Counsellor Comments
I think that the best part of being a counsellor is getting to work so closely with students and to see their progress every day. I think I had a lot to learn from my students – ways of thinkng about problems and ways of explaining a concept – becasue when we have to give hints we really have to think of the key aspects of a proof and to try to understand how the other person thinks.
[The best thing about participating in PROMYS Europe was] the atmosphere – it is always great to be surrounded by people so willing to discuss maths, basically at any time of the day!
It’s great that every year there are so many brilliant people taking part in PROMYS Europe. I believe they are more passionate about mathematics than the usual university student and there are so many opportunities to talk about maths because we all live together and we are a relatively small group. Also, I like that there is no need to worry about food or accommodation and that the schedule is quite regular so there is more time to actually study and not do mundane tasks.
Another great thing is that people are not in any sort of competition and they are extremely helpful. I was really lucky to have so many smart people to to learn from and to have the opportunity to share my knowledge with students that were so interested in the subject.
I thought the guest lectures were very successful in giving students introductions to exciting new mathematics, and were well received by all.
I really enjoyed mentoring an exploration project. Students are usually very interested in these projects and they try their best.
The group of counsellors is a supportive one and…. I believe that coming from different backgrounds and having different interests was great, because we got to learn a lot from each other.
[The PROMYS Europe faculty] were all very helpful…. I appreciate them always being there when needed or otherwise being reachable.
Both the food and accommodation at Wadham were very good, and all staff were very helpful and accommodating.
No other camp gives such a great feeling of being part of a community – 6 weeks together definitely helps towards that goal.
I think being a counsellor is a very rewarding experience and the PROMYS community is great to be a part of.