Sam Inskip
Sam Inskip
- Student type: Domestic
- Degree type: Advanced Research
- Year commenced: 2018
- Degree(s): Bachelor of Science Advanced - Research (Honours)
- Major(s): Earth and environmental sciences
- Minor(s): Mathematics; Physics
Why did you decide to study science?
Ever since I was a child I have always been fascinated by all things science. Stars, rocks, dinosaurs, you name it! Because of this natural curiosity and desire to understand the natural world, I have always wanted to pursue a career in the sciences, which is why I chose to study science at Monash.
What made you choose Monash Uni in particular?
I visited open days for many universities while deciding on my degree, and listened to the experiences of many students. What made Monash stand out to me were the positive student experiences I heard, the cutting edge research being performed in the Faculty, the more practical focus of the course, and the excellent teaching facilities available. In comparison I found many other universities to have a more theoretical degree with more limited options on what to study. So because of all these reasons, I decided that Monash was the place for me to do my BSc.
What's your favourite aspect of studying science?
I love learning new things from my course and applying them to the world around me. It’s always a thrill to learn about something in a lecture, and then to go out and observe it in the real world! I feel that it really grounds your degree and makes you feel like you’re learning valuable knowledge which can be applied to real life situations. Plus, it’s always nice to realise that you probably already know more about how the world works than famous scientists such as Newton, Galileo, or Aristotle!
What do you plan to do when you graduate?
When I graduate, it’s my goal to become an exploratory geologist for a mining company. I want to play my part in building a more sustainable future for the world, and I believe the best way I can do that with my geology degree is to help to find and extract the essential raw materials we need for our future.
What has been the highlight of your science degree so far?
I would say that I haven’t had one big highlight of my science degree, but rather the highlights have been all the little ‘a-ha’ moments which have occurred during my studies. Whether it’s finally understanding how to use parametric equations to model a cube, learning why mountains form and are distributed the way they are around the Earth, or finally getting my head around special relativity, each of these moments is a new thrill for me and makes all the hard work I put into my degree worth it.
What's the biggest misconception you had about studying science before you started your course?
To be honest, I thought there would be a lot less new concepts to learn. After leaving school I was under the impression that school had taught me about the basic framework of biology, chemistry, and physics, and that going to university was simply going to fill in these frameworks. However, I was very wrong. Once you start studying science at university, you quickly learn that what you’ve learnt at school isn’t a framework to fill in, but a basis to learn many more new concepts. And, as school science often barely skims the surface of the concepts it teaches, university offers you the opportunity to more deeply explore the ideas you learnt at school, whilst also teaching you brand new concepts that you never knew existed! In short, science is so much bigger and more interesting area of study than I ever could have imagined!
If you were to give some advice to someone who's thinking about studying at Monash Science, what would you say?
Do it! If you’re thinking about doing any sort of science related career, the BSc at Monash is an excellent course. Because of the cutting edge research occurring at Monash, all of your lecturers are experts in their field and can provide you with incredible insight into your area of study. On top of this Monash has excellent teaching facilities such as the labs, libraries, computer studios, even the Earth Science Garden. Finally, Monash provides a very hands on course, with plenty of practical exercises to give you valuable experience in actually doing science, rather than just being taught it. In short, if you want to study science anywhere, Monash is the place to do it!
I’d also like to say that studying science at Monash can be very difficult at times, but the knowledge you gain and the essential skills you will learn will make it all worthwhile. And if you’re ever struggling, just remember that what you’re being taught about how the world works is more than the vast majority of humans in history, including scientists like Newton, Galileo and Aristotle, so don’t feel bad for struggling. This stuff is hard! You definitely won’t be the only one finding it difficult, so always ask for help when you need it. And most importantly, have fun!
Give us a life hack or piece of advice you live by:
My piece of advice is to always be pessimistically optimistic. In other words, expect the worst and hope for the best. I find that this always helps keep my expectations reasonable and keeps my stress levels down.