Rare science ‘summer camp’ double achieved
AN ELIZABETH College student has become one of the few to be invited to attend chemistry and physics ‘summer camps’ offered by Cambridge University.
While others have been to one or the other in the past, 17-year-old James Kennedy is one of only three to go to both.
Both of the courses are limited to about 50 places each for students across the British Isles.
In order to qualify for an invitation, students have to complete online challenges but in the case of the physics tests, James said he did them without a goal in mind.
‘I was just using them at first because they focused on problem-solving rather than just memorising facts and formulae.’
It was only after progressing through the various questions that he realised there was an opportunity for him to apply for the summer camp.
In the case of chemistry, he took on the tests with his mind very much on winning a place.
‘My teacher introduced me to the C3L6 [Cambridge Chemistry Challenge Lower 6th], which is a Year 12 challenge,’ he said.
Those who attain a certain percentage were invited to the camp, and James was among them.
He did not think he had done particularly well, but ended up receiving the Roentgenium Award for the chemistry challenge. His results placed him in the top 0.71% of the 7,600 entrants in Year 12.
The camps took place over three days, with the first one, for physics, held at Churchill College early in July.
‘We did a lot of theoretical work,’ said James. ‘We had introductory lectures on quantum mechanics, which is usually only covered in the second year at university, and they were made accessible to our level.
‘We did one or two small practicals, too.’
The chemistry camp was at St Catherine’s College towards the end of the summer.
‘There was much more emphasis on lab work,’ said James. ‘We did two large practicals which were very meticulous and you had to get everything right.’
As well as enjoying the lectures and experiments, James said it was a great opportunity to meet other science students his age and he has kept in touch with some of them since his return to the island.
It has also helped him feel more confident, he said, and he hoped his experience would encourage other students to explore their subjects beyond the curriculum.
College vice-principal (academic) Dr Trevor Addenbrooke teaches James for further maths. ‘He’s a polymath student,’ he said. ‘He recently won a debating competition and a poetry prize.’
He believed that James’s success so far was a good indicator of a promising future.
‘James has built up the necessary escape velocity to fly to great heights.’
