving problems and puzzles, and I'm happy to work alone most of the time, but also with others when I need to. I love to learn, and discover new things, and so I love having a job were I can do that every day. I think the parts of quality controller that I most identify with would be curious, good with detail, and challenges the way things have always been done. I think you need to be happy to challenge ideas and methods in the world of academia; teaching and researching are always evolving! Results I previously had included coach and influencer. This could be because I am happy to work on my own or in a team, and happy to lead. These are things you need to be able to do in academia as well. Lots of different types of people can be good at the same job in different ways."

"The outcome of my work is new ways of explaining why things are the way they are. Expanding on an existing theory to try to make it a better fit to reality is what I typically do, with the audience of my supervisor, alongside most theoretical physicists. Completely new theories do not often appear in the world of physics, and sometimes it can feel like you are making an almost unnoticeable contribution to what we already know, but it does make a difference, and that is exciting. What I enjoy most about my job is understanding something I previously struggled with, or solving a problem, and learning something new. My PhD stipend pays roughly £15,000 a year, but post docs and academics earn £30,000 and far above, depending on their seniority and where they work. "

"The person who probably had the greatest influence on my choice to become a physicist was my A-level form tutor, Fran. Fran initially encouraged me to take a science. I ended up doing very well in mathematics at college, and even got moved into the further mathematics class. Nevertheless, my physics teachers predicted me a D in physics, claiming that I lacked the mathematical ability needed to understand it. I was very upset and confused about this, and remember speaking to Fran. She went to ask my physics teachers if there was some confusion, and they replied that they meant a 'different kind' of mathematical ability. Fran thought this was a poor excuse for my predicted grade, and told me not to let them get to me. She said, if you want to be a physicist, you be a physicist! Prove them wrong! Needless to say, I did. I am now a theoretical physicist, and spend most of my research time on maths, which I love. As for training to get my PhD position outside of my degree, I completed two summer projects in my time at the University of Bristol, within the physics department. The first I completed unpaid, which was very difficult as the only money I lived of was money I saved from my student grants/loans and from small amounts of paid work I had managed to complete throughout the year. My mother would try to help if she could, but I was responsible for paying my rent, which was expensive. I still came into work everyday with enthusiasm, and it was worth it because I ended up a named author on a paper in Nature Physics. The next year, I applied for external funding, and got it. I would recommend doing everything you can to find funding for summer projects. They can make a big difference when applying for PhDs, as research experience is important, and the money is out there. Tell yourself you are deserving, and convince someone to give it to you!"

"I really enjoy rock climbing and bouldering. It's a great way to exercise the mind and body at the same time, and there is a great sense of achievement in conquering your fears, or finally finishing a route you were previously stuck on. Otherwise, I do yoga. It can be hard to switch your mind off if you're a researcher, as there is always a problem to be solved, and yoga helps me with this. I also paint and draw, and I really like to cook. "

"A typical day for me varies quite a lot, due to the nature of my work. As a PhD student in theoretical physics, I will split my working time between the office, coffee shops, and home, and I tend to keep quite flexible hours. Research, as a process, usually has the following steps for me: discussion with my supervisor about our next project, reading, discussion with my supervisor about how we will complete the project, problem solving / calculations / simulations, analysis of results, discussion of results with my supervisor, writing up, submission to journals for peer review, (hopefully) publication. At the moment I am writing up, so I spend a lot of my time at home reading my notes and trying to formalise them into something others can understand. During the problem solving phase, I tend to spend more time in the office, so I am readily available for discussions with my supervisor if I discover something interesting or if I encounter a problem and need help. I also spend an hour or two a day on more administrative tasks, such as reading and writing emails, applying to conferences, and going to meetings or talks. "

"I got 6 A*s, 5 As, and a B at GCSE. The B was in music; I've played guitar for the last twelve years but I was never very good at listening exams! I don't remember which subjects were A*s or As anymore. I then completed my A-levels with As in Physics and Maths and Bs in Further Maths and Philosophy. I got a 1st class MSci in Physics from the University of Bristol, and went straight into my PhD from there. "