International Day of Women and Girls in Science Q&A - Aalia Hajee-Adam

Aalia Hajee-Adam (2018) is reading for a degree in Natural Sciences. Aalia is co-president of the Stokes Society.

What inspired you to choose to do STEM degree?

The decision to pursue science came to me rather late; at the start of Year 12, I was enrolled to take solely humanities at A-level, with the intention of applying for MML. In all honesty, the prospect of studying the sciences had never really crossed my mind until I attended a maths summer school that where I saw how interesting these subjects could be when one looks beyond the standard school syllabus. Once I discovered this love for problem-solving I thought that I had better run with it, in particular because of the career paths it would leave open to me.

What do you love most about your subject?

All sciences, from biology to physics, seek to understand and model the world around us. The moments I find most satisfying are when, after spending a long time deriving something, you arrive at a result which you had never previously questioned: such as why the sky is blue.

What do you hope to do after graduating?

Once I graduate, I would like to take some time off. The degree at Cambridge is rewarding but certainly demanding and, combined with internship-filled summers, one does run the risk of fatigue. I would like to spend a year or so abroad, in a job that is less intellectually taxing and where you can’t take your work home with you. After this, I will reassess whether graduate studies are indeed the right fit for me, or whether I might be better suited to a non-academic career.

What advice would you give to girls considering studying a STEM subject at university?

The most important advice, in my opinion, is to have confidence in yourself. In what can be a very male-dominated field, it is sometimes challenging to do something as simple as putting your hand up in class or, in a university context, contribute during a supervision. Without this, you may see opportunities pass you by, and less qualified candidates take your spot.