A Physicist's Research Year Jaunt Across the Pond

Well, actually the date is 4th November 2008 and this is where my trip really starts as I just got sent my J1 form.

But first things first. My name is Leanne Hamilton and I am an MPhys student at Surrey University and by January 2009 I shall be off doing a mandatory year doing research. My strength is maths though I'll admit that my maths 3 score wasn't the best I've got. According to my marks I'm also very good at nuclear but I'll tell anyone who'll listen I have no idea how I got such an impressive mark. I certainly didn't feel confident after that exam. I'm ok at fortran but was always slow starting them off; I was very bad at translating the scripts. I suck at labs. I got average/good marks but I have no love for experiments. Electricity and everything to do with it hates me. At the moment I'm averaging 70.8, so just getting a first but I have very poor motivation and even worse attendance but I work hard. Ortwin Hess is my personal tutor. I thought I might chuck that one in.

Okay so you have an idea who I am academically.

Research year: Preliminaries

I started panicking about my research year in say... March. And my advice to those who follow. Don't. Nothing will happen until late September and that is just fine. Oh, but if you are staying in surrey or close over the summer don't pass on doing a bit of research at the uni (with someone like Keddie), it'll look great on your CV.

So an eventful summer passed and now back at uni having to stay at my parents house with my fiance. The most ANNOYING thing about this 3 months here, year out, 6 back, is that we're not technically classed as final years for that 3 months. Therefore we are not entitled to on campus living though we really should be. Its something Paddy is working on but it happens every year. It's made everyones life who didn't get a room on campus so very annoying because either you rent a room for a whole year and stay in distance of surrey or you live with parents and commute. Not always easy. Luckily for me mine live half an hour away. Our resident genius Dave commutes from Kent. Not so lucky. The rest opted for simply hoping there was many options close by (which we were promised there was... I'll get to that) and stayed in surrey. There is a solution which Dave really should have done, you can search on a site such as gumtree and find a short term room, it's normally in some families house but its a solution. Not great for studying or even having a social life but its probably better than the YMCA which again is another solution.

Anyway so half of us have comfortable rooms on campus, another half not. Fine. By September everyones wondering what the hell about our year out because we've heard nothing. An email arrives late september from paddy requesting a meeting. Now I completely forgot about it but I was assured it was an in and out affair where poeple listed what kind of placement they want (theoretical or experimental) and where (abroad or not).

This was annoying too... or maybe I'm just in a pissy mood, thats also a possibility but it was stressful.      You see they say that all they need to know is what you want and they'll see what they can do but its not always that easy. At all. In fact I'll guide you through it. Firstly I want something like mitsubishi in japan... who wouldn't right? Guy to go for that is andreev. But he hasn't a clue what you need and you definately don't have a clue whats expected of you during this year so that kind of ends there. This continues. Tell Hess and Paddy I'm not really interested in nuclear nor spending a whole year abroad. Hess offers many different ideas. he is the master of almost happened placements. In fact you have to rely on Paddy completely guys I'm afraid. What he offers you will be definate and assured and he's on your side and will get you a place so... deal. It means though you're actually very limited on what you can do. I must mention sweeney is also very good but he's on a part time basis this year and his places are more commercial so less definate with financial climate. For example I then opted for going to Quinetiq in farnborough but they had no funding which meant i had spent alot of time waiting about and missing out at certain opportunities that could have been ideal. So finally after a lot of changing my mind I turn back to Paddy's list.

I end up with a nuclear placement. Abroad. For a year.Exactly the opposite to what I wanted but I'm very very happy with it all now. You see, the placements close to surrey were not interesting to me (well the appleton-rutherford lab one concering something to do with space seemed cool) or had some annoying thing, such as distance. The Appleton-Rutherford lab one is probably the best since its roughly an hour drive but has flexitime which is brilliant. But if you don't drive the train doesn't take you very close to where you want to be so its a bit annoying. The only other option (since no quinetiq) is NPL and that really is a bit of a bastard to commute to from surrey; there's a guy on his industrial year there who says the trip by train is killing him and my dad who has to go work there says the drive isn't any better. There is always the AWE place; I didn't even consider it but Rich is going to commute from surrey to there everyday.

So last week, with a lot of umming and ahhing and annoying phd people and Catford and my friends, I settled on Florida, Tallahassee, a nuclear experimental (though I'm assured its not just experimental, I will get to do theoretical and all the rest). BLINDLY. Another annoying point I forgot. No one has a clue of the project they're doing. You choose a place just because okay? Nothing else is really known.Going abroad looks better on your CV, it's a life experience as well as a work one. And that was all the reasoning behind my choice. Personally I can't wait to go to an american football match.

The Process:

step one: having decided placement

Telling Paddy where you want to go is always a step in the right direction. He'll email or call or what ever the right people. He'll ask you for your cv (no matter how amny times previously you've sent it) but thats just superfitial, the people he send you to trust him as an academic and a friend so if he says we'll do fine, I'm sure we will and they trust that. Although I did read one of the emails he sent about me and it makes me sound much better than I actaully am.

So I tell Paddy. He looks sceptical but he has the right to because this is about the 5th time I've changed my mind in a month. Anyway, he rights the email. He gets one back saying great. I get an email saying hi and great and (this is the IMPORTANT bit) that place then sends me a letter saying, 'we would like to offer you position' and a J-1 pre-visa form.

That happened today so you're all up to date. I'm not sure if I'm to mail my half of the J1 form back yet, but it has reminded me of health insurance. Its a must have. I've looked at a few websites, the J-1 says that the insurance you get has to be credible. I'm thinking of getting one which is £175 but endsleigh does one for .... Maybe it's best if I ask one of the Mphys students already out there? hmmmm.

We've (sam, spencer and I) figured the visa should take about 2 months and cost roughly £90 with travel costs. Also ensuring taking a £1000 for start up costs should be fine.

Anyway, 9 o'clock quantum with Oi tomorrow so,

Chow for now.