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Asked by leahella to Carla, Madgie, Nick, Vicky, Werner on 13 Nov 2013. This question was also asked by etakaneres, bethtucker.
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Vicky Forster answered on 13 Nov 2013:
Hi Leah!
That’s great that you want to become a scientist – we need more young people in science. I would advise you to of course put effort in to your science lessons, but to make sure that you are good at other subjects too. Most successful scientists are very creative and enjoy art, music or other creative subjects like dance and drama. This creative streak is really important in helping us solve problems and come up with new experiments to investigate problems in science we want to solve. Also make sure you take enough time out of school to do things you enjoy, like sport and socialising with your friends. Socialising and being able to talk with other scientists is really important, as this is how we form ‘collaborations’ which is where we work together in order to solve problems more efficiently. I’d also urge you to read more about the bits of science you are interested in – outside of school. There are loads of resources both in popular science books and on the internet, which will let you learn loads more about the bits that you are interested in from your lessons at school. Good luck!
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Werner Muller answered on 13 Nov 2013:
Dear both,
I think it is important to be curious and not take facts presented for granted. If you would read old science books you will find a lot of ideas that are not true anymore today, although they seem fine at the time the books were written. I think, best science is done if it becomes “textbook knowledge” and survives the test of time. -
Marlene Lorgen answered on 13 Nov 2013:
Like Vicky says, it’s not all just about the science, being creative really helps too! And of course make sure that you choose to study subjects which are relative to the field of science that you are interested in. Different universities offer lots of different degrees in science too so make sure to look around before choosing what to study!
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Nick Groves-Kirkby answered on 14 Nov 2013:
I agree with everything the others have said!
If you want to be a scientist it’s definitely important to keep up studying science and maths. I’d also suggest studying a different type of subject that helps you practise your writing skills. I did history for A Level and I’ve found the skills I learnt really useful.
The other thing that’s important nowadays is computer skills. Many of the people I work with end up writing their own computer programs because existing software doesn’t do the things they want it to. I’m learning to do this now, but very badly! Don’t worry if computers aren’t your thing though, there are plenty of other ways to be a scientist!
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