• Question: how did you become a scientist in the first place i am thinking of become a vet or something to do with animal and wanted to see what i could do to become a better scientist enable to work in bioligy?

    Asked by mtj2444 to Simon, Laura, Hannah, Christian, Angus on 14 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Simon Holyoake

      Simon Holyoake answered on 14 Jun 2013:

      My dissertation for my degree was involved in bio-medical engineering, designing electronics to detect breast cancer tissues

      I realised the same techniques (non-invasive imaging) could be applied to geology to look underground, and I applied for a job at the British Geological Survey doing just that

      If you want to become a biologist, I suggest looking for some books on your chosen subject, and work hard in that subject at school, when it comes to A-Levels, taking Biology is a good idea! that will give you a good idea of which area you want to study further and can look at different courses at college or university

      I like to read about animals (bugs and reptiles mostly) and there is a lot of information about them online, I suggest starting with Wikipedia and following the links from there!

    • Photo: Christian Maerz

      Christian Maerz answered on 14 Jun 2013:

      That’s funny, before I decided to be a geologist I was also thinking of working with animals, maybe in a zoo, or become marine biologist.

      I guess internships are a great way to get to know a specific job – you really are in contact with the people who have these jobs, and they can tell you all you want to know. Sometimes, you might think you want to take on a certain job, and after the internship you feel like it’s not the right thing for you after all. My girlfriend also did an internship at a vet when she was younger, and she really enjoyed it. In the end, she decided to study geology, and I am gald about that – otherwise I wouldn’t have met her 🙂

    • Photo: Laura Roberts Artal

      Laura Roberts Artal answered on 16 Jun 2013:

      I think the most important thing about being a good scientist is that you are passionate about science! Hard work during school and at univeristy will do the rest.

      You should think about taking science at A-Level, I think biology and chemistry would be ones worth considering seriously. I was keen to be a geologist since I was 15, so I knew it was important to take sciences at A-Level. I decided on biology, chemistry and physics (my school didn’t offer geology or geography, sadly :(!).

      Research University courses in detail before you apply. For me, doing lots of fieldwork was a very important part of training to be a geologist, so I looked for courses that allowed me to do lots of that! Seek advice about what is important for becoming a vet and choose a course you think you might really enjoy!

      Look for intersnhips and work experience in vet practices and maybe a zoo to see if working as a vet and with animals is truly what you want to do!

    • Photo: Hannah Bentham

      Hannah Bentham answered on 16 Jun 2013:

      It’s great that you already know that you want to be a scientist. If you want to work with animals or dream of becoming a vet, my advice is to get lots of work experience, and chat to as many vets as possible. I’m not sure what the best career route is, but enjoying and doing well in biology would be essential I guess.

      I always wanted to be a medical doctor when I was at school. But after I did fieldwork with geography I knew I wanted a job that would take me outdoors so I did a geophysics degree. Then I worked in the hydrocarbon exploration industry, now back at university to get my PhD.

      Don’t worry too much about having a solid plan. Things will change, and it’s always best to go with your gut feeling.

      Good luck!

    • Photo: Angus Ferraro

      Angus Ferraro answered on 17 Jun 2013:

      I wanted to be a vet at one point as well! I grew up on a farm and loved working with animals.

      I am a PhD student at the moment. At the moment it’s common for most scientists to have been to university to study for a BSc degree (your first degree) and then a PhD.

      But the best thing you can do is keep being interested in animals and biology. I remember getting hold of loads of books about animals, either from the library or as presents. Plus now you have the Internet with lots of great ways to learn about biology. Then, in the future, you will have such a massive enthusiasm for biology which will really help if you want to be a vet or something similar.

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