The most eye-opening part of studying for my BSc in genetics was recognising the importance of failure. I’ve learned that the only certainty in science is its imperfection. Experiments will fail, grant applications can be rejected, and studies may eventually be proven incorrect. These failures help us develop new and innovative approaches that lead us to our greatest successes. Perfection is not a prerequisite for becoming a successful scientist. Instead, it is more important to be committed to learning from our failures and having the resilience to persevere in spite of them.