Are you suited for a career in science? This is an important question that anyone must face who believes that science might interest them as a career. And so one should explore this problem very carefully to be certain that the interests and the aptitudes which he or she has are those which will lead to a successful career in the field.
            There are many and varied career opportunities in science and new ones are developing each year. Each one is different from the other and requires a special preparation. However, in some ways careers in science are alike. A few things are suggested which you can use as guides. These will help you only in a general way to decide whether or not you have an aptitude for science.

Are you curious about the world and about ideas? Usually the scientist is a person who wonders a great deal about things and has a curiosity to get at them to see what makes them "tick." He likes to take things and ideas apart, to analyze them and classify them. Do you think you have these traits?

Are you a collector? Have you ever had a collecting hobby? It may have been stamps, or matchbook covers, or shells, or butterflies. Science is often involved with collecting, sorting, and classifying all sorts of things including reliable evidence on a problem. Sometimes a collecting interest may lead to a worth-while career in science.

Do you have an orderly mind, a liking for exactness? Many of the sciences are exact sciences and they require a person who is orderly both in his personal and in his mental habits. Do you find that you think logically, that you question statements, and that you usually seek and demand proof of ideas? These are characteristics which one can still acquire while one is young so if you do not practice all of them now it need not be a barrier to a career in science.

Do you like to experiment? This does not always mean experimenting in science. Do you like to try out new ideas? Do you like to experiment with a new cake recipe or a new way of wearing your clothes? Of course, if you like to experiment with scientific things or enjoy playing with scientific toys, it may be a better guide to whether you have an aptitude for science.

Do you like mathematics and do reasonably well in it? Much of modern science is involved with mathematics and so a person who does well in this subject and likes it is usually better fitted for a scientific career than one who dislikes it and does not do well. However, there are many interesting career possibilities in science where mathematics is used only once in a while so do not let this discourage you.

Have you found science interesting? If you have studied general science for one or two years, you have had an opportunity to explore not only many of the areas with which it deals, but also some of the ways in which the scientist works. If you have found an interest in these things, then it is possible that science could offer you an interesting career.

Do you like science hobbies? The hobbies in which young people engage may indicate an aptitude for science. There are many other hobbies besides collecting. Perhaps you have hobby interests in photography, observing birds, making model planes, rocketry, chemistry, automobiles, scouting, or some other field. If you have a strong hobby interest in some area of science, you should by all means explore the possibilities of continuing this interest as a career.

Do you like to try to solve puzzles or brain twisters? A young person may not yet have found any area of science in which he is interested and yet he might be a "late-blooming" variety – one who has a scientific bent or type of mind but hasn't yet found his field. If you have an interest in solving puzzles or if you are challenged by brain twisters and like to work at them, if you like to second guess on the solution of mystery stories, these may be clues which you should follow up before you close the door on science as a career.

Do you like to read about science, watch science programs on television, or listen to them on the radio? Do you like detective stories? These might serve as one way of checking whether or not you have a lasting interest in science. Do you like to read books about science when you have a free choice? Do you like science or nature magazines, and do you read articles in them? Today a large number of books are available on science subjects including some on science fiction. Do these books hold an interest for you?

To sum up briefly here are a few of the qualities you will need for a successful career in science:
(1) A lot of good common sense in making judgments
(2) A devotion to hard work
(3) Intellectual honesty, patience, and tolerance
(4) A strong sense of wonder and curiosity
(5) A genuine interest in studying, for a scientist must be a student all of his life

Some Careers in Science