National Mathematics Summer School
By Cindy Liu
“Think deeply of simple things.” – Arnold Ross
Over the Christmas holiday, I was very lucky to be selected as one of the 68 participants of the 52nd National Mathematics Summer School (NMSS), and thence embarked a wonderful learning experience with a group of brilliant, like-minded people.
During the 1-week program, I immersed myself in the beautiful world of the Number Theory and algorithms, and absolutely loved it! I was fascinated by how simple, individual fundamental theories can beautifully integrate and progress into sophisticated mathematical models for the use of real-world applications. Besides the daily lectures from our amazing lecturers, Professor Do and Dr Horrocks, we were also very fortunate to hear from field pioneers about their journey in Mathematics study and their recommendations for us high school seniors – which are all very enriching.
Apart from academics, my summer school experience was also fulfilled with a lot of fun extra-curricular activities. Amongst all, having a wander around the university is perhaps the most popular choice of the students during free time. On the chilly Melbourne summer afternoons, we explored the famous book shop Readings and tried the best Italian gelato in Melbourne. Over the weekend, we were also given the opportunity of visiting the Melbourne Museum, the Ian Potter Gallery, and Melbourne downtown.
I’d like to acknowledge a special thank you to Mrs McCluskey for her generous support for my application. It was a truly rewarding experience at NMSS, and I formed some amazing friendships with students from across Australia. I hereby encourage all girls who are interested in mathematics to apply for this program next year.
