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Mia West

    • About Me:

      Hi there, I’m Mia. I’m a PhD student at Durham University. My hobbies are hanging out with my cat, Tibbs 🐱, baking chocolatey breads & cakes 🍰, and adventuring! I also love playing dungeons and dragons 🏔 with my friends.

    • Read more

      I know you just clicked this to find out more about Tibbs and not me! Of course I will indulge!

      He’s 4 and a half years old, and he loves food, cuddles and being mean. He’s a rescue cat from the RSPCA; now my housemates & I look after him!

      My cat Tibbs lying on the sofa, enjoying attention. My cat Tibbs, asleep on a blanket.

      I suppose I should probably add a little about myself here too. I’m a vegetarian, I love finding new recipes and sharing meals with my friends. I enjoy watching movies, I always want to watch Mulan or The Princess Bride again. I have twin siblings who are so much cooler than me! (It’s so annoying!)

       

    • My pronouns are:

      She/her

    • My Work:

      I am studying a particle called the Higgs Boson. It’s such a cool particle because it gives some particles mass. But we really don’t know much about what it was like just after the big bang, or many of it’s properties like how it interacts with other particles.

    • My Typical Day:

      Morning

      I’ve never been very good at mornings! Usually I wake up, have a shower and breakfast. I say goodbye to Tibbs & walk into the office to get started on my research! Other than research, sometimes I help undergraduate physics students answer maths problems.

      Midday

      I have lunch with the other PhD students in the particle physics department. We usually find a random topic to discuss (for example once we spent days trying to categorise drinking containers into cups or mugs).

      Afternoon

      I get back to work! Often we have seminars, where people give presentations on their research.

      Evening

      I go home, and make some dinner. After, I might watch movies or play computer games with my housemates. It is now that Tibbs chooses someone’s lap to sit on (the greatest honor… And usually not mine 😢).

    My CV

    • Education:

      I went to Burford School, in Oxfordshire. I then came to Durham University to study for an MSc in theoretical physics, and I loved it so much I stayed to do a PhD in particle physics!

    • Qualifications:

      For my GCSE’s I got 3A*’s, 3A’s, 3B’s and 2C’s (though I was predicted to get 9 B’s and 2C’s!). The C’s were in PE and English Literature! In my A level’s I got 3 A*’s in Chemistry, Physics & Maths.

      I graduated from Durham University with an MPhys in theoretical physics in 2020 (Yep… My mum bought me party rings & raspberries to celebrate. It was more fun than it sounds!)

    • Current Job:

      PhD Student.

    • Employer:

      Durham University.

    • My Interview

      • How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

        A bit sleepy.

        What did you want to be after you left school?

        A doctor. Until I realised I was squeamish!

        Were you ever in trouble at school?

        I always forgot to bring in my PE kit.

        If you weren't doing this job, what would you choose instead?

        I would love to be a baker!

        Who is your favourite singer or band?

        I'm really enjoying lo-fi right now. Especially lo-fi versions of songs that really aren't designed to be lo-fi!

        What's your favourite food?

        Literally all food! (if it's vegetarian, and doesn't have egg..)

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