• Question: What was the hardest bit about your academic journey and how would you help others avoid this?

    Asked by Luke.N on 14 Jun 2023.
    • Photo: Cat Cowie

      Cat Cowie answered on 14 Jun 2023:

      Sometimes the hardest part is just not knowing what the possibilities are. I studied Ecology and Environmental Science at university, but I only found out that was possible when I started looking at what I wanted to do and study! Getting speaking to people is always helpful, through something like this, and also more locally. You may find you or your teacher could access local scientists through a nearby science museum or the STEM ambassadors programme. One of the best things you can do (in my opinion!) once you know what you want to do is contact other people that research and/or teach in that area, and ideally find someone who is willing to be a mentor.

    • Photo: Amy Stockwell

      Amy Stockwell answered on 14 Jun 2023:

      There were many times where I lost confidence in my abilities. I compared myself against others and sometimes felt stupid – why did they understand this lecture immediately when I didn’t understand it at all?
      I had to learn that I’m not perfect and will never know everything. I have my strengths and weaknesses which makes me human.

    • Photo: Paul Waldron

      Paul Waldron answered on 15 Jun 2023:

      I found the hardest part going from School into University.
      There are a lot of changes required in that transition – not just educational ones (going from studying 4-5 subjects to only studying one), but also gaining independence from living at home, learning how to live with my peers, learning how to cook! And still keep focused on studying. Transitioning from Studying into a working environment was also quite difficult (managing my own time well especially)

      I’d recommend learning new skills prior to any big changes, to help make any transitions easier, for instance learning to cook/clean/tidy etc prior to leaving home. Learning to manage your own personal time and not go to bed crazy late!

    • Photo: Alexander De Bruin

      Alexander De Bruin answered on 16 Jun 2023:

      My hardest moment was about halfway through my PhD when I completely lost faith in my ability to do science. When you move into doing a research degree, there are no longer any exams or “right” answers, which is really hard to deal with as someone who did well in exams.

    • Photo: Ferran Brosa Planella

      Ferran Brosa Planella answered on 16 Jun 2023:

      Quite a few times I had the impostor syndrome. That is when you feel everyone else is so much smarter than you, and you feel you don’t belong in academia. I think talking to other people, especially those a bit more senior, really helps. You would be surprised by how many people feel or have felt like this!

    • Photo: Emma Spooner

      Emma Spooner answered on 19 Jun 2023:

      The hardest part of my journey is still ongoing- dealing with the uncertainty of not having a permanent job! I think one of the best things you can do in academia is find a trustworthy senior researcher who can mentor you or give you advice. There are lots of tricks to getting academic positions that aren’t always obvious- so talking to lots of people is really helpful. The other thing that has helped me stick it out is believing in myself! Because academia is so competitive it can be hard to believe that you will ever ‘make it’, but you have to be your own biggest cheerleader sometimes, as a lot of the battle is perseverance.

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