Payal Wagh

"I feel like the personality types I got match me quite closely!Coach:In the research field, it really helps to think about problems creatively! It helps to look at a problem in a different way than just pure 'logic'.Also, being a 'Coach' works out really well for me when I'm mentoring younger students, because it helps me listen to their problems, understand them well, and then possibly offer solutions. All these qualities help me to get along with almost everyone in some way, which I really like.Influencer:Most of these qualities are very useful when you're in the research sector! You need to be able to think critically about what you're doing, think outside the box, and be thorough and good with detail.I also feel like this is another set of skills that help to get along with other people really well, especially in the teaching/mentoring sector, where I have to both take charge and explain things to other people.Quality controller:These are especially good qualities in a research scientist! I need to constantly be questioning the way things are done, especially if the results don't seem right. I need to be curious, proactive with my research, and great with detail to be a successful scientist!Again, these are at the same time excellent qualities for a teacher/mentor as well!"

"I'm currently a student doing research in the field of Astrophysics. There are several areas in Astrophysical research- to narrow these down slightly, there are 3 main categories: theoretical work, observational work, and simulations.I work in the simulations area- simulations are a kind of theoretical work, in which models and simulations are formed from theoretical knowledge. A lot of my work involves working with theoretical models, codes, different kinds of software, and Astrophysical concepts, of course!What I love the most about my field is how closely related to theory it is- I used to be under the impression that if I study Physics or Astrophysics, I'll have to do experimental work, which I'm not very interested in. But there's a ton of research to be done in the theoretical fields too!During a PhD, students get to work on independent, original research and publish papers about them! The starting salary for someone in a postdoctoral (post-PhD) research role can be anywhere from £26,000 to £40,000 in a year, but senior researchers get paid much more."

"I had the most wonderful Physics teacher when I was studying in Years 11 and 12, and he was so passionate about the subject that he made me completely fall in love with it! I decided then that it's only Physics-related stuff that I want to do as a career. So, I applied to several universities across the UK, and finally chose the University of Central Lancashire in Preston to do my Bachelor's degree.Working hard in the first and second years of my degree helped my lecturers know of me, and one of my lecturers reached out to me and told me about their work, asking if I'm interested in a project related to it! I've been working with them in their field of research ever since. They're also offering me a master's by research and a PhD after that to work on more original things in the same field, so I'm set in the field now!I didn't really have much experience work-wise or volunteering-wise before I came here, but over the past year I've been mentoring both a first-year class at university as well as school students through a volunteering program, and it has been so rewarding!"

"Most of my spare time is usually taken up by different extra-curricular activities I've taken up while at university- I'm currently mentoring a first-year class at university as well as tutoring school students during my spare time. This has helped me realise that I quite like teaching, and that I don't have to rule it out as a potential career option in the future.Other than these, I enjoy playing video-games, and there's one in particular I absolutely love- it's called League of Legends. Maybe you've heard of it?"

"The first thing I do every morning is check my emails to see if there's any update on lectures or research meetings. I then start my work for the day- I usually have lectures to attend, so I pay attention during them and try to take lots of notes!I then use any time after lectures to catch up on any assignments/homework, or read up on research papers related to my field or on the programming language I use for my research. My afternoons are usually spent working on my research project, which is modelling galaxies based on the infrared radiation from the interstellar dust present in them. I work with and edit codes in IDL (Interactive Data Language) in order to correctly use the theory I've learnt to form images of what a particular galaxy should look like.A major part of doing any kind of research is maintaining a logbook- basically, a place where you note down what you're doing just to keep track of it all, and so you can come back to it later and see if you were thinking about something the right way. So, my evenings are often spend updating my logbooks, and preparing for the next day.Twice a week I have mentoring/teaching sessions to deliver, so I prepare for those the evening before they're due."

"After getting my A-level equivalents in Physics, Maths, Biology, and Chemistry, I applied to universities and then started my BSc (Hons) Physics with Astrophysics degree at the University of Central Lancashire, Preston. For a compulsory third-year project during the degree, we had to choose a specific research area and work closely with a supervisor working in that field. One of my lecturers reached out to me and asked if I'm interested in a project related to their work; They're also offering me a master's by research and a PhD after that to work on more original things in the same field, so all I want to say is work hard, and your efforts will be recognised!"