• Question: if you weren't studying animal behaviour what would you be doing

    Asked by ronanmcc to Carrie, Cedric, Ellen, Ines, Rupert on 5 Mar 2017. This question was also asked by Emma.
    • Photo: Ines Goncalves

      Ines Goncalves answered on 5 Mar 2017:

      I would like to open a small bookshop. I’ve always read a lot and I would like to share that passion with other book lovers, both by suggesting books or authors to others, and by learning about other people’s preferences that, who knows, could lead me to new favourite authors and books. Alternatively, I would try to be a professional travel writer. I think it would be very tough but it’s something that I feel I could be good at and could make me happy.

    • Photo: Rupert Marshall

      Rupert Marshall answered on 5 Mar 2017:

      Excellent question! I actually studied psychology at university – but I quickly discovered that animals were more interesting and easier to understand than people. I’m already a bit of a teacher as that’s what scientists do: finding out new things and teaching them to students. I think if I changed jobs right now it might be nice to be an author, writing books (and maybe seeing them made into films). Or maybe I’d buy a pair of comfy armchairs and become a listener, listening to people talk – everyone has something to say these days but who’s listening? One thing’s for sure: your first job is never your last job, so who knows what’s around the corner?

    • Photo: Carrie Ijichi

      Carrie Ijichi answered on 6 Mar 2017:

      What I’d like to have been doing instead was being a professional rider – probably eventing where you get to jump the big fences cross-country. I don’t know if I’d have been good enough though!

    • Photo: Ellen Williams

      Ellen Williams answered on 6 Mar 2017:

      Before embarking on my masters degree I worked for the local council organising events. I organised everything from large scale events such as a Sport Relief runs to smaller events such as a children’s sports day, and craft days like building insect houses and bird boxes. I really loved the variety and the opportunity to enable others to take part in lots of exciting things on their doorstep. If I wasn’t a scientist I think I would still be doing that.

    • Photo: Cedric Tan

      Cedric Tan answered on 6 Mar 2017:

      Oooo a ‘what if’ question. I would want to be a professional dancer or game developer. These are my favourite hobbies. Nevertheless, the dance pieces or games created would be about animal behaviour.

      Something like these:

      https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/eco-divo-a-card-game-build-a-food-web-using-uk-species-learn-about-ecosystems-and-biodiversity-11307445

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