I recently decided to start a blog. I figured this would be beneficial for me as it can enable me to see my personal growth, as well as showcase it to you, dear visitor!
I excpect to update this frequently, with posts ranging from altriusm to music competitions. I'll also showcase my growth as a mathematician and physicist. Enjoy :)

If you've read my previous blog posts you'll know how much I was looking forward to doing the Hamilton Olympiad, and also how when it eventually came, I messed up by letting my lack-of-confidence get to me. Looking back over the blog posts, you can see the gradual descent into pessimism and how I began dreading the day I got the results back.
Well, I GOT A MERIT!!!
I was truly overjoyed when I got that certificate (really, ask the guy next to me), and it's given me a lot more hope and confidence for the future olympiads I am planning to take. It also fueled my passion for maths even more and encouraged me to push through a chapter that slightly challenged me in my AoPS book (Number Theory & Modular Arithmetic). For good measure, I've linked the certificate below.

Next, I have also spent some time signing up to programmes and doing my usual extra-curriculars (found in About Me). In particular, I have started the Electric Sheep Futurekind AI Fellowship, and have gotten to know my cohort quite well whilst learning about the implicaitons and impacts of AI on animals (things such as PLF and using AI to decode animal communication). The second half of the fellowship is project-based, and I'm really excited. I won't spoil too much about what I'm working on (or else I risk over-promising), but I can't wait!
I was also rejected from Leaf, but they have still offered me the opportunity to take their mathematical course (I know what I'm doing this summer).
Moreover, Bute Energy has also very kindly offered me some work experience and we've been able to arrange a date. I'm thrilled that I'll get a chance to work on something as important as renewable energy!
Lastly, I found an incredible school in the US for students with an ambition for mathematics (Proof School). Although I am on the other side of the world, I emailed them in the hopes that they would be able to advise me on how I can self-study and learn some really interesting topics (Galois Theory). Thankfully, their response was incredibly helpful and pointed me to other mathematical programmes, as well as an incredible website to help prepare me for more Olympiads (Evan Chen).

Despite all of this exciting news however, I've still got GCSE exams just on the horizon.
As of writing this, I have just (a few days ago) had my Religous Studies exam. I've still got all my sciences after half-term though (and Greek), so I'll have to get my head down over the next few weeks and ensure I get the best grades possible. I'll be honest, I am (slightly) worried, but as long as I try my best (and revise enough), I hope I'll be fine.

This one is a short one, but that's it - see you next time!

It's been a very fast month and I didn't get around to updating my blog, but I realised today is the last day of my Easter holidays (oh no), so I better get around to updating this!

Firstly, I'm 15 at last (which means I can apply for Leaf, but more on that later). I have to admit that year flew by quite quickly and it's kind of insane to think that I'm 15 now. When I was younger, being 15 in my eyes was pretty much synonymous with being an adult - but trust me when I say I do not feel that mature yet! I feel like I've done so much but at the same time so little, and overall I'm a bit worried; if a year flies by that quickly, I'll be 18 very soon! Even so, my family made sure I enjoyed my birthday, and my general mood has been elevated recently (hooray!).

Moving on from the more personal things, I am very happy to say that my Oxplore essay was one of two runner ups in the competition! I put a lot of effort into it, and I was able to link my fascination of quantum mechanics and uncertainty to the randomness of luck - so I was definitely overjoyed when I heard the news. For good measure, I've linked both my essay and certificate below.

Additionally, I have also been offered a prize of 5 books from a giant list which they have sent me. Particularly, the book Game Theory: A Very Short Introduction has interested me the most because I have recently become captivated by the field of Game theory and Probability. From trying to understand things such as Nash Equilibria and Bayes' Theorem, I am becoming more and more engulphed in this intriguing field. Hence, I am ecstatic about learning more about it, which leads me onto my next paragraph… Now that I'm 15 years old, I'm finally old enough to apply for a Leaf course. Hopefully from the above, my love for mathematics is quite evident and hence it should come as no surprise that I am applying for the mathematical course. Even so I still have enthusiasm and a drive for learning more about the complex field of AI & machine learning (maths in disguise), and hence I would be ecstatic if I got into either course. It is very competitive, but I am not too worried about that as even rejected applicants get access to the learning material. I'll still try to make a good impression and application however (they might be reading this - hello!), but I am worried that I'll panic under the pressure of the second part of the application (which is more like a test).

