In the U.K. a total of three years education at university will gain you a Bachelors (Bsc) in a life science degree. I have one in biochemistry.

Okay, so what can you do with a life science degree? NOT MUCH! Unless strike yourself lucky, applied for an internship etc. You may land yourself a place in a handful of some of the top pharmaceutical companies. However, this is still a challenge, with graduate jobs becoming more of a shoppers day out, picking jobs of a handful of websites then competing against a few thousand other students.

If that isn't enough!? Most of us life science graduates will find ourselves in a further 4 years of education studying for a PhD. So, you can expect to be earning ~£20k at the age of ~24. Quiet pathetic if you think about it?

What’s my point? My point is that in life sciences we go through some of the toughest education schemes; we form the backbone of science! Find cures for diseases, save lives, yet those investment bankers who hardly deal with life saving situations earn way more. The irony in that is the fact that a good percentage of Biochemistry graduates actually go into investment banking careers.

This leads me to conclude, unless your really passionate about science, or are 101% sure that your going to bag yourself a Noble Prize and don't mind giving up the costly luxuries in life, I would run as far away from a research lab as you can!!

Why should so much hard work lead to such little reward? Any other career, after 10years of experience will land you with at least 40% more income. Quiet shocking really.

However, I’m still going to find myself in a lab in a few months, working full-time.

Does that make me a hypocrite?

Thanks for reading!