Divya Gupta

Before university, Divya Gupta attended Jayshree Periwal International School in India. She enjoys learning new things and believes that there is no better way to do that than in science subjects: “I have always liked science and the amazing things it can open your brain to.”

Developing a passion for lab work

Divya’s passion for biology and chemistry increased during her Cambridge IGCSE studies when she entered the first-ever Cambridge Upper Secondary Science Competition in 2019, together with three other students from her Cambridge IGCSE Biology class. The team won the Best in the World award for their project on food-colour toxicity.

“The competition was a gateway to applying what we had learned in books to the real world. It was my first introduction to developing a scientific rigour and I was able to understand how real science is carried out. I was introduced to using equipment such as a CO2 sensor.”

Applying for university

When it came to applying for a place at the University of British Columbia in Canada, Divya believes the Cambridge Upper Secondary Science Competition gave her university application an edge: “The competition confirmed my love of experimentation in science, specifically biology. It gave me the opportunity to express my commitment to science in my application.”

Integrating different disciplines

Divya decided to study Integrated Sciences: Neuroscience &Pharmacology because it enabled her to “design my own degree”: “This expands on my love of learning as I have been able to explore my interests and integrate different disciplines – I get to be a part of different labs and design my own experiments, which I still find really fascinating. I am thoroughly enjoying my course!”

Drawing on skills developed at school

Divya’s Cambridge IGCSE courses and her work for the Cambridge Upper Secondary Science Competition helped prepare her for university: “I was able to build a number of skills that still help me in my field of study today including developing a methodology, carrying out correlation tests and researching academic papers for background knowledge, as well as teamwork and coordination.”