Oxford university is known for it’s great innovation and research facilities. It is one of the top most IVY leagues colleges. Summer schools are an excellent opportunity for a student to decide their further future plans. It provides an exposure and gives the student idea on what living outside school/home really is. This is the same purpose why I decided to apply for a summer school. I was always inclined to the subject math and it really helps me grow as a student. This summer school from Oxford university was a huge opportunity for me to see what I’m capable of.

The LOs that were covered are as followed:

LO1- “Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth”

Before the course, I already knew that math is a core subject of mine and I am confident with the subject. But there is always a scope for improvement. The summer course introduced me a side of mathematics that was unknown to me. I was able to learn the crux of calculus and further enrich my knowledge in the subject. The topics that I learnt there were propositional logic, Formal proof of propositional tautologies, Conjunctive Normal Form, Qualitative solution of dynamical systems, Groups, Matrices and Lie Groups, Rotation, Symmetry and Mechanics. It gave me a great insight of calculus and showed me what I was about to face in my upcoming studies.

LO2- “Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills”

Math is a kind of subject that always challenges me to navigate through complex concepts and teaches me different problem solving skills. Being intorduced to calculus was a challenge in itself. Living independently, away from the comforts of home and school, brought its own set of challenges. I was staying in a hostel dorm during the time of my course. Adapting to a new environment and working with peers from various backgrounds allowed me to improve my interpersonal skills. Working in groups to solve complex mathematical problems fostered a sense of collaboration, as different perspectives came together to achieve common goals.

LO5- “Demonstrate skills and benefits of working collaboratively”

Throughout the course, there were tasks that were supposed to be done in groups. I was paired up with one of my batchmate to do some research and prepare a small presentation. It helped me improve my communication and self management skills since we had to interact with people we’ve never met and also complete the whole presentation in a day. I was able to manage other activites and tasks and balance out my work and submit a perfect presentation in the end.

Overall, the experience was very fruitfull and engaging. It gave me a lifetime skill and experience that will help me in my further studies of calculus. Additionally, it made me more independent in terms of living apart from family and looking at a glimpse of how a college student life must be.