Katie Schulz

"The Coordinator and Trainer personality types fit quite well for a science postgraduate student because one of the most important traits for someone in this role is efficient organisation. As a researcher I often work with others and so the Influencer trait fits well too. "

"I am a final year PhD student studying Plant Biology and my focus is on crop improvement. I spend most of my time in the lab carrying out experiments, and a fair amount of time on the computer analysing and writing up results. I enjoy how every day is different and the flexibility of what I do. Funded PhD students usually receive a stipend of around £14,000 a year. There are many career possibilities after the PhD is complete."

"In high school I had no idea what job I might want in the future and I didn’t think I wanted to go to university. In sixth form, I realised the subject I enjoyed learning about the most was biology and so decided to continue my studies into university. Despite having several learning disabilities, I studied very hard and was awarded a scholarship and unconditional offer to study at Aberystwyth University. I hadn’t heard of any scholarships exams and was very lucky that my Applied Science teacher mentioned this one to me. Keep an eye out for scholarship opportunities!Then in the summer of my second year of university, I applied for a 10-week research placement at the Warwick Crop Centre. I ran my own project and also got involved with other experiments along the way. I spent a busy summer getting experience in my first professional laboratory which was very exciting, exhausting and gave me a real view of what research actually was, and how important and interesting plant science could be. This led to me applying for PhD projects focused on crop improvement."

"I read fiction books every chance I get, and love films and TV series. I find them a great way of relaxing in my spare time. "

"Except for the days where you endlessly repeat experiments, no days are the same. As a PhD student, I manage my own time and decide what I need to do and when I need to do it. This can be a little overwhelming at first but you become very good at prioritising. Apart from lab work, I am on the computer a lot answering emails, analysing data, reading research papers or creating my next presentation for the next meeting/seminar/conference, etc. I have definitely improved my presentation and communication skills since the beginning of this PhD. Also plans can change quickly, and so I have to be flexible and adaptable to make the best out of any situation that comes my way."

"AS-levels: Applied Science, Psychology and Health & Social CareA-levels: Biology and ITUndergraduate degree: BSc in Biology at the Aberystwyth University Postgraduate degree: Working on it!"