• Question: hey! do you prefer work in the field, or work in the lab?(:

    Asked by chloemack98 to Clare, Dave, Glo, Ozge, Sean on 13 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Gloeta Massie

      Gloeta Massie answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Why choose? Do both! Field work can be physically exhausting, and, let’s be honest, after a while – you want to sleep in your own bed. Lab work can be mentally exhausting, and, let’s be honest, after a while – you want to see sunshine. So, I say, do both! I spend about 50% of my time in the field and 50% in the lab.

    • Photo: Sean Clement

      Sean Clement answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Hey Chloe,

      Field work definitely! I love being outdoors (or underwater) and the field work is where you’re collecting your data which is going to form the basis of your report. Of course, I’ve done plenty of field work in miserable conditions though, and have wanted nothing more than to be working in a nice warm lab where I’m not getting rained on! Either way, both types of work are essential to any scientist working in an environmental discipline so what you’ve really got to do is make sure that you do your best at both and don’t let one suffer because you like the other more!

    • Photo: Dave Sproson

      Dave Sproson answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Hey Chloe,

      Both have their ups and their downs, but I reckon I much prefer being in the field. Some of the stuff you get to do while out on field work can be pretty exciting, and collecting data and having new things to look at is great for any scientist who relies on observations. Of course, the point of doing science is to find out new stuff, and for me this generally happens when I’m in the office rather than in the field, so that can be pretty cool too!

    • Photo: Ozge Ozkaya

      Ozge Ozkaya answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      Hello Chloe,

      It depends really, I couldn’t say I prefer one over the other. Personally I don’t do that much field work but lab work is also very exciting sometimes, especially when you see the results of your experiments. For example Bacteria growing on a plate, DNA bands on a gel etc. Also if you are working with a model organism like me you need to keep them happy and healthy. I was going to put some pictures of all these things but seems to be more complicated than I thought…L
      Field work is also great because you get to travel to really cool places and sometimes these are not accessible by anybody else!

    • Photo: Clare Woulds

      Clare Woulds answered on 13 Jun 2011:

      I think everyone in a field like this really loves the field work, however I have to say that I also find lab work suprisingly satisfying. I have spent hours on end by a sink washing up my kit, thinking ‘if I was washing up in a restaurant I would be miserable, but for some reason because I’m in a lab it’s OK’. I guess it’s because I know that in the end I’ll get some interesting data from it.

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