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Asked by Caitlin to Christie, Dan, David, Dawn, Sian on 15 Jun 2016. This question was also asked by x Miss Sugg x.
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Dan Lewis answered on 15 Jun 2016:
Excellent question, I would say go and watch youtube videos on topics that you are interested in. Science is a huge thing but there is a place for everyone and there is always something that people can find an interest in. I would advise on attending an STEMnet events in your local area these could be Science fayres or workshops, and visit science museums and read science news to see what amazing things are happening.
I think the key to becoming successful in science is be open minded in your interests. Scientists are very flexible in there work especially in industry and they may have an interest in many areas which I think helps in making the work interesting. If you are happy in the work you are doing success will follow, even if the work is hard if you make it fun and enjoyable it will not feel like work.
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Dawn Lau answered on 15 Jun 2016:
I agree with Dan! When I was younger I would watch lots of Discovery Channel documentaries about nature and science and that really got me interested in science. Youtube videos are a great idea too. There are some really fantastic Youtubers who produce awesome, informative videos about science. I also read lots of books about science, and nowadays there are so many books out there written for kids and teenagers about science. Are you interested in certain topics in particular? Science itself can encompass so many things that you’ll definitely have an interest in something. I think anyone can be a scientist but the key is to have a passion for always learning something new. The learning never stops. And another key character trait is determination. Working in science, you will realise there are no truly correct or wrong answers anymore; scientific problems are much harder to solve in real life than in school! Having the passion and determination to overcome such obstacles will help in your career as a scientist.
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Sian Thomas answered on 15 Jun 2016:
Don’t disagree with Dan and Dawn – why would I. But so something that you find interesting. I think this makes it more likely that you will persevere. Science is for a marathon not a sprint so you need to be in for the long game!
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David Robertson answered on 17 Jun 2016:
Good advice from everyone, especially about doing something you are interested in, because as Sian says, persistence is important in doing anything you want to do well in, in science or indeed in anything in life.
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Christie Waddington answered on 20 Jun 2016:
Try and get as much experience as you can! After my A levels I contacted some local labs (they have emails online) and managed to get some work experience in a lab. During the degree, I got more work experience in one of my lecturer’s labs by talking to him. Now what’s great about work experience is that even though I wasn’t involved in a project directly, I managed to get an internship with a Pharmaceutical company because they had seen I was willing to go out and look for work experience myself. You have to be proactive! After that it was a snowball effect: The work experience got me the internship, my experience at the internship got me a great undergraduate project, I was offered a job with the same lab as my undergraduate project and the lecturer who I did work experience with? He helped me win a PhD studentship as he was friends with the supervisor! You do have to be prepared to work at it, and sometimes you may have to do jobs you aren’t really happy with but its all good experience that looks good and will get you your next science job. Always have your interests at heart though – make sure you’re aiming towards what you want to work at. One PhD I was offered was in cancer, but I wanted to do genetic diseases instead so I turned that one down.
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