by Amanda Dcosta

Created on: June 23, 2009   Last Updated: February 18, 2011

How To Become A Botanist

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It is rather strange that we are often told that we must have a dream first to reach a goal. Surprisingly, what we end up in life later on from our most early years of wishes and dreams may not be as expected. I was always good in Mathematics. Scoring 96% in High School goes to show that I had a very good command over the subject. And yes, I also loved the subject. I still love puzzles and math tricks or spending hours working on Sudoku puzzles, but I wanted to be a doctor and a writer.

Medicine never happened when it came to those college years. I was granted admission for the Maths, Physics and Chemistry stream. I still remember how unhappy I was about the choice and reappeared for the next set of admissions to join in for Biology, Physics and Chemistry instead. Deep down, despite the fact that I was very good in Maths, I longed to study Biology. Five years later I graduated in Botany with Zoology and Chemistry as my subsidiary subjects and I have never regretted that choice.

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A Botanist never happens overnight. It is part of who you are; part of your identity. When we are young we want to be that astronaut who explores into space or we want to be that Florence Nightingale who goes about tending to the sick and making people feel better. Yes, dreams help build us up as unique individuals, but there is always a part tucked away in some remote area of our being that takes form slowly and grows unconsciously. You might never know it is there unless you are challenged with the alternative, like I was, when I obtained admission to take up Maths, but when it surfaces, it brings out the real you.

What Or Who Is A Botanist?

A botanist is one who loves every aspect of the plant world and delves in and digs in for the secrets that Kingdom Plantae has to offer. It is one who specializes in the overall study of plants. Botany is a specialized branch of science which is systematic, organized and grounded on solid scientific rules of study. It is much more than just calling plants by their Latin names, which horticulturists and home growers claim they know too, but it is the study of science that also involves the Genetics of plants, Plant Physiology, Pathology, Morphology, Anatomy and Economic and Medicinal Botany in addition to Taxonomy. It is a mix of the plant world both outdoors and in laboratories.

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Identify The Botanist In You

Most often early discoveries of our interests play a major part in defining our careers in later

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