What do you particularly enjoy about postgraduate study in the School of Mathematics?

The people in my department are very friendly, and I have enjoyed working with them since the day I came. Good communication with your colleagues is very important and can inspire you in many ways.

The postgraduate students in my department are also fully aware of the communication benefits - we organise weekly chats about our research, presentation workshops for people who have upcoming talks, seminars for postdocs and PhD students, and lots of social events.

The department invites great speakers to give talks, so I have the chance to meet researchers in my field.

The study experience here is really good, I have access to many great resources and I enjoy it very much.

What are the facilities in the school like?

Every PhD student is given a new desktop computer when they arrive, and shares an office with three or four people in the mathematics main building, or a bigger office in Howard House. The Master's students also have their own office in the building on St Michael’s Hill.

All postgraduate students have free access to the stationery room, the kitchen and the staff common room. There are two big lecture rooms and seminar rooms with computers and projectors, and there are some additional tutorial rooms outside the maths main building, which can be booked when they are available.

How much support do you get from staff?

As a PhD student, I feel I am fully supported by my department. I have funding to attend training and seminars that I am interested in, and I can also take research skills courses offered by the University for free.

I have a meeting with my supervisor every week - he provides good academic advice and supports me a lot. As a teaching scholar, I had training at the start of my teaching, and I meet my teaching mentor every year to discuss any teaching-related issues.

The administration team keeps me informed about almost everything related to my PhD life, which gives me more time for my research. I also get support from my colleagues - we discuss research topics together and they provide valuable opinions.

How does postgraduate study differ from an undergraduate degree?

It is very different. As an undergraduate, most of the time you are taught, which means you are at a stage to learn and absorb. Your daily life at university is attending lectures and working in the library.

As a postgraduate, especially if you are doing research, you won’t have as many lectures as the undergrads do, but you really need to spend a lot of time thinking creatively about those open questions you will be asked to solve.

As your topic becomes more specific, you will find it more difficult to find people that understand your problem. You often have to find help by yourself - online sources, networking in seminars, talking to colleagues and so on. It is a self-leaning experience, and will enhance your problem-solving ability.

What would you tell a prospective postgraduate student?

I would encourage anyone interested in maths to do a postgraduate degree if they have the opportunity. There are three areas in mathematics: Pure Maths, Applied Maths and Probability and Statistics. Find out which area you like, talk to your lecturers or contact the people you would like to work with in the department, and then just apply - good luck!

Why did you decide to apply for your programme?

I have always been interested in maths. I did my undergrad degree in mathematics: I did learn a lot, but in a very general way. Therefore I decided to do a Master's in Statistics to explore maths in more depth.

That was when I found my passion for data analysis. The nine month programme was too short to do proper research, so I applied for the PhD in Mathematics.

The University of Bristol is a world-renowned university and it has a great academic reputation. After I applied, I was invited to visit the department. I was warmly welcomed and had some really great talks with several academic staff.