Could you please introduce yourself?
Hello, my name is Maria and I come from Romania, actually a small city in Romania. I’m following the double major in Math and Physics with a minor in Biology at Ecole Polytechnique and I really enjoy the school and the program and everything that it has to offer!
Why did you choose the Bachelor of Science of Ecole Polytechnique?
I found out about the program from friends at the Olympiads in Romania. In high school I was passionate about physics but also about math and I wasn’t sure if I could do both of them. Most program in Europe where I wanted to apply didn't let you take both majors. I really like that l'X offers me the chance to take both majors at the same time and therefore have the opportunityto decide later if I want to continue in physics, math or both! I’m glad that I didn’t have to choose one of them.
How did you adapt to the program?
I think for Romanians it’s easy to adapt from high school to this program because we have a strong mathematical background. So I think the 1st year math in the Bachelor of Science is quite similar to our 11th and 12th year grade in Romania. It’s a nice transition into undergraduate studies. But I think only the first semester is easy because in the second semester we start learning new things that we haven’t seen in high school so it is indeed a challenge and I don’t think we settle by coming here. We are continuing to advance and learn new things.
Do you have a favourite course?
What I enjoyed most was Linear Algebra in the second and third semester. I liked how the courses were taught and how the professor was trying to involve us in the lecture. He did a lot of tricks and things to help us follow the material which of course was very difficult. The way he did it felt like a discussion with a friend that's just explaining what he does. The content was very rigorous. I really enjoyed it and got a lot of knowledge from this.
What do you do with your free time?
I chose extra credits because the courses were very interesting and I wanted to take as many as possible and for this reason my schedule is completely right now full. When I do have some free time, I enjoy going to Paris and visiting places with my friends. We visited a few towns outside Paris and it was an opportunity to learn about the French culture. We went to Lyon, Rennes and during the summer we went to the south part of France to enjoy the sea.
What would be a great memory that you'd like to share?
From time to time there are evening where we meet for dinner. I remember one time we had an “International Buffet”. People would cook something from their country and share it with others. It was a pleasure to taste dishes from all around the world. The community is great because you have a lot of opportunities to sign up for committees and do things with other people and make friends. This is an opportunity to meet new people and make connection. I think there are around 60 or 70 nationalities so it's also a chance to learn about other cultures.. It contributes to the learning experience at Ecole Polytechnique.
What are your ambitions for next year?
After my Bachelor I want to continue with math and physics. I want to do research in theoretical physics, a field that combines both of them. I want to pursue a master and then to follow with a PhD track. I'm not sure exactly where I want to go, but so far I'm thinking about ETH Zurich or something in Germany. I think there are some great opportunities for theoretical physics with an orientation towards math there.