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At the roundtable discussion organized for secondary school students during the 37th National Scientific Students’ Associations Conference (OTDK) Biology Section, Attila Gácser, head of the Institute of Biology at the University of Szeged, was joined by two members of the Hungarian Young Academy, Szilvia Veszelka and Imola Wilhelm. During the one-hour-long event organized on the premises of the Headquarters of the Szeged Regional Committee of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, nearly 50 secondary school students interested in science received valuable insights into the everyday life of researchers, helping them to make informed career choices.

The moderator of the discussion, Veronika Péter-Kovács, a biology-environmental science teacher at Tömörkény István Secondary School asked some essential questions such as: How and why does someone become a researcher? Who were the most influential people that guided the invited experts towards a research career? What are the most important qualities a researcher should have? How important is language proficiency in a research career? Does luck play a role? Do researchers have time for other things — do they have hobbies that help them recharge?

The responses from the three panelists offered many valuable lessons for the students about determination, the importance of English, flexibility, and especially the ability to cope with failure. It was fascinating to hear about the diverse paths and experiences that led to success, the different ways the researchers unwind, and the possibilities of achieving work-life balance. However, the most inspiring stories were clearly those about the thrill of discovery — the moment of experiencing something new previously unheard of or described in an experiment.

The event was organized by Péter Poór, one of the coordinators of the Youth Mentoring Committee of the Hungarian Young Academy.