The reason for this is because I recently took the Hamilton Olympiad. I was in a room, under timed pressure (2 hours), with the task of doing 6 questions. I panicked and blundered hard. If you go through my previous blog posts, you'll see how much I was looking forward to this, and well - I'm disappointed. The questions were great and now, having the solutions at hand, seem very simple. But in those 2 hours under pressure, it felt like a mountain. The reason I am so disappointed is not because I was unable to do it, but rather the opposite - my answers had the epiphany, they had realised the 'hard' part, but I'd mess up by missing one key fact or multiplying the wrong thing (particularly on questions 1 & 3). The Olympiad is marked quite harshly, which means that the few minor blunders could make my marks nosedive. Thus, I really don't think I achieved my goal of getting a merit. Even so, I have to admit that it certainly did not deter me from mathematics, but it has rather fuelled my drive and I believe this is just a minor setback (keep calm and carry on, they say). After all, there's always next year, and with hard work and a bit of luck (which is random) I'm sure I can do it!

Also, because of my interests in mathematics, physics and computer science, I felt it would be good for me to also compete in the BlueQubit Quantum Hackathon. I'm a complete beginner to quantum computing so I really didn't do too well (I came 287th), but quantum computing is a field I might want to pursue a career in so experience is always welcome!

Moreover, I've been trying to find work experience for physics and mathematics. Writing a research paper seems to be challenging and perhaps overly ambitious (although I'm still trying and don't plan to stop), so I am looking for other things I could do. I have recently come in contact with Bute Energy, and they're very kindly offering me work experience in the summer, where I'll get a much better understanding of what it's like working on some of the world's most pressing problems - such as fighting against climate change through renewable energy.

Lastly, I also got accepted into Electric Sheep's Futurekind AI Fellowship, suggested to me by Effective Altruism. This will be a completely new experience for me, I'll tell you more soon!

I also had my Welsh & Greek GCSE speaking exams which I had to prepare and revise for. I think they went well, although I did make some very simple mistakes which I can't get off my mind. I have more GCSEs coming up (from 21st of May - 19th of June) which I have to revise for, so I might slow down on a few of the things I'm doing. Don't worry though, I'll catch up when it's all over. See you next time!

It's been two weeks since my last blog post, so I thought I'd write about what has happened.

Firstly, I took the International Research Olmypiad. It consisted of four papers in different fields and tested critical thinking, time management and overall analysis of research. I must say, it was quite challenging so I didn't get through to the semi-finals, but I'm still quite happy I did it as it was a great learning opportunity and has gotten my very interested in doing my own research… Additionally, if and when I get my certificate, I'll be sure to link it either below and/or in my portfolio.

Secondly, unfortunately I got rejected from Non-Trivial. I was quite disappointed, but it inspired me to take initiative and email my local university asking for research opportunities (how exciting). Plus, I can always try again in the future. I put a lot of effort into my application however, and I still feel its worth publishing my answers to the brainteasers with my thought process behind them. I've thus linked them below.

I'm also going to be 15 soon, and I'll finally be able to apply for Leaf. The good thing is that even if I don't get accepted, they still give rejected students access to the resources - so I can still fuel my learning during the summer!

Moreover, I finished my Oxplore essay regarding the question 'Do you make your own luck?' It was certainly very interesting, making me link the quantum mechanics and philosophical arguments together. I feel I may have talked a bit too much about physics, but hopefully that shows my passion and doesn't just appear as academic jargon. I've linked the essay below for anyone interested.

Furthermore, I now have my hands on both volumes of the Art of Problem Solving books. I've only been able to read the first couple of pages so far but I had a skim through both of the books and I think they're going to be very beneficial reads, especially considering that I've talked to my school and I'm now set to do the Hamilton Olympiad…

I also applied to one of Imperial College London's Year 10 Science Summer Residentials. Again, I'd absolutely love to get in as it would showcase my passion for physics and maths whilst allowing me to get-in-touch with like-minded people. Even so, over the past few months I have become more comfortable with rejection, so even if things don't turn out I'll just keep pushing!

