Year 10 Work Exp: Questions for University Placement

AI Thread Summary
A Year 10 student from North Yorkshire is seeking work experience at a university, specifically in the field of theoretical or particle physics. The student is unsure whether to apply to academic staff, teaching staff, or research professors. However, it is noted that securing a position to observe current research in particle physics is highly competitive, typically reserved for undergraduates, as many college students struggle to gain similar opportunities. The discussion emphasizes the importance of developing mathematical skills and gaining foundational knowledge before pursuing research roles. Recommendations include reading popular physics literature by authors like Brian Greene and Michio Kaku, and studying A-level physics to build expertise. The student expresses a desire to observe higher-level physics teaching as part of their experience.
Ryanzmw
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Hey, I'm a year 10 student at a grammar school in North Yorkshire and am planning to apply for work experience at a Univerisity, but I have a few questions:
Who should I apply to e.g. Academic staff, teaching staff, Emeritus & Research Professors or research staff.
And just so you know I would like ideally to be in a placement where I would be able to observe current research into theoretical or particle physics.
 
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It would be incredibly difficult to have a position in which you'd be able to consistently observe current particle physics research. That's a position that many undergrad college students would love to have. Most college students would only be able to have data type positions or something basically involving crunching preliminary numbers, so for a high school student to be able to observe current research...that seems very unlikely. You have to think about it like this: Any college student with interests in particle physics would love to hold a position like the one you described, yet many of them can't...what would give you an edge over such applicants?

Until you start gaining sufficient mathematical expertise, a research position is not going to happen. It's good that you have such a strong interest as a sophomore though. If I were you, I'd start reading popular physics books (Brian Greene, Michio Kaku, Stephen Hawking etc.)
 
I've read Parallel Worlds by Michio Kaku and am currently reading Hyperspace by Michio Kaku. I'm also trying to learn A.S. level physics with few resources. But anyway where do you think I should apply then? I would also like to see higher level physics being taught.
 
Bit Britain-specific but I was wondering, what's the best path to take for A-Levels out of the following (I know Y10 seems a bit early to be thinking about A-levels, but my choice will impact what I do this year/ in y11) I (almost) definitely want to do physics at University - so keep that in mind... The subjects that I'm almost definitely going to take are Maths, Further Maths and Physics, and I'm taking a fast track programme which means that I'll be taking AS computer science at the end...
After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...

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