WARWICK Year 12 Scots PGC student Bridget Hegerty is about to embark on a learning experience of a lifetime.

At midnight on Monday Bridget will board a bus bound for the national capital and the Australian National University for the annual National Youth Science Forum.

The NYSF Year 12 program is a 12 day residential program designed to give students a broader understanding of the diverse study and career options available in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and to encourage them to continue their studies in these fields.

Bridget said she couldn't wait to take off on her science adventure.

"I've been told we're going to be very spoiled,” she said.

"The university will be showing off their facilities and there's a lot planned so it should be fantastic.”

Bridget said she heard about NYSF through an older friend.

"She had participated when she was at school and encouraged me to apply for it,” she said.

"It should be a huge eye-opener and a huge learning experience for a small-town girl like me.

"Hopefully the forum will help me make a decision about a possible career path.”

Bridget said she enjoyed physics and was hopeful for a career following the path.

"I'm unsure what I'll do yet,” she said.

"But I'm a horse person, so maybe something along those lines, the physics of horses, motion and dynamics - it might be a chance to combine my two loves.”

At the NYSF Year 12 Program run in January each year, participants will visit science and technology related laboratories and facilities, go on site tours, listen to lectures, take part in workshops, go to social events and participate in group activities that improve communication and presentation skills.

Participants also take part in sessions on entrepreneurship, critical thinking, how to work together effectively, and more.

The focus is not solely on academic achievements, but on developing well-rounded individuals who have the skills and confidence to determine their futures.

The NYSF is run by youth for youth, with a certain number of participants being selected each year to come back and participate in our Student Staff Leadership Program (SSLP) in preparation to help run the program the year after they first attended.

On Tuesday afternoon, Bridget, along with members of Warwick Rotary Sunrise who are sponsoring her attendance at the forum, provided lunch for a bus load of students from Canberra, travelling to Brisbane to take part in the forum.

Student leader Nick Goddard, aged 17, said the group all had a special interest in the sciences.

"There are 19 of us, but there are over 160 coming in from all over Australia for this forum,” he said.

"There's one being held in Canberra for the northern students and one in Brisbane for the students from down south.

"So we get a chance to travel and see a little of the country as well.”

Nick said every student had applied to their local Rotary club to gain sponsorship for the trip.

"It should be an awesome experience,” he said.

"We get to experience uni life for a week.”