• Question: what would you advise younger students who would want to continue science to a professional level (such as going to science fares, competitions etc) ?

    Asked by megamango to Kristian, Tim, Zachary on 21 Nov 2013.
    • Photo: Zachary Williamson

      Zachary Williamson answered on 21 Nov 2013:

      Hi megamango!

      If you want to take science to a professional level, you’ll need to get a degree from a university, but that’s a long way off.

      The best thing you can do is to make sure you get good grades so you can get into a good university. It’s also really important to make sure that science is what you want to do. To that end I would recommend reading popular science books about whatever subject interests you.

      Also asking your teacher if you can enter into any competitions would be a great help. Just make sure you enjoy what you do! The rest comes naturally after that.

    • Photo: Tim Hollowood

      Tim Hollowood answered on 21 Nov 2013:

      That’s a good question. The best answer is also the most basic one: study hard at school and get good qualifications. This will open the doors to many choices at university. Then at university study hard so you can get a PhD position. Of course learn all you can about science and also make sure that you work hard on your maths because maths is very important for doing science.
      So in the end there are no short cuts….but there’s a wonderful world out there to discover and so many interesting things to do. So you won’t regret it.

    • Photo: Kristian Harder

      Kristian Harder answered on 21 Nov 2013:

      Curiosity is key. If you are interested in one of the science subjects, then I think most of it will just come naturally. Yes, it requires work to keep up in school and learn as much as you can even before going to university, but if you are really into science, then I don’t think this work will bother you, and you’ll do it without even worrying too much about it.
      Doing a little bit extra is always a good idea. Science fairs and competitions are definitely a good idea. In my case that actually played a big role in getting me into the business. I did a science project in school, got equipment on loan from a big particle physics laboratory to do it (yes, you can talk to them, and they usually take you seriously, especially if you are backed by a teacher), good a good result in a science competition with it, and as a result got offered a summer internship in the particle physics lab that gave me their equipment, and then another summer internship, and hey presto, there I was becoming a particle physicist. 🙂
      Of course there are many different ways to get into science, but it all boils down to something very basic. If you are interested in something, and you think you have a bit of a talent for it, then go for it. And even if it doesn’t work out in the end and you don’t become a scientist in the end, your efforts will not have been wasted, because the qualifications and the knowledge you pick up on the way open up a lot of alternative options for you. I know many people who started out in particle physics, did a PhD in that field and maybe even worked as particle physicists for a few years, but then wandered off into the software industry, or the banking sector (earning a lot more money than me, grrrr 😉 ), or high-tech industry, or project management, or … or… or… – well, you get the idea.
      Good luck!

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