Why Choose the Sciences?

In science there are men everywhere. Throughout the EU on average male scientists outnumber female scientists by 20 to 1. This is fine if you are looking for a man and don’t like competition, but it’s not good for science. If men dominate science then all the problems, results and theories will have a male perspective. This limits science. Ideally a research team should include as diverse a selection of the world’s population as possible. This would ensure a topic is looked at from as many angles as possible.

Penny Gilmer, a chemist at Florida State University says:
"women as a group typically have different life experiences than do men, so we may offer a different perspective on science."

Vivienne Parry, former presenter of Tomorrow’s World wrote:
“One half of the brightest minds in this country belong to women. Having only 50% of the nations potential brainpower engaged in the solution of the problems that beset us means the nation is limping along, sparking on just two out of four cylinders. Half the insight, half the results, half the solutions.”

Improve the World
If you find you are frustrated by the state of the world, you might want to get into science because it gives you a chance to change things. Contribute to humanity by carrying out research into some of the most worrying issues such as cancer, AIDS/HIV or environmental concerns.

But medicine isn’t the only ‘caring’ science profession!
As an engineer you could build safer, earthquake resistant buildings, or provide fresh drinking water in drought prone areas. As an environmental scientist your work could help safeguard the planet for other life as well as its people. You should be prepared for a lot of hard work and sometimes it is easy to lose sight of the big picture while working on one particular type of rat cell in a lab! But many scientists feel strongly that their work is very important.

Amanda Lynnes, a seabird ecologist says:
"My job is particularly rewarding because I am contributing towards a long term goal (developing a management plan for fisheries in the Antarctic). A university lecturer told me once that I get too sentimental about my work but I think you have to have feeling or the animals you work with will just become tools or objects."

I Saw it First!
In science you can really say this. Imagine discovering a new planet, working out how the brain functions or unveiling a fossil of an as yet unknown creature that has lain beneath the earth since long before humans were walking around on it. Improve the lot of human kind; solve the impending energy crisis; develop funky new recyclable materials, or find a cure for cancer. In science you get to ask the questions and then find out the answers.

See the World
Ever wanted to go to the Antarctic? What about an annual trip to Hawaii? Either you need to win the lottery or get into science. Scientists find themselves in some of the most exotic places in the world because this is where the research takes place. Telescopes need dark skies, so they have been built in places like Australia, the Canaries and Chile. And you can’t research lemurs without visiting Madagascar!

Want to know what life is like in the Antarctic?

www.antarctica.ac.uk/Living_and_Working/Diaries/Halley/2000/antarcticwomen.html

www.exploratorium.edu/origins/antarctica/people/women.html

Even with lab based subjects like chemistry you may find yourself working in America or attending conferences in the Far East. The most exotic travel possibility is a trip to Mars – all you need is a PhD in a relevant subject and a lot of funding to head off to the red planet.

There aren’t too many female astronauts – but the numbers are increasing:

www.esa.int/export/esaHS/ESA2CU0VMOC_astronauts_0.html

Be Your Own Boss
To many, the great advantage of a life in academia is that there is no one there to tell you what to do. A lot of people find that they work better late at night, or first thing in the morning and with no one around to answer to you can work the hours that suit you – it’s flexitime at its best. If you want to succeed you have to work hard, but since you choose what you want to study it’s easier to motivate yourself. If you have an enthusiasm for your work it can be the best lifestyle in the world.

Dr. Catherine Merry a Research Biochemist says:
“The flexibility of my job is also a big plus, I don't have to keep to strict hours, if it's a nice day and I don't have much to do in the lab, I can go and read in the park all afternoon!”

www.planet-science.com/profiles/search.html

Rich and Famous
Science isn’t such a bad route to fame and fortune for women. Women in science are unusual simply because they are female, so you will be noticed and remembered. And the media love talking to female scientists, so you could get your face on telly and become a 'science guru'. Or why not use your communication skills to write the definitive textbook or popular science book?

If you are really after immortality you will want to win a Nobel Prize. These are awarded for original groundbreaking work. Others will honour you too; the element Curium was named after Marie Curie and her husband Pierre. If you devise a theory you can put your own name to it and keep your fingers crossed no one comes up with a better one for the next few hundred years.

Want to meet people?
Despite the stereotypes science is a very sociable subject. Communication is vital and since women are often considered better communicators they have an advantage over men. You will also develop people skills that are invaluable when it comes to presenting and defending your work.

Team work is essential in research since you are based in a lab or office with many other people. Most work is based on other people’s research, which means working closely with your colleagues to find answers. Science is also a multinational discipline so you’ll meet people who are visiting from all over the world and if you are lucky you’ll get to visit them too.

Be in Demand
If you want to be a research scientist and solve problems practically, your best bet is to study chemistry. Although all branches of science rely on researchers, chemistry graduates are more likely than any others to get jobs in the lab. This is because their knowledge and skills are relevant to such a wide variety of problems.

Many environmental scientists use their skills as environmental officers or technicians, while a physicist’s training is good preparation for work in IT or finance. Engineers have better employment prospects than almost all other graduates – no matter what they want to do. In addition, 60% of engineers get jobs directly related to their degree. Studying science opens up opportunities unavailable to those studying other subjects. You can’t be a forensic scientist without a biology or chemistry background and physics is an ideal option if you want to be a sound engineer.

There are also countless unrelated career options. People who studied science are employed in sales, marketing and advertising; management in commerce, industry or the public sector; business and finance; the health service; the army; publishing; the media, to name but a few.

Lengthen Your Student Life
You may find that you love being a student. Who wouldn’t? You get to spend huge amounts of time with friends, lie in bed in the morning watching Trisha and have long summer holidays. The rest of the time you learn loads of stuff you’re actually interested in. Wouldn’t it be great to spend the rest of your life like this?

Continuing your study after university has many of these advantages. Ok, the summer holidays are reduced and if you sleep in you might have to work late. But there is one major advantage of a postgraduate student lifestyle - you get more money, lots more if you are sponsored by industry. This means you can easily afford those wild nights at the student union…