For Science, You Monster!

I went into my Masters knowing I wanted to be studying for a PhD at the end of it and I had already heard the stories of how competitive the application process was for funded projects. With this information and my horrific social anxiety that messes up any kind of interview I was to have, I resigned myself to the fact that this was going to be a tough year. Overall it took me ten applications and four interviews to finally gain a place. Not ten half arsed attempts either, for my first three interviews I had poured weeks of work into presentations that now lie forgotten. With each interview I noticed my confidence and interview ability slowly increasing so I figured this grind was the only way really forward for me. The biggest disappointment was my third interview at my previous undergraduate university, I thought I had nailed it (I did learn I do great presentations) but there always seemed to be a person one step ahead of me. Towards the end of the academic year I resigned myself ...

So, a little bit about myself, hopefully I can inspire a few people to never settle! I guess the classic route for people doing a PhD in molecular biology would be to have done some science based A-levels, went straight to university and achieved high grades until some lecturers saw potential in you and suggested PhD applications. Well that's not me, and I put a lot of my current feelings of impostor syndrome down to this fact, I'm so grateful where I'm at currently and I'm hoping this gratitude sees me through a lot of the pitfalls during this studentship. I did well at school and came to a crossroads where I could push myself, and do do A-levels in Biology and Chemistry or the route I took, which was certainly a more appealing option, to do a BTEC in Animal Care. It was a great two years that I spent cleaning out animals....can't say I learnt too much useful and a career in research was at the back of my mind. During this I did work experience at West Midland Saf...