Magdalena Kiernozek

Student of Biochemistry, University College London

What have you been up to since you left Akademeia?

I am changing universities right now because I received an offer from the University of Oxford. That gave me a lot of free time that I am spending on developing myself as a scientist and on travelling. I will be starting an internship soon, and now I am discovering new fields in biochemistry such as synthetic biology and learning a new language.

How studying at Akademeia helped you prepare for university?

Akademeia gave me a good academic background for studying – it was very easy for me to learn new things as I already had a good understanding of the bases of my course. In Akademeia I developed independence and the study techniques that are most effective for me. Because of that, the change from high school to the university was much easier as I felt that I am fully able to cope with the academic requirements of my course.

What are your three favourite things about Akademeia?

I made many amazing friendships during my time at Akademeia, both with fellow students and my teachers. That is what helped me to get through the hardest and most stressful moments. I also loved the fact that we were taught in very small groups and that made us able to discuss and explore everything that we were learning about.

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

If you are doing science subjects, prioritise doing past papers in your A levels preparation. And start doing them early. Also, even though your results are very important, you should not forget about your wellbeing and mental health. Remember about sleeping, eating healthily, doing some physical activity. Do meditation, it’s the best! And try to spend some time on your hobbies or passions other than the subjects you are studying. To have time for all of those, work on your organisation and time management skills. It is going to be okay!

What are your projects for the future?

In the near future, I plan to finish a research project that I started last year together with two of my friends. We want to publish a scientific paper based on the research we have done. In the more distant future, I want to work on becoming a great scientist and to immerse myself in science as often as possible through working with researchers as an intern.