Scottish Space School 2011

Tiger_Eyes

So thought this'd be the best place to put it since it's only for Scots :biggrin:

Anyone get in or have previously gone? Thoughts and opinions? :colondollar:

Reply 1

Adala

I didn't even know that it existed =|

Reply 2

username356927

Original post by Tiger_Eyes

So thought this'd be the best place to put it since it's only for Scots :biggrin:

Anyone get in or have previously gone? Thoughts and opinions? :colondollar:

One of my mates was in some UK competition with various rounds with the winner getting to go to NASA....that the same thing??

Reply 3

Tiger_Eyes

Original post by TooSexyForMyStethoscope

One of my mates was in some UK competition with various rounds with the winner getting to go to NASA....that the same thing??

Maybe? They did a rounds kinda process a few years back but now you write an essay and go for a residential week and a extra weekend and eventually you might get to go to houston to go to nasa :biggrin:

Sounds geeky but you get to meet astronauts and stuff so it should be pretty fun :biggrin:

Reply 4

username356927

Original post by Tiger_Eyes

Sounds geeky but you get to meet astronauts and stuff so it should be pretty fun :biggrin:

Yep, my friend from school did that. She didn't get to Houston but she got to the round before that. She's now at Cambridge studying Natural Sciences (Physics) :smile:

Reply 5

melanie833

I went. It's really cool.

If you have any questions, I can probably answer them :smile:

You'll have a blast. I'm a shy person so I was dreading it, but it's actually excellent.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 6

Tiger_Eyes

Original post by melanie833

I went. It's really cool.

If you have any questions, I can probably answer them :smile:

You'll have a blast. I'm a shy person so I was dreading it, but it's actually excellent.

Awesome

what kind of things did you do? I'm kinda nervous about spending a week with people I've never met before, I've never done anything like that :*

Reply 7

debloxon

I'm going this year. No idea what to expect, but should be fun anyways

Reply 8

melanie833

Original post by Tiger_Eyes

Awesome

what kind of things did you do? I'm kinda nervous about spending a week with people I've never met before, I've never done anything like that :*

I hadn't either, but I wouldn't worry about it.

The first night is kinda awkward at first. We went to a lecture hall, then got put into groups from a register, got some information, then went for dinner. There was a little bit of light conversation but most people were kinda closed off and it was difficult to get talking. (I was really nervous by this point! :tongue:

)

But then we went to the main hall and did some activity, I think it was a pub-quiz style thing, and you did it in your group, which got you all talking and after a while you get really into it and it relaxes and you get to know your team-mates and it's a lot more chilled. By the end of it I felt a lot better about the thing.

You get to know people in your flat quite well too. You'll run into them a lot over the week. In fact one of the really great things about the week is you get a great idea of what accomodation is like. (In the end, I decided to stay at home for my degree, but I enjoyed living in halls so much for that week I really thought about going away).

After that, you should fit in fine. Don't worry about not knowing people, everyone is in the same boat. Most people were alone from their school or at very most knew one or two others. And you'll spend the vast majority of time with your group (10 people in a group for our year) so you'll get to know them all really well. By the end of the week you'll probably feel like you've known them for months because you spend so much time together!

As for what you actually do...There's a fair number of lectures that draw from physics, chemistry and biology, and how they all relate to space and engineering topics. There's also activities which are generally competition-based, we had to build a rocket and steer remote-control things to complete tasks...that kind of thing, and we were scored on it all.

We also had the "Big Project" - I don't know if you'll have the same thing, but basically different teams had to create powerpoints, videos, posters, webpages, etc...for the SSS over the course of the whole week and they picked a winning team. (We won, actually. :cool:

) They also picked a winning team for each activity and overall winners. If you won you got certificates and amazon vouchers.

A word of advice actually - if you're looking to win something like the Big Project. Take stuff with you. We got ridiculously poor equipment, resources and materials for it. Seriously, the teams that were told to do a video didn't even get a camera. They were expected to find one themselves. I ended up lending another team my laptop (they either needed the webcam or the SD card reader, I can't remember which) because they couldn't start their project until halfway through the week because they didn't have one. Take craft materials, pens, pencils, and, if you are willing, electronics as well. Things like cameras, laptops etc...were invaluable, especially if you get a relavent project. I think its actually shocking how little they provide you with for them.

That said, a few people complained last year, so they might have improved it. :tongue:

Its really good though, you'll enjoy yourself, and it looks great on your personal statement. :biggrin:

If you're looking to go to Houston, I think how they pick varies from year to year. It'll probably be your mentors that pick people though, but how they'll work it, I can't say. (For our year, each mentor picked two people from their group - ten in a group, twelve groups) and the big cheeses in charge picked a few additional people they liked.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 9

Tiger_Eyes

Wow, thanks for all the info :biggrin:

I just got back from the first info meeting thingy so I'm sooo excited! :biggrin:

And at least the nervous awkwardness is over pretty quickly :biggrin:

Yeah, I asked at the meeting about bringing materials with you but they were pretty vague so that's good to know :smile:

Well done winning btw :P

Reply 10

JustAkid101

Hi,just wondering see the personal statement is there anything in particular you put on it and was like

Reply 11

superfinfin

Original post by JustAkid101

Hi,just wondering see the personal statement is there anything in particular you put on it and was like

I think you're looking for the 2015 thread
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2922509

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Reply 12

JustAkid101

Thank you! I'm can't go for it this year but would love to try next year,any advice on how to impress them on your personal statement?

Reply 13

superfinfin

Original post by JustAkid101

Thank you! I'm can't go for it this year but would love to try next year,any advice on how to impress them on your personal statement?

No problem :smile:

not yet, I'm currently trying to write mine for this year, just carefully read the guidance notes I guess and show how enthusiastic you are

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