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Asked by niallthenerd to Andrew, Shane, Eileen, Naomi, Aggelos on 9 Nov 2012. This question was also asked by vin13, alexh, alexandrasharykina, charlotteb.
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Shane Bergin answered on 9 Nov 2012:
Yes. But i changed my mind a good few times along the way. I wanted to be a vet, a doctor, and a pilot at different stages too. I ended up choosing science because I was good at it in school and really liked understanding how the world works, finding stuff out, and experimenting with things. I should stress that like most people, I didn’t have a clue if I was doing the right thing or not when i chose my degree subject – it’s normal to be confused!
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Andrew Jackson answered on 11 Nov 2012:
My first memory was wanting to fly fighter jets! Then I wanted to be a medical doctor, and when I finally went to University I wanted to study very deadly viruses like Ebola. As I picked my subjects during my first two years of my science degree I realised that evolution, animals and behavior were what I really loved. Doing zoology has also let me include lots of other types of science in my studies, like genetics, microbiology, physics and maths.
If i ever got bored of science, I think I would like to make and program computer games. I LOVE computer games!
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Eileen Diskin answered on 13 Nov 2012:
Well, not always. When I was a really little kid, I wanted to be a school crossing guard (a lollipop ladies), because I had a really nice on when I was in school, and I thought she was the best and wanted to be just like her.
But I began to really love animals. I had a dog, who I loved sooooo much. And when I was a bit older (about 13-16 years old), I got to volunteer at a zoo in the city where I grew up. That was really cool, and we got to work with lots of different animals (although since we were in school, a lot of times they just had us cleaning up the poop – gross!). But I liked working with the animals, so I knew for sure I wanted to be a zoologist of some sort, so now I guess it makes sense that I’m working with animals in my research.
Along the way, I didn’t like all of the kids of science, so I’m happy I did find the one I am good at and that I love doing.
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Aggelos Zacharopoulos answered on 14 Nov 2012:
Yes, I think I realised from early in school that science is the thing for me.
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Naomi Elster answered on 14 Nov 2012:
I think I always was a scientist, because I always asked questions and wanted to know how things worked. I changed my mind about what I wanted to do a lot – a vet, a doctor, an astronaut, a doctor in the army, a lawyer, a writer, many others – so I kept my options open until I knew what I really wanted. I loved biology and chemistry in school but couldn’t decide if I wanted to do science or medicine – then when graduate entry medicine came aong, it seemed perfect! But as I was doing my science degree I fell more and more in love with science. I did a research project in final year in college and that was where I realised that I’d found where I wanted to be.
Comments
niallthenerd commented on :
Oh cool. I would love to go into forensics or teaching but I’m not sure.
Andrew commented on :
hi niallthenerd
forensics is very cool! A very good friend of mine first did a science degree in Biochemistry (studying proteins and how cells work) and then did a Masters degree afterwards in forensics in London. He loved it! There he learned about DNA databases to identify suspects, how to test for the presence of chemicals like drugs or explosives, and how to use insects and plants to work out where someone was or when they died.
Teaching is great fun too. Working in a university is great because I get to teach students that have chosen subjects that they really like so are enthusiastic about learning. Standing up in front of 200 students can be a bit scary at first, but now i really like trying to entertain them with science. Other times I teach people in small groups of maybe 1 or 5 and together we try to work out problems that are really hard!
choose whatever interests you most is my advice, and best of luck with whatever you decide to do
niallthenerd commented on :
I did an 8-week forensics course in DCU a few years ago and I loved it.
Naomi commented on :
Andrew’s right – do whatever interests you the most! But if you are unsure, starting with a general science degree and then narrowing down your subjects as you discover what interests you the most would be a good option. My friend is a forensic scientist – she got to be one by doing a four year science degree and then a master’s in forensics in Strathclyde, in Scotland. I have other friends who became teachers by doing science degrees and then a one year teacher training course. And talking to niallthenerd about the course he did would be useful too 🙂