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 :)

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...