Tomasz Płudowski

Student of Natural Sciences at Corpus Christi, University of Cambridge

What have you been up to since you left Akademeia?

Since I left Akademeia High School, I have had a fairly chilled summer – I spent most of my holidays working and chilling out after A Levels in Iceland. Then, when I came back, I started preparing for university – mostly from the point of moving out of Poland, packing and moving to the UK. I started my course – Natural Sciences (Physical) at Corpus Christi, University of Cambridge. The course is very intense – some say this is the hardest 1st-year course at Cambridge. Despite the intensity of the course, I was able to find and dedicate some time to the organisation of XIII Congress of Polish Student Societies in the UK – an annual 2-day conference uniting more than 400 members of Polish student societies from over 30 British universities.

How studying at Akademeia helped you prepare for university?

Akademeia made my high school to university transition easier. Akademeia gave us more freedom and flexibility when it comes to studying than other schools. When I came to the University of Cambridge, I saw a lot of my new friends struggling to adapt to their new life – adjusting to new independent study modes, developing an efficient way of working or managing workflow. Thanks to Akademeia I was able to get into university-style-work more quickly.

What are your three favourite things about Akademeia?

The best aspect of Akademeia is definitely the contact with the teaching staff. Firstly, proximity to the teachers – you were never afraid to ask about anything, even the questions that seemed stupid (There’s such thing as a stupid question). Secondly, the relationship with the teachers – I still remember how we had long interest-sparking discussions after the classes.

The next awesome thing about the Akademeia was small class sizes– this is what I miss at the university when sitting at the huge and full lecture theatre. Some of my classes had only two students in them – this really increased the learning experience and allowed me to get a more personalised way of learning.

My third favourite thing about the Akademeia High School was the canteen. I did not only love it for the food, but also for its role as an amazing space. Not only was the canteen easy on the eye during lunch, but also it served as a very productive workspace where I liked to study during my free periods. Furthermore, the canteen was a wonderful place to meet and talk with other people – basically, every lunch break ended up with some of the most incredible discussions among us, leading to the discovery of new perspectives and points of views of others.

Looking back at your own school time, what advice do you have for current Akademeia students?

Work is definitely a crucial aspect of high school, but it is not only one. High school should consist of a healthy balance between work, social life, and sleep. Just remember about it and try to stabilise your schedule in such a way that you have time for all of those three things.

What are your projects for the future?

I currently don’t have any future projects that I intend to take part in. I am starting to think about exams and slowly revising to them now. Soon, I will be exploring the available options for an internship in my 2nd year of university.