National Mathematics Summer School

St Stephen’s student, Samantha Bauer, loves mathematics, and her love of the field led to a unique and exciting opportunity to attend the National Mathematics Summer School at Australian National University. 

The summer school took place over a 2 week period from 5 to 18 January, with Samantha staying in ANU’s Wright Hall throughout the experience.

A group of 73 Year 11 and 12 students from around the country participated in the experience, with Samantha being one of only 12 students from Queensland. Being a Queensland student, the University of Queensland sponsored Samantha’s participation in the program, partially paying the participation fee.

Samantha was chosen to attend based on her Year 10 Mathematics results and her Year 11 Semester 1 Mathematics results. Before applying, Samantha had also participated in other mathematics enrichment programs and competitions, further supporting her application. While some students had to complete an additional exam to earn their position, Samantha was chosen based on her outstanding results.

Samantha says, 

During the summer school, I attended daily lectures and tutorial sessions designed to simulate university life in a mathematics degree. The academic program included a two-week course on number theory along with two smaller courses, each running for one week. We were given challenging problem sets that encouraged us to think like the mathematicians who developed the conjectures and theorems that were gradually revealed throughout the academic program.

She also attended guest lectures, including two from alums of the summer school and one from a professor of statistics at QUT, held at the Australian Academy of Science's Shine Dome.

There was also a social program with free time to explore Canberra in the afternoons and a day-long excursion, math-related games, competitions and other activities organised by students. The final day included a formal dinner and concert where students could perform.

Through the experience, Samantha met many inspiring people. She explains,

I found the director and my tutors very inspiring. I often discussed career advice with the director and was inspired by his perspective on work-life balance as a mathematics professor.

 

The alumni lectures were also inspiring, as I could relate to their experiences when they were in my position as someone exploring career options. One alumnus was a woman in engineering, and another had a physics PhD, both fields I had considered.

 

I enjoyed asking them about their career paths and the challenges they faced.

The other students were equally inspiring, given their intellect and passion for mathematics, and other talents outside of study. I formed lasting friendships with like-minded individuals who are also considering studying mathematics at the same universities that I am considering.

Samantha’s love of mathematics developed throughout her experience. She says,

I love mathematics because it allows me to convert real-life scenarios into equations. I appreciate that the field of mathematics develops through intense thought and reflection; that everything has been discovered just by thinking about it and visualising a lot. I find it fun to try exploring through the perspectives of the mathematicians who developed the theorems that we look at in school and study today. 

 

I also enjoy how university-level mathematics treats the subject as a language, often encompassing a problem into a single proof—a more higher-level approach than solving many of the same type of problems in high school. This understanding I gained from the summer school I believe is crucial for anyone considering university mathematics.

Now that she has attended the summer school, Samantha better understands the differences between university and high school mathematics, particularly regarding the critical thinking required. The experience has cemented her decision to pursue an academic career, aspiring to become a professor or post-doc researcher in mathematics or mathematical physics. Samantha also noted that the summer school opened her mind to actuarial science, and she may also consider becoming an actuary in the future.

St Stephen’s Mathematics Middle Leader, Mr Chris Ellison adds, 

We are very proud of Samantha's achievements in Mathematics. She is a very dedicated student and has taken the initiative to seek out this prestigious opportunity. Only a small selection of students from across Australia were given an invitation to attend this event, so she was in some elite company.

Congratulations Samantha! We look forward to keeping in touch as you pursue your passion for mathematics.