Lilia Bellahcen, Grade 12
UWC Costa Rica
The first time I entered the Physics Lab I didn’t think much of it. Mateuzs, the physics teacher, was waiting for us sitting at his desk while students were arriving one after the other. While waiting, I started analyzing my surroundings, not looking for anything in particular, only trying to get more familiar with the place.
There were posters all along the walls of the classroom, pictures of a standard model of the fundamental particles and interactions, black holes and other physical phenomena of space. Learning resources were disponible all around us, physics magasins that could be borrowed were always available and multiple funny objects were stored under the desks, probably used during classes to illustrate a particular concept.
Next to the front whiteboard was this wooden model that lights up from the interaction between two particles. The first thing I remember Mateuzs saying in class was: “particles never touch each other, so if I hit you right now, I didn’t actually do it” or something along those lines. This educational decoration came along with a rule, when we were studying in the evening or at night with other students, if the lights were on we had to focus and no one could talk, but if on the other hand, the lights were off, we were allowed to all chat together and take a break.
This classroom has the particularity to never be locked. We would study in it until crazy hours, take naps on the ochre colored couch at the back or even eat late night snacks for mental support. Once or twice I even saw someone brushing their teeth there. During exam week all wooden stools would be occupied by physics and non-physics students. And during regular days the same few people were always sticking around. I would get a coffee at the cafeteria, situated not far from the classroom, and get to work in an atmosphere of intense focus and in a place where I felt safe.
When Mateuzs wasn’t around, I liked to sit at his large desk and have it all to myself. Over time I started spending more and more time there, not only to study but because I liked this place. I liked its smell, I liked the people and most of all, I liked the memories I made there.
In that Physics Lab, I cried and laughed, fell asleep during late-night study sessions, and screamed with joy when I successfully solved a math or physics exercise. We organized mother’s day there, with the francophone family for our “mama francophone” Amandus. We also had very interesting classes with Mateuzs, where, for example, we did an experiment to obtain the half-life of the decay of a beer foam.
I have faced the most difficult academic challenges of my life so far in this place. I felt hopeless and sad. However, I did not give up. This place reminds me that I am strong and I can overcome anything. I am still progressing and I am still very far from the final goal, but I know that I still have a great year ahead of me with new physics lovers who will accompany me in my struggle in this same physics room.
There were posters all along the walls of the classroom, pictures of a standard model of the fundamental particles and interactions, black holes and other physical phenomena of space. Learning resources were disponible all around us, physics magasins that could be borrowed were always available and multiple funny objects were stored under the desks, probably used during classes to illustrate a particular concept.
Next to the front whiteboard was this wooden model that lights up from the interaction between two particles. The first thing I remember Mateuzs saying in class was: “particles never touch each other, so if I hit you right now, I didn’t actually do it” or something along those lines. This educational decoration came along with a rule, when we were studying in the evening or at night with other students, if the lights were on we had to focus and no one could talk, but if on the other hand, the lights were off, we were allowed to all chat together and take a break.
This classroom has the particularity to never be locked. We would study in it until crazy hours, take naps on the ochre colored couch at the back or even eat late night snacks for mental support. Once or twice I even saw someone brushing their teeth there. During exam week all wooden stools would be occupied by physics and non-physics students. And during regular days the same few people were always sticking around. I would get a coffee at the cafeteria, situated not far from the classroom, and get to work in an atmosphere of intense focus and in a place where I felt safe.
When Mateuzs wasn’t around, I liked to sit at his large desk and have it all to myself. Over time I started spending more and more time there, not only to study but because I liked this place. I liked its smell, I liked the people and most of all, I liked the memories I made there.
In that Physics Lab, I cried and laughed, fell asleep during late-night study sessions, and screamed with joy when I successfully solved a math or physics exercise. We organized mother’s day there, with the francophone family for our “mama francophone” Amandus. We also had very interesting classes with Mateuzs, where, for example, we did an experiment to obtain the half-life of the decay of a beer foam.
I have faced the most difficult academic challenges of my life so far in this place. I felt hopeless and sad. However, I did not give up. This place reminds me that I am strong and I can overcome anything. I am still progressing and I am still very far from the final goal, but I know that I still have a great year ahead of me with new physics lovers who will accompany me in my struggle in this same physics room.
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