• Question: did you always know that you wanted to be a scientist since you were younger, or if not, how old were you when you realised what you wanted to be?

    Asked by tessa to Chris, Kay, Kerstin, Lorna, Liv on 16 Mar 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Kerstin Zechner

      Kerstin Zechner answered on 16 Mar 2010:

      Hey Tessa! When I was a kid, I wanted to study animals and maybe be a marine biologist. As a teenager, however, I got interested in literature and wanted to be a writer instead. After school, I decided to try science instead, because I thought this way I might have better chances of getting a good job. It was at uni I got really passionate about science, as a lot of people around me were.

    • Photo: Kay Penicud

      Kay Penicud answered on 16 Mar 2010:

      Hi Tessa,

      I knew I wanted to study science at uni when I was in sixth form. I only knew I wanted to be a scientist when I was in the middle of my degree and found I loved research. A professor once said to me ‘ours in the only job in the world where not only do we learn something new every week, but we learn something in the world that no-one else has ever known’. That’s why I love science, it can be very frustrating but its soooo interesting!

    • Photo: Lorna Houlihan

      Lorna Houlihan answered on 17 Mar 2010:

      Honestly, I didn’t always want to be a scientist – I didn’t think that I would be able. BUT I did like science in school, decided to do it university, liked it so I thought I would try to study some more, to have my own project, which I really enjoyed and now I work in research all the time. So I was able but just didn’t believe in myself and my ability to research – but I can!

    • Photo: Chris Needham

      Chris Needham answered on 17 Mar 2010:

      I always had an inquisitive mind, and liked maths.
      So, I choose to do Maths at University, then I started to apply it.

    • Photo: Olivia Hibbitt

      Olivia Hibbitt answered on 19 Mar 2010:

      HI tessa,

      I was always interested in science stuff, but actually being a scientist came at Uni when I started taking proper science courses like cell biology and anatomy…..that’s when the passion really started!

Comments