• Question: When did you find out you wanted to be scientists and has becoming a scientists changed your life?

    Asked by Gabby29 to Angela, Claire, Ian, Robert, Sarah on 10 Nov 2014. This question was also asked by Beth Storry.
    • Photo: Robert Bowles

      Robert Bowles answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      Great question Gabby29
      It happened to me gradually. I didn’t wake up one morning and decide I wanted to be a scientist. Each time I had to make a decision about subjects to study, at GCSES, A Levels and for my degree I picked subjects that I enjoyed and these tended to be science ones. I just wanted to learn more about them and this ended up in me doing a biology degree and PhD. Once I had studied at this level I wanted to use what I learnt so looked for jobs using my scientific knowledge, and I’m still doing that.
      It has definitely changed my life, choosing to do a science degree took me to uni where I met lots of great people and taught me how to live independently. And I’ve ended up working for great companies with other people who love being scientists too, who I wouldn’t have met otherwise. I’ve also worked all over the country, in Portsmouth, Liverpool, Middlesborough and Cambridge, and I’d probably have never considered moving to places like that to do other non-scientific jobs.

    • Photo: Sarah Harris

      Sarah Harris answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      I always liked science at school, so I knew I wanted to do something vaguely related to it for a long time – I just wasn’t sure what! I wanted to do an English degree when I was 17 but decided against it & I’m so glad I did Science instead.

      And I would say being a scientist has changed my life! It’s a way to approach things – being analytical and basing your opinion on evidence. I also think when you find out more about something – for example the human body – you appreciate it more, so being a scientist really opens your eyes as to how exciting and interesting this life really is!

    • Photo: Angela Stokes

      Angela Stokes answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      Hi Gabby29
      I am not sure I ever really decided I wanted to be a scientist. At school I always wanted to be an English teacher. When I was about 14 I found that I really liked biology and chemistry. I liked doing experiments and finding out new things, but I didn’t really know what sort of career I could do. When I did my exams I got good grades in chemistry and biology so I decided to study both at A level along with mathematics which I always liked. From there I decided to do a degree where in the first year I also studied chemistry, biology and mathematics….from there I choose to do chemistry and mathematics simply because I liked them. My job doesn’t need chemistry or mathematics specifically but it needs a science subject and most of my colleagues have studied pharmacy, biology, chemistry or pharmacology.
      So has being a scientist changed my life……well I have to say yes, because I would have probably have become a teacher of English had I not been drawn to chemistry and biology. So my whole career path would have been different.

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