I started my higher education in the U.K. in 2015. I am pursuing B.Sc in theoretical physics and astronomy at Durham University, and currently, I am in my last year of the three-year programme.
Durham is a small beautiful town in the northern England with a population of 50,000. Durham University is one of the top five universities in the U.K. The department of physics is reputed for its research excellence. Within the department are various institutes for specialised subjects. The Institute of Particle Physics and Phenomenology is one such institute. The university is one of the only four universities in the U.K. to have a collegiate system. The colleges have got a good mentoring system which provides constant support to its students.
The university emphasises self-learning. We have three terms, of which two are dedicated to lab work, lectures, tutorials and workshops. The last term is for revisions and examination. Students are usually expected to do a lot of reading on their own, prior to the lectures, which tend to be short and give just a brief overview of the topic.
Learning mainly depends on self-reading. In the labs, the focus is not merely on getting the right results but on being fully able to analyse and understand the results. Workshops and tutorials help students who get stuck in any area. The department’s professors are easily approachable. Assessments are based on lab work, projects, reports and final examination with no mid-semester exams as in India.
I live in a private accommodation with three other people, of which two are English and one is German. The city life in Durham is slow. However, it is close to big cities such as Newcastle, which is a 15-minute train ride from Durham. Sunderland is 25 minutes away. Travelling within Durham is convenient with good bus services which are free for students. Every major shop is located in the city centre, close to many colleges.
One of the major changes I experienced after coming here was the education system. It revolves around self-learning and is more practical-oriented as opposed to merely being theoretical. Also, living so far away from family, friends, Indian culture and food was emotionally draining initially, but making new friends helped.
Adapting to the hectic term time can be difficult for some, but with patience it can easily be mastered. I have enjoyed my time in the U.K. It did have its ups and downs, but it is a different experience, nonetheless.
Ishan Srivastava is a third-year student of theoretical physics and astronomy from Durham University, U.K.