Lastly, I've been cold emailing a few people, joining communities and doing a lot more research about my future. I am still uncertain as ever, but I am beginning to consider different careers I can pursue with a mathematics and physics degree. Primarily I would like to do groundbreaking research to make a change and solve one of the world's leading problems, but alternatively I could go into medicine or quantitative finance.
I want to make a difference now, so I'm constantly meeting and emailing different people so I can help and do my part. If you would like to get in contact, please don't hesistate to contact me at this email.
We'll see how things turn out but in the meantime, I can continue trying my best and hope for the best. After all, if I truely love what I do (which I do) then no amount of rejection can stop me!

At last, half-term! Since my last post, I had to undergo many mocks over the last two weeks, some being better than others. I haven't received all my results yet, but I know I got 99% in Maths (99% in Numeracy & 100% in Mathematics) and an A* in Physics (woohoo)! I do put a lot of time into them, so I am very happy I got good results. With that being said, there's always room for improvement. Particularly in physics, there are a few questions which caught me by surprise (and on one question I said 10+30=50)! Then again, it was great practice and I think it'll make me much more prepared and clear-minded on the day of the real exam in May.

Furthermore, I also participated in one of the largest Welsh music competitions for young people, the Urdd's Eisteddfod! The competition was certainly fierce, but I was still able to perform my piece Méditation (Thaïs) to a well enough standard to get 3rd place! My certificate and feedback are linked below.

Now that it's half-term, I'd like to spend a bit of time working on a few things. At least for these first few days, I'd like to take a break from my main school work and focus on super-curricular activities. For example, the Seren Academy has offered me the chance to take part in Oxplore, an essay competition ran by Oxford University. Moreover, I'd like to apply to a summer school and will likely have to spend a large amount of time creating a thorough personal statement.
I am also debating whether I should buy the Art of Problem Solving books, as I have heard they can give outstanding mathematical intuition and are incredible for preparing for the Olympiads. I believe they would be particularly useful to me, especially considering I have the Hamilton Olympiad coming up…

Lastly, I've also taken a keen interest in the world of AI, and would certainly like to learn a bit more about it. Hence, I found a short course into AGI safety by Google DeepMind, which I believe would serve as a nice starting point for me.
Considering the importance of AI in the coming years, I am also looking at the work of organisations such as AISI, and considering if it's something I'd like to pursue as a career…

See you next time!

These last two weeks have been harder than usual.
Last week, I sat the Intermediate Maths Challenge by UKMT. Even though I had done some preparation, the paper was significantly harder this year than in the other years. Thus, I did find some questions quite hard. I'm not mad about this - there's always things I won't be able to do. The problem is I had set myself a target of getting gold this year (every other year I got silver), and there were some questions which I genuinely knew but because of the heat of the moment, I doubted myself and guessed. This time I was so close, I knew the answers on some questions and I feel like I robbed myself of a great opportunity.
Additionally, this week I was rejected from a programme which could've greatly benefited my academic progression. I put a lot of effort into my application, and I again feel dissapointed.

But I now feel I have learnt a valuable lesson, something which I was told when I first came to this country: 'keep calm and carry on.' Despite my dissatisfaction with myself, I have learnt that the world keeps spinning, and if I truly have a passion for maths and physics, then I ought to keep going. There will be more opportunities like the one I was rejected from, and I can still pay a discretionary fee to sit the Hamilton Olympiad.
The next two weeks are also going to be difficult, especially considering I have my mocks (and I need to start studying for the Hamilton Olympiad), but with resilience (and prayer), I'll push on!

This is my first post, how exciting!
Today I had school and my friend bought me a device he wasn't using with solar panels. I brought it home and took everything apart.
I was left with three mini solar panels, which I then put a torch on and tested one of them by connecting a buzzer - it worked! I also was left with a motor, which I was able to take apart and see how physicists used the principle of electromagnetic induction to create motors.
Overall, it was a very informative and insightful day, and I can't wait to see what projects I'll make with my new spare parts...