Researcher Blog: How I ended up driving around the Lake District monitoring Electric Vehicle Charge Points
Posted on
Sitting in an overpriced car park on a cold November morning watching people charge their cars, I began to wonder how I got here. A researcher, on a solo trip to the Lake District, in a borrowed MINI Electric Hatchback, trying to figure out where to put Electric Vehicle charge points and working alongside a community charge point operator, Charge My Street.
I have always enjoyed people watching and figuring out how the world works. After finishing my undergraduate and postgraduate degrees becoming part of the research world felt natural.
The Beginning:
From a young age I have constantly asked 'Why?' much to my parents’ chagrin. Reaching university started to give me the answers. As a geography student I have been able to explore different ways the world works and how the environment and humanity engage with each other. The more I learnt the less I knew. I finished my undergraduate degree still asking ‘Why?’. So, I applied for a Masters’ degree in Environmental Management, and my love of research flourished.
I actually came across my current Master’s of Science by Research, by chance. After talking to my dissertation supervisor, I realised I wanted to do a PhD and really sink my teeth into a project for more than just 6 months or a year. But I had missed their deadlines.
The Middle:
I was a bit lost, my friends were applying for jobs and moving forward, and I couldn't find the one thing I wanted to do. Then I got an email. My dissertation supervisor knowing I was looking for research positions, shared a project with me.
Charge My Street, a community charge point operator, were looking for a researcher. Their company focus on bringing greater access to charge points, trying to provide one within a 5-minute walk from homes in Cumbria and Lancaster. They wanted a researcher to help them look at their existing charge points, understanding why they were successful and making sure future ones followed suit. It felt like the perfect opportunity. A year of research, working with a company who were tackling carbon emissions, engaging in a real-world sustainability problem, and using the skills I had been learning for the last four years to overcome it. This felt like a new world, but still felt familiar, Charge My Street were working with communities and improving sustainability options which has always been interesting to me.
I had never pitched myself to anyone, let alone to a business. At this point in my academic career, being accepted felt like nothing more than clicking a few buttons on screen and waiting for the tick mark to show I'd made it. It was scary putting myself out there. It also meant learning about a new department, going from the safe space of Lancaster Environment Centre to Lancaster University Management School.
Writing an Academic CV felt alien, like I was bragging about my achievements. I was told to sell myself, have a go, the worst thing they can say to me is no. Then it’s an experience, its practice for the future. I found the project around 3 days before the application deadline. I had to scramble to pull together my CV, application form, references and submit it all. But I managed it! I think I submitted it the day before it was due to close. After 4 days in review, an email arrived. I had reached the interview stage.
Sitting in my uni flat, waiting for that interview to start was the longest 10 minutes of my life. It felt like it would never begin. It felt overwhelming, I was suddenly chatting with one of the organisations Directors, and accomplished academics. But I didn’t feel inferior, they were so welcoming and engaging. I felt like I had found ‘my’ people.
I must have done something right, because within an hour of my interview I had an email offering me the position. Which of course, I didn’t see till the next morning!
The End?
So, back to that overpriced car park, with a cup of tea in a flask that had still somehow gone cold. Trying to figure out what makes this specific charge point successful. I’ve made it! It’s not glamorous, but it’s allowed me to satisfy the question of why, which eventually leads onto the how, and the when, and circles back to the ‘why’ at the end. It should be scary, the idea that it’s an endless loop, but the idea excites me.
I’ve called this section the end, like any good storyteller, but I think that this is merely another beginning. I’m playing a role, in finding a solution, and engaging with people, who want to be part of that solution, and I can’t wait!
Related Blogs
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed by our bloggers and those providing comments are personal, and may not necessarily reflect the opinions of Lancaster University. Responsibility for the accuracy of any of the information contained within blog posts belongs to the blogger.
Back to blog listing