• Question: what would you do differently in your life if you had the chance?

    Asked by Shmila to Laura on 23 Jun 2015.
    • Photo: Laura Newton

      Laura Newton answered on 23 Jun 2015:

      Hey Shmila!

      During my undergrad degree I was sure I didn’t want to do research so I didn’t do any placements in labs over the summer holidays. Then when I had to do some lab work in the last year of my degree I found I like it! But then my lecturer told me that no one would accept me for a PhD because I hadn’t done summer placements and I only had a 2.1 so I didn’t even try to apply for PhDs straight away.

      So if I could go back, I would have tried to do more with my summer holidays and I would have ignored that lecturers advice and tried to apply for a PhD anyway. I ended up working for 2 years and then getting a PhD last year, as soon as I actually did apply for one. I did learn a lot working but it feels a bit like wasted time if I could have started a PhD earlier. I regret not even trying as who knows, maybe I could have found one.

      Thanks for your question,
      Laura 🙂

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