Sam Burles

What do you do now?

I’m studying for a PhD in Machine Learning in Space Weather at the Queen Mary University of London, with the plasma physics group in the astronomy unit.

I’ve always loved Physics, especially astrophysics, starting with watching Professor Brian Cox’s programmes on the BBC when I was a kid. I’ve always wanted to become an astrophysicist. 

I finished South Craven in 2019 with four A*s. I went on to study Physics at the University of Oxford. I did an integrated Masters, and was there for four years. I knew I wanted to pursue academia as a career, so Oxford seemed like my best option, allowing me to meet and work with some of the best physicists in their respective fields. Getting into Oxford is a difficult process, and I enjoyed the challenge it presented. Whilst at Oxford I was active in the Drama Society, performing in many productions during my time there. I also got to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival a few times. I graduated from Oxford with a Master of Physics degree in 2023, and spent a year applying to PhD programs. I’ve always wanted to pursue a career in physics research, so a PhD was simply the next step I needed to take after completing my Masters. I truly could not imagine doing anything other than Physics, so my decision to keep researching and studying was a relatively simple one.

Being a PhD student is a strange in-between of being a student and having a job. My PhD is funded (I get paid to learn!) and full-time, so I’m in the astrophysics office most days. I work in theoretical space plasma physics, using machine learning techniques to try and discover new physics from computer simulations. This means that I spend most of my day writing code and doing pen and paper physics calculations. I also read a lot of academic papers from other researchers, and attend different talks and seminars to keep learning the field. One of my favourite aspects of being a PhD student is having the opportunity to attend meetings and seminars with fellow physicists. There are also large conferences which allow the opportunity for me to travel around the world.

What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?

Failing is inevitable. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, especially during my A Levels, so I’d tell myself that you will fail sometimes and it’s okay. Failure is really where we learn the most, but you have to be open to that learning. You shouldn’t give up the moment you fail.

If you figure out what you want to do, start taking steps towards it! Try and contact people doing what you want to do. Send them an email and ask some questions. It’s the best way to set yourself up for success.

What are you most proud of?

Getting on to my PhD program. Fully funded PhDs are incredibly difficult to get onto, and there were many points during the process of finding the right PhD where I nearly gave up. But I kept trying, and eventually started a project that I’m really enjoying!