• Question: hi its ellie and jamilia we were wondering how many gcse's and a levels you have had too get to be able to become a scientist? when you were at univercity what were all the degrees you had to study? Thanks

    Asked by whjamandellie to Anil, Blanka, Cees, Emma, Mike on 2 Jul 2012. This question was also asked by whbethandeve.
    • Photo: Emma Trantham

      Emma Trantham answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      Hi Ellie and Jamilia

      I have 9 GCSEs and 4 A levels (Maths, Chemistry, Physics, Biology) and an AS level in English Lit. You don’t necessarily need to study all the sciences and maths at A level to become a scientist – I did it because I wanted to go to vet school (when you need 3 sciences or 2 sciences+ maths).

      I studied my vet degree at univeristy and also took a year out to get my BSc (science degree) in Veterinary Pathogenesis (which is the study of how animal diseases happen). This meant that at university I covered lots of different subjects including anatomy, physiology (how the body works when it is healthy), pathology (what happens when the body is diseased), microbiology (the organisms that cause many diseases) and animal husbandry (how to look after animals and some basic farming like how to make sileage – a type of fermented grass that cows are fed).

      Do you want to study science when you are older?

    • Photo: Michael Cook

      Michael Cook answered on 2 Jul 2012:

      I’ve got 11 GCSEs and 3 A-Levels (Maths, Physics, Philosophy) and one AS level (in English Lit also!). For Computing, A-Level Maths is quite important, and most universities like Physics at A-Level too (because it’s not really possible to do a Computer Science A-Level). Some universities these days like Further Maths, but I didn’t need it when I applied.

      At University I studied Computing, sometimes called Computer Science. I studied for four years and ended up with a Masters of Engineering degree! I still think of myself as a scientist rather than an engineer though!

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