It all began when I was invited to go back to the University of Edinburgh, where I got my MSc at Sustainable Energy Systems, and give a talk about where I am and what I chose to do after receiving this degree. It was only a couple of months since I have settled in Birmingham, started my PhD project, and was anticipating for three stimulating years in research, hoping I will learn a lot throughout the process. But this talk? Which of my experience could have been useful for these MSc students to find their own way to their career path?

I recalled the amazing, adventurous previous year in the city emerging from fairy tales. The stressful exam period, me sitting in classes out of my curriculum, exploring my own limits and challenges. A postgraduate program in a city with a view to the North Sea, filled with tango music, numerous themes for photo shooting, sprinkled with the glory of famous inventors, engineers and scientists of the past, surrounded by one of the oldest urban environments of Europe. But then again, where was I the day alumni came to talk about their careers just a year ago? It was taking place at the Innovative Learning Week. It was that particular day, I visited the Riverside Museum in Glasgow and admired Zaha Hadid’s architecture along with the Scottish pioneers in transport. Almost half the way through this utterly stimulating year, I still hadn't figured it out myself. What would have been my next step? Where would have I found myself after the end of that year? I decided I will take the opportunity and focus on the stuff I enjoy the most out of my own studies. I spent the whole day photo shooting in this amazing museum. I could feel the famous architect’s touch in each corner, as if she had placed each exhibit herself in this vast set of different vintage cars, carriages, miniature ships and primitive bicycles. And there it was. “A real beauty”, as one of my facebook friends and companion at this visit commented when I posted the picture. The Glasgow Lord Provost’s Rolls Royce, a 1972 P6 model showered in Zaha’s daylighting.

However, memories are always pinned in the most intense summer of my life. This one in Edinburgh. The city that lacks the Mediterranean sun and warmth, yet gave me the unique opportunity to re-open the door of research, the one I refused to choose some years ago. The feeling of uncertainty in addressing my own dreams, my persistence in chasing up my aspirations. As a postgraduate student myself, I was finally experiencing the greatest challenge of that year. The dissertation project. It was the time I spent exploring the background research in my field, devising my plan, the literally breathtaking eight weeks going inside a clean room every morning and afternoon. The best part of the day was the feeling I had every time I was taking off my mask after exiting these white spaces with the sophisticated machines, around people in white and green hoods and suits of the Scottish Microelectronics Centre. I couldn't believe I was finally doing it! Like a child that found again its favourite toy, thought it was lost for ever. There I was. Ready to walk back home, tracing back in my mind all the amazing things I was learning, while I was catching up my breath again and thinking the analysis I needed to do during the evening shift in the 24/7 study areas to confirm my next-day plan makes sense.

For years I had been thinking to change my career path and switch back to research. The stuff people do, learn, interact and collaborate with others on a continuous effort to improve our world. Only I was afraid too much of failing. And there it was; the chance for me to find out if I can just learn and work in this environment. If I truly liked it. By the end of this summer I knew I wanted to take up a longer project, one that perhaps comes with a PhD title in the end. After two dissertation projects, I knew I had to focus at both experiments and materials modelling to get a better understanding of my field. So I chose a project that will combine both and hopefully a good training record along the way. Strangely enough, my PhD program is funded by Rolls Royce Plc, but this time I am looking at aerospace applications instead of vintage cars. Was this new challenge what I was truly looking for? Was the University of Birmingham the right place for me to learn and explore further the limitations of my own development? There was only one way I had to find out. I began that talk with the picture of the “real beauty”, demonstrating how time was working on my behalf with opportunities to explore all available resources within this world-class institution, the University of Edinburgh, and finally get the answers to my important questions. During this journey, I had already made a promise to myself, one I realised after that talk. I would never, ever be afraid of failure again. Strange times. It was only a few days ago that I heard Professor Frances Ashcroft saying: “Science is the art of failure”.