A group of maths students recently returned from a fantastic trip to Paris, where they put into practice what they have learnt over their first year at College.

Paris in the summer is lively, exciting and the best place to do maths! After a long journey and a good night’s sleep we began our mathematical tour outside the National Museum of Natural History where we experimented Buffon’s needle problem using straws. Afterwards, we visited a Roman amphitheatre and tested our isometric drawing skills while enjoying the scenery.

After walking through many roads named after great mathematicians, we reached our lunch stop in front of Notre Dame, which really is a site to see. Under the shade of the trees we made our way to a cruise ship which took us around the whole of Paris on the River Seine. The scenery was breath taking.

No trip to France is complete without seeing the iconic Eiffel Tower. After climbing the 669 steps to the second floor, our aching legs were rewarded by a stunning view of Paris on a warm summer’s day. The next morning we applied our knowledge of mechanics to investigate the maths behind the ‘Indiana Jones’ rollercoaster at Disneyland. We looked at energy conservations, maximum velocity and different forces acting on the ride itself. And what better way to see if the coaster works than to have a ride on it! Our day was filled with rides, shopping, parades and lots of fun which concluded with an awe-inspiring lightshow along with a spectacular view of fireworks above the iconic Disney castle.

On our last day we visited the La Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie, the biggest science museum in Europe, where we engaged with the interactive robotics and the e-labs exhibition before watching an incredible planetarium show ‘Between earth and sky ... the lights of the night’.

It was an amazing trip and the memories will stay with me forever. Thank you to all the staff who made this fantastic trip possible!