QUESTIONS Flashcards
Tell me a bit about yourself
Well, I am now going into my second year of studying physics with astro at NCL, so far I’ve had the pleasure of working as a student ambassador for the physics department where I took part helping out with open days and the Partners academic summer school. Additionally, i’ve also had the opportunity of interning during the summer at the university in order to develop and work on an outreach and resource planning project, all of these experiences have allowed me to develop further really important skills, but they have also allowed me to realize the amount of happiness that is brought to me just by talking with other people about physics and all of the opportunities this wide field of study offers. I believe that the position of campus ambassador is really important not only for the physics student community as a whole but also on a more personal/individual basis, so I would just like to thank you for the opportunity of being interviewed for such a position.
Your motivation in applying for the role
I believe that the ideals of the IOP, such as diversity, inclusivity and the overall improvement of our society’s future through physics and communal support are of great importance to the field, we still have a lot of work ahead in relation to tearing down a lot of socio economic barriers present in Physics but i believe that, institutes like the IOP are active agents of change when it comes to such barriers, the limitless campaign is just one of its many examples, and the position of campus ambassador offers access to a network of resources necessary in order to apply all of these ideals present on paper in the real world, through events, activities, community and mutual help. So, I would say that my main motivation or applying to this role would be to not only strenghet our student community and the equality of oppurutnies present within it but also to repay all of the kindness and help that student ambassadors at Newcastle have given me throughout my first year at university.
What you would aim to achieve in the role, and how you would promote events and activities on your campus
I have many objectives I wish to achieve with this role, some of them leaning more towards personal development and growth while also strengthening our student community. But, I hope primarily to make sure that the opportunities offered by the IOP, the advantages of its membership and the importance of extracurricular activities for one’s own developpement are made known to everyone. University is a place where various people from all walks of life tend to meet and sometimes, especially in fields like physics, you will have a lot of inequalities in regards to what information the students have access to. For example, neither of my parents have a degree and the members of my family that do have one have pursued subjects in the humanities, in comparison to my colleagues that have parents with Phds in STEM subjects and even parents that are physicists have better guidance on how to navigate higher education and academia as a whole. I think a democratization of resources is my main hope as a campus ambassador, and promoting all that the IOP has to give in relation to career development.
What qualities, skills and experiences you would bring to the role
– Passion for physics
I think my passion for physics, though cliche, is one of the principal qualities I bring to the table.
Coming to university and taking on roles such as student ambassador and Outreach intern really showed me how enriching and exciting it actually was to talk with people about pursuing physics at university, discussing the structures of the programs and the different branches of physics one could research be it with present or prospective students has been really important to me and I think without my love for physics a lot of it wouldn’t be possible in the first place.
– Communication and Public speaking skills
Besides that, Communication and public speaking skills are also crucial for any ambassadorial role. I have taken many class representative roles throughout my education and I believe that the duties and responsibilities connected to them really allowed me to develop this interpersonal skills naturally thorough the years., Recently, I participated in the WISDOM panel at Newcastle, discussing women’s underrepresentation in STEM and my journey in physics. And having the oppurtunity of talking with members of the audience after the panel, and being able to talk with these young girls that were now going through similar struggles as I did. Pakistani girl that had recently moved to the UK and we got to talk about our experiences as people pursuing a scientific education in a language that is not our mother tongue. Such interactions require strong interpersonal skills and confidence in the importance of your message.
– Collaborational and outreach experience
Organizational, collaboration skills, and outreach experience are key for this role. This summer, I interned at my university in Outreach and resource planning, giving presentations at local schools about Newcastle University’s Physics and Mathematics programs. I answered questions about university life and workload management. Additionally, I helped welcome international students from Cyprus and led problem-solving sessions with younger students, further developing these skills.
What do you use from what the IOP has to offer.
PHYSICS WORLD MAGAZINE, PODCASTS, CAREER CENTER FOR CV AND COVER LETTERS, WOKRSHOP PROGRAMMING, 30 DISCOUNT BOOKS
What are your weaknesses
.Until quite recently i believed my biggest weakness was my anxiousness when it came to talking with new people, a lot of this anxiety isn’t necessarily connected to the process of talking itself but rather of making silly mistakes that could damage the conversation, english is my third language so despite using it everyday i still have that voice in the back of my head telling me that i will make some silly error and that somehow someway that will snowball into a disaster, but recently after more than 3 weeks of presentations and of talks i believe i am rapidly repairing this weakness of mine.
What are your strengths
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How would you handle a situation where an event you organized has a low turnout?
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Imagine a situation where you encounter negative feedback about the organization from fellow students. How would you handle it?
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What would you do if you had to organise an event but had a very limited budget?
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How would you manage your responsibilities as a campus ambassador alongside your academic workload?
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What would you do if you encountered a conflict with your academic schedule and a major IOP event you need to organise?
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If you had to recruit volunteers for an IOP event, how would you go about it?
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What strategies would you use to gather feedback after an IOP event?
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