Question: goood luck in the future work hard. do you think you will be succesful?

Craig McKenzie answered on 22 Jun 2011:

Thank you very much brookeparis,

It was great to talk to you guys today – i am working very hard to be the best i can be at work and outside of work – it is much easier to work hard at things when you really enjoy what you are doing – which I do. I always think i am quite lucky to get paid for doing something I really like. I do lots of cool science, meet amazing people and have been lucky enough to talk to students like you.

As for success – it means different things to different people. In ‘i’m a scientist get me out of here’ i have a feeling this will be my last day and i’ll be evicted from the house, but although I would be sad about that because the students and the other scientists are brilliant people and I’ve really enjoyed getting to know evwrybody a little bit. I think it was a success just to be asked to be involved!

As for success outside the competition i want to do good scientific work that is thought to be very good by other scientists and which will make a difference, however small it might seem to others. Big scientific discoveries don’t just happen instantly and are very rare but are normally small and careful steps that build up to something bigger.

Outside of work i feel very successful – i think the secret of happiness and personal success is a little self confidence, great friends and family and the freedom to make your own choices – i have all of these because i have worked hard at it and don’t take anything for granted. I love meeting people, travelling through the world with my rucksack on listening to great music with the wind in my hair and a smile on my face!

So good luck to you and i know that you will be successful with whatever you put your mind to – maybe you’ll be teaching me something scientific in a few years time!

Bye for now,
Craig