Physics Students Inspired by Alumni Talk and Olympiad Success
7th February 25
The Physics Department has had an exciting and inspiring few weeks, with a visit from a former student and impressive performances in the British Physics Olympiad.
Luca, a former DLD student, returned to speak with our Year 11 and 12 Physics students about his journey studying Physics at UCL and his Masters in Theoretical Physics (Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces) at Imperial College London. During his engaging talk, Luca shared valuable insights into the transition from A Level to university-level Physics, describing the challenge of managing eight demanding modules per year as “like doing 8 A Levels.” He also offered practical advice on how to approach the UCAS application process, helping students understand what makes an application stand out.
Students took the opportunity to ask Luca thought-provoking questions, including: “How can I make my UCAS application stand out?”, “Why did you study Physics and not Engineering?”, and “Is Further Maths necessary?” Following the talk, students shared their reflections:
“Super-helpful! I’ve got a much better idea now of what to expect from university.”
“It sounded a bit scary though – like 8 A levels in a year!”
“It was nice that he was like us, that he’d attended DLD, done the same A levels as us. It made us think that we can do it, too.”
This inspiring talk followed the achievements of our Year 12 Physics students in the British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) Round 1 competition. This national competition, which saw 3,777 students from 550 schools participate, is renowned for its challenging questions that stretch the very best young physicists in the country. As the BPhO itself states:
“This paper is to challenge a range of student knowledge, preparation and ability, allowing access for good students, whilst also aiming at stretching and challenging the top young physicists in the country in a national competition. The questions are a challenge and not to be seen as anything less. University professors have tried this paper when they were at school and ‘got nowhere’. It genuinely is the taking part that matters – that is the indication of intent and interest that universities are looking for.”
Despite this being a competition aimed at Year 13 students, our Year 12 participants rose to the challenge, with Rita achieving a Bronze 1 award and Stefan, Ammar, and Gordon receiving Commendations. Their enthusiasm, dedication, and impressive results make us incredibly proud.
Congratulations to all involved—both in welcoming back Luca and in taking on the British Physics Olympiad challenge. We look forward to seeing our students continue to excel and push the boundaries of their scientific knowledge!
Dr Louise Affleck, Head of Physics
