• Question: was it always your dream to become a scientist?

    Asked by anon-184923 to Callum, William, Martyna, Alice, Adam, Rebecca on 5 Nov 2018. This question was also asked by anon-185143, anon-184973, anon-185136, anon-185147.
    • Photo: Callum McHugh

      Callum McHugh answered on 5 Nov 2018:

      A very good question and not so easy to answer.
      I liked chemistry at school and decided to do a degree, although had no idea what I wanted to do at the end of it. I managed to get a PhD and then a PostDoc (although these weren’t my original goals). After that I worked in industry for 5 years, which was great and allowed me to travel a lot. I have finally ended up doing what I love which is working in a University teaching chemistry and doing chemistry research – this wasn’t even part of my thinking way back when I left school
      The moral of the story is that you should do things that interest you, but you should also choose a path that gives you options and the ability to change path along the way!

    • Photo: William Glass

      William Glass answered on 5 Nov 2018:

      I wouldn’t say it was my dream, I guess I kind of ended up here! I always followed what I enjoyed. I studied Chemistry for my undergraduate degree and within that found I enjoyed the theoretical / computational side so ended up following that as a Masters degree. I think as long as you follow what you enjoy then you’ll end up in place / job that you genuinely like!

    • Photo: Martyna Pastok

      Martyna Pastok answered on 5 Nov 2018: last edited 5 Nov 2018 10:06 am

      Indeed I agree with Callum a very good question and not so easy to answer…. I think I do not think l ever thought I could be a scientist…. I just became one on the way while trying to find things which I loved doing… I was never sure what I would like to do when I was at school. I was one of those kids who were always very curious in general, were in general good in science-related topics, I loved maths and I was good at it, I loved biology and chemistry. Physics fascinated me but I had a very strict teacher so I struggled a bit with that… At a time when I needed to choose a degree I was fascinated by genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry and how hormones were working and influencing our body. I read what lectures I would have in any topic I found interesting and discovered that course of Biotechnology had loads of names which were sounding interesting to me so decided to study it. I t was very good choice. In meantime I was working as a volunteer in a few laboratories, to learn more. I went to Edinburgh for one term of my studies and worked in a lab over there. After that I thought I would like to continue working in a lab so I applied for PhD courses and I got the first one I applied . Then I just followed and did what I found interesting and what gave me possibilities to develop new skills…. and here I am now… Still looking a bit …

    • Photo: Rebecca Roddan

      Rebecca Roddan answered on 7 Nov 2018:

      Definitely no… I feel like I kinda just fell into it and followed what I was most interested in at school and what I was best at.

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