• Question: What was your most difficult/easiest/or most relevant subject you took in your final years at school (A levels etc...), and how does it apply to your current job?

    Asked by jeremytan to Amy, Drew, Julia, Kimberley, Sara on 23 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Amy MacQueen

      Amy MacQueen answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      My most difficult subject was probably Maths – but this was because I took a while to get the concepts (such a dummy!) – thankfully I only use basic maths in the biology that I do so its not too much of a disaster that I can’t remember Pi to a thousand places! My easiest? hmmm…I’m not sure that anything was super easy – I took a broad range of subjects at higher (scottish equivalent of A level) – these included things like history, modern studies, geography and english so not just science!! Some aspects of them were easier than some aspects of others but I always liked to go into things in detail so nothing was super easy compared to anything else! I think Biology and Chemistry help me most in my current job – but I’m glad I did a broad range of subjects…it helps you be more balanced and gives you more of an appreciation of the world and other people! (also you are going to be struggling for dinner conversation with non-scientists if you know about nothing else!!). 🙂

    • Photo: Julia Griffen

      Julia Griffen answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      I took biology chemistry and psychology at A level and art at AS. got B for A levels and A for art… I often wonder what would have happened if i persued art….

      Obv chemisty is most relevant to my job, and the biology really helps. The psychology doesn;t really help however it did help me improve my essay and research skills. (still never really good at writing stuff! my spelling is terrible.)

      I did find biology quite difficult for remebering all the names etc. But i liked chemistry and the foundation that i have learnt at a level i still use on a day to day baisis now!

    • Photo: Kimberley Bryon

      Kimberley Bryon answered on 20 Jun 2011:

      Biology and Chemistry were the most relevant, Sociology was the easiest. I took Maths A level in 6 months but I found it difficult.

    • Photo: Sara Imari Walker

      Sara Imari Walker answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Hi jeremy! I think I am really the exact opposite of most people!! For me math was always easiest. I had a really hard time with subjects like English and French. I find languages and the interpretation of the subtle meanings of writings really tough!! I really like history and my science classes. But art was always my favorite up until the time I was around 16 or 17. Then I started like science and math more and more.

      I didn’t really take any courses in my final years of school that are directly applicable to my current job. Although I am really glad I took an advanced level biology and also a chemistry course. After I go to university I was dead set on physics and really focused on that. But now my work is so interdisciplinary! I do a lot of stuff in biology and chemistry in addition to physics, so I am really really glad to have taken those basic intro courses back in the day. Best advice – you never know where you will end up – so take what classes you can in whatever interests you!!

      Good luck Jeremy!!

    • Photo: Drew Rae

      Drew Rae answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Most difficult : Chemistry. Too much to remember for me.
      Easiest: Physics. We had a rule that you could do physics without doing the highest maths subject, and since you can’t do most physics without maths, it was very easy.

      Most relevant: The computer programming part of maths. Don’t ask me why we did computer programming in maths.

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