• Question: what did you do to get where you are now?

    Asked by Amy_Rogers to Craig, Flavia, Giuditta, Jack, Sheona on 12 Nov 2015. This question was also asked by FAB.
    • Photo: Jack Carlyle

      Jack Carlyle answered on 12 Nov 2015:


      I just kept asking questions about space 🙂
      Of course, it helps if you study and practise things like maths and physics. I know it’s really difficult sometimes, but the more you study them, the easier they get! And once you get GCSEs, you can get A-levels, and then a Bachelors, then a Masters, then a PhD, and then you’re already a world expert scientist! Never give up, never get discouraged, and never let people tell you you can’t do something.

    • Photo: Giuditta Perversi

      Giuditta Perversi answered on 12 Nov 2015:


      I got off highschool with a good overall mark (we don’t have A-levels and GCSE in Italy), then I went to study Chemistry in the university for 5 years (3 years B.Sc, 2 years M.Sc).
      In the master I did a bit of a crazy thing because I finished 1 year and a half worth of exams in 1 year only, with the highest marks possible (that was seriously mental, I can assure you) while I set things up to go aboard for the next year. I spent the last year of my master working on my thesis in Denmark, at the University of Aarhus. While I was there, I applied for the PhD in Edinburgh where I am know, and working in that nice research group in Denmark really helped me getting my place here!
      For me, the highlight is basically be really stubborn and try to get the best from yourself so you have nothing to regret while you try to reach what you want! 😉

    • Photo: Sheona Masterton

      Sheona Masterton answered on 13 Nov 2015:


      I always had to work pretty hard at school, because I struggled a lot with exams (I was always much better at coursework). But in the end I left school with reasonable A-levels (although I got a D in maths!) and got accepted into Liverpool Uni to do a 4-year Masters course in Geology & Geophysics. I found the style of teaching much more suited to me at uni and ended up doing pretty well. After that I moved to Leeds to do a PhD & finally started working for a company here in Leeds.

      I think that the bottom line is to work hard, never give up on your ambitions, and don’t freak out if you have no idea what to do next! If you were to ask 16-year-old me what I wanted to do with my life at that point, I probably wouldn’t have a clue. But as long as you move in the right general direction, it’ll gradually come together 🙂

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