• Question: Did anyone tell you that you couldn't make it in the science world? Did it effect you in anyway?

    Asked by anon-199628 to Sylvia, Sumit, Martin, Kate, Bryony, Aryanne on 4 Mar 2019.
    • Photo: Martin McCoustra

      Martin McCoustra answered on 4 Mar 2019:

      I’ve never come across that kind of attitude… even if I did then I’d probably ignore it and continue to work towards a goal. That doesn’t mean to say I didn’t change direction. When I started at university, I was interested in analytical and inorganic chemistry. Being good at maths, I soon saw that I was better at physical chemistry and that re-set my direction.

    • Photo: Aryanne Finnie

      Aryanne Finnie answered on 4 Mar 2019:

      I got told that i wouldn’t make it anywhere with my attitude in high school! Basically i showed them, got amazing grades, applied to uni, and look at me now! Don’t listen to anyone telling you that you can’t do something, if you’re gonna let it affect you, then let it make you more determined to succeed where you want to succeed!

    • Photo: Sylvia Soldatou

      Sylvia Soldatou answered on 4 Mar 2019:

      I briefly had a supervisor that he wasn’t supportive enough. He never told me that I couldn’t make it but he never said “go for it”. It was a hard time for me as I was at the beginning of my studies and wasn’t sure where I was standing.
      It did effect me but only in a positive way. It made me stronger and I gained more faith on myself and my capabilities since then

    • Photo: Bryony Hockin

      Bryony Hockin answered on 4 Mar 2019:

      Once, when I had just started studying for my PhD, someone in my laboratory told me that I didn’t work hard enough, and that I would never succeed if I kept being lazy. I was already working really hard so that made me feel quite sad, but I think he was just saying it to be mean, and he didn’t have very realistic ideas of what “working hard” meant. I’m a really successful scientist now, so I know he was wrong! I just kept on working at my own pace, I don’t care if anyone thinks I’m slow or lazy, I get the science done well and that’s all that matters.

    • Photo: Sumit Konar

      Sumit Konar answered on 5 Mar 2019:

      It is quite normal that we are surrounded by few negative people; they always underestimate our potential. I was advised by my neighbours that I should better study literature as taking a career path in science is really competitive, and according to them I am not very good at science. I never pay attention to their comments and rather take it as a challenge. If you love what you do; you should continue doing so.. and this is the reason why I was the only one (from my village from India) who could study abroad and take chemistry as my career.

    • Photo: Kate McGonagle

      Kate McGonagle answered on 6 Mar 2019:

      I have definitely had various points in my life that I’ve had some pretty negative feedback – I wouldn’t say it was from anyone intentionally being mean to me – just that everyone has to learn and not all people are the most patient or supportive teachers. That really made me question my own ability and if I was capable…but in the end it made me want to work harder to get better and achieve what I wanted. I knew in myself I was capable if I put my mind to it, you have to have a bit of belief and confidence in yourself, chase what you want!

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