• Question: Despite your very high grading in your exams,did you need all of those qualifications?

    Asked by bowse to Pip, Tom, Mike, Tianfu, Tim on 25 Jun 2012. This question was also asked by alses002, paddypower.
    • Photo: Philippa Bird

      Philippa Bird answered on 25 Jun 2012:

      Umm, well not all my GCSEs really, although Latin was useful for picking up bits of languages. But universities definitely look at all your GCSE grades as entry criteria, but in ways no-one really understands (like, showing improvement from GCSE to A-levels is probably good).
      A-levels, definitely. I wish I had Physics too. English was useful because it means I write pretty well for a scientist. Maths, Chemistry and Biology were essential for what I’m doing. And my degree taught me how to learn independently, which is really important in science, even if I don’t use that much chemistry now!
      What are you studying?

    • Photo: Tom Lister

      Tom Lister answered on 26 Jun 2012:

      My grades weren’t that great, but I certainly need all of the qualifications I have to be in the career I’m in.

    • Photo: Tim Stephens

      Tim Stephens answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      You need decent grades to get into university, since you have to be able to show that you can study and learn new things.

      At university, a lot of what you learn is about how to learn new things in your field – so for example, if you’re a Physicist, you learn how to think about Physics problems and you learn the basics of how the world works.

      A PhD is kind of like an apprenticeship in being a science researcher. You have a defined project, you have a supervisor who makes sure that you don’t try any experiments that are too silly, and you have support from other students and researchers. Once you’ve finished a PhD, you’re the world expert in whatever tiny part of science you’re dedicated 3 years to, but you’re also a fully trained researcher who’s ready to go and study completely new things.

      The most important thing is all of these is that you have to be prepared to work hard since that’s how you succeed. (I know: this probably sounds like your mum and dad or teachers, but it’s true).

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