Report by Niamh:
A group of Year 9 students recently had the opportunity to take part in a two-day visit to the University of Leeds, where we explored the exciting world of Maths and Science through a range of hands-on activities. On the first day, we visited MathsCity, where we worked in teams to complete a variety of mathematical challenges and puzzles. The activities showed us that Maths can be fun, interactive and used in many different ways to solve real-life problems. It was a great opportunity to work together and put our problem-solving skills to the test. Afterwards, we walked back to the University for a Chemistry workshop all about acids and alkalis. We carried out experiments and investigated how different ingredients reacted with one another before using what we had learnt to create the perfect bath bomb formula. It was exciting to take part in practical experiments and experience what studying science at University could be like. On the second day, we returned to the University of Leeds to learn about the wide range of careers available in Maths and Science. Throughout the day, we took part in several interactive workshops, including one about earthquake detection and another called Blueprints of Life. In this engineering challenge, we worked in teams to design and build a strong, sustainable bridge. We even explored how real-life structures, such as the honeycomb pattern found in nature, can make buildings stronger while using less material. Unfortunately, because we were only able to stay for half of the day, we had to leave before the campus tour. Although we were disappointed to miss it, we still had an amazing experience and learnt so much over the two days. The visit gave us a greater understanding of how Maths and Science are used in everyday life and introduced us to a variety of exciting career opportunities. It was an inspiring experience that encouraged many of us to think about studying STEM subjects in the future.
