Felix: When I got the price that allowed me to participate at the «Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar», I was very surprised at first, as I did not expect to win anything. During the announcement, it was mentioned that we would attend the Nobel ceremony, and it dawned upon me that this event would be something unforgettable. Over the span of a few months (June to November), we were working on our reports, posters and presentations, which were refined over multiple feedback rounds. Soon, December arrived, and it was time for the trip. The first person I met on my journey to Stockholm was Jacopo, the other person from SYIS that won the price. We met at Zürich Airport and flew together to Stockholm, where we met the other participants, most of which had a much longer trip than us. It was very interesting to hear about what projects they have done.
On the second day, there was a mentimeter, and I was not able to join quickly enough. However, Jacopo was able to remember the code, which was quite funny and impressive at the same time. When I asked him about it at the end of the week, he still remembered it. One of my objectives was to get to know the other participants. As we were all of similar age, it was quite easy to talk to them. Over the course of the entire week, we got to know each other quite well.
Jacopo: During the Nobel Reception I had the opportunity to meet John Martinis, one of this year’s Physics laureates. As my project was also about Quantum Physics, I was very excited to get to talk to him and ask him a few questions – and, of course, getting a picture. One of my goals for the week was to talk with a Nobel Prize winner, but to do so I had to muster up the courage to approach them. It was quite a hard task for me and other participants, but together we were able to overcome our shyness and meet some of them. It was a truly unique moment !!
Felix: It was my first time visiting Sweden. In comparison to the cities in Switzerland, Stockholm is quite a bit more urban. One thing that was very noticeable is that the days are shorter. Often we found ourselves in darkness, even though it was only in the afternoon. During most of our stay, it was quite cloudy, and one might think that this combination results in a quite depressing and gloomy experience. However, the bustling streets, colourful buildings and Christmas decorations made the city feel very welcoming and cozy. It is a pity that there was no snow, which would have given the city an even nicer touch.
Jacopo: On Tuesday, the day before the ceremony, we went to pick up our tailcoats, except that my shoes weren’t ready, and I had to wait until the next day. The project manager had told us that we needed everything ready by Tuesday, because we wouldn’t have time on Wednesday to pick something up and get ready for the ceremony on time. I looked for another shop that could rent patent leather shoes and I went there – unfortunately they didn’t have those kinds of shoes anymore. I was a bit stressed, but luckily they had told us that normal black leather shoes would’ve also been accepted. I still wanted to get the full white tie attire – when will I ever get the chance to wear one? – so on Wednesday morning I woke up early and went back to the first shop to pick up the patent leather shoes that completed my outfit.
Felix: The second day of our event was in some ways the most important, as we had to give poster sessions and a presentation. I was a bit nervous about that, since I was not sure whether I would manage to do my part within the time limit, and I never gave a talk in front of that many people. To add to that, maybe partly due to nervousness, and maybe also because of the unknown environment, I did not catch a lot of sleep that night, which did not make the task any easier.
When it was my time to give the presentation, I felt very nervous. I could hear my heart bump and my knees were shaking a bit when I went up. Once it was silent in the room, I knew that I needed to start. The beginning was a bit rocky, I stuttered a bit and I forgot some things I wanted to say. By the time I reached the third slide, I had calmed down and things started to go smoother. The third and fourth slides were the most difficult part of my presentation, so I practised them a lot, which certainly helped me calm down. The rest of the presentation went smoothly, and I was overall quite happy with it.
My presentation was in the morning, so I did not feel the lack of sleep that much. The poster sessions afterwards went quite well, but I wouldn’t have managed without a lot of caffeine. Towards the end of the day I was running on nothing but mental strength.
Jacopo: The Seminar Coordinator had prepared us for very cold weather, we were expecting below freezing temperatures. I packed warm fleeces, base layers and a scarf, however, as soon as we left the airport we realised that it was warmer than in Zurich. Obviously it wasn’t a big deal – always better to be too warm than too cold.
Felix: I have learnt that I should practise the beginning of my presentations more, as that would help me calm down even faster. Even though the start is usually not the difficult part, a good start makes the rest much easier.
Jacopo: I have learnt to push myself talking to strangers, since some of the best conversations I had during the week, I had them with people I had just met. Moreover it’s always interesting to hear random people’s stories.
Felix: Ignoring the conversations with Jacopo during our trip to Stockholm, the first conversation was with two other participants in the hotel, while we were waiting for our rooms to be ready. We exchanged names and where we came from, what our projects were about. During that conversation, more and more people arrived and we got to know each other.
Jacopo: It wasn’t the most important but it was definitely the most memorable conversation we had, which happened on Monday evening, while we were at the sauna. Our project manager explained to us his project for next summer: to have a food truck at the Kieler Woche, selling Swedish food. He came up with this genius idea and then was able to convince a few friends to help him out financially and during the week. He’ll be selling Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. He then proceeded to explain his marketing plan to promote the food truck and explained a bit of the details of how he’s going to manage having a food truck despite having no previous experience. It was truly inspiring!
Felix: During the Nobel Reception, I had a conversation with a person who worked in the lab of Richard Robson, and he told me a bit about his life. He initially worked in research and later on he switched career paths to work in the industry, as he wanted to settle down. What sticks with me the most from that conversation is that one should pursue their passion without being afraid of failure, and that there are always other options if it doesn’t work out.