The Engineering and Physical Sciences residential Insight into University course at UCL is a summer school giving Year 12 students a taster of university life and what it's like to study engineering, maths, physics and computer science at university.
Explore some of the ways in which the subjects of Mathematics, Physics, Engineering and Computer Science are connected.
What's it all about?
The Insight into University course at Lincoln is organised around the subjects within the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences. You will take part in a series of hands-on interdisciplinary projects that span various topics related to these areas, designed to develop your computing and engineering skills. You will also learn some fascinating abstract mathematics and theoretical physics along the way!
What will I be doing?
The specific project offered will be subject to staff availability but may include the following:
Using Virtual Reality to Experience Physics: Create a virtual reality environment in which laws of physics that are unfamiliar to our everyday experience can be explored first hand.
The Chaotic Dynamics of a Kicked Rotor: Learn about the mathematics of chaos theory, develop a simulation of a kicked rotor, one of the simplest physical systems in which chaotic dynamics can be explored, and compare it to some experimental data.
Exploring Swarm Behaviour: Build and programme a robot with the ability to sense obstacles and explore the swarming behaviour that emerges when many such robots interact.
Supplemental activities will be included throughout the course, such as lecture style introductions to topics relevant to the projects being undertaken, and practical sessions in our specialist physics, engineering and computing laboratories.
Will this course suit me?
For this course it would be preferable if students were studying either Mathematics, Physics or Computer Science at A level, but this is not essential. You should have a keen interest STEM and interdisciplinary studies. Some coding experience (for example in Python) would be beneficial but not necessary. Finally, you should be ready and willing to work as part of a team!
Who will be on this course?
This is a mixed course for 30 students.
Dates of course?
14th – 17th July 2025 (3 nights residential)
Price of course?
£475 (Bursaries are also available)