School

[zayg]

it is good that you aren't going straight into college because it honestly sounds like you aren't ready, especially for a 4 year. Take this year to find out what you want to do and then if you still aren't sure, but do know that you want to go to college, check out a community college. I wish I spent more of high school trying to figure out what I wanted to do because I had my heart set on one thing for all 4 years (architecture) and by the end I decided against it.

Fortunately, avoiding architecture was probably the best decision I have ever made.

[ramseames]

I would advise strongly against spending the bank's or your parents' money on any type of education that isn't based on a desire to work towards a specific type of employment. Not that you need to know at 17 what you want to do, or that most people figure it out anywhere near that young, but taking time off before you start and working any job and going travelling is a vastly better use of money, and perhaps time too, than spending $X0,000 per year on whatever courses seem interesting.

[JewTurk]

Thanks guys.

That's pretty much the plan for this year then. I have a bunch of different AP classes to get a feel for what I like. I have an internship at the U of A's college of Optical Sciences, I'll keep all these things in mind.

[agvs]

I didn't mean to come off harshly at all and I probably read a bit too much into that one part of your comment. My advice still stands though. My main point is you can major in whatever but map that all the way down the line to a viable career before you get too far into it. Research it to death. Get as specific as possible with a job title you want. Look at average salaries, job growth, etc. Make sure it's something that will make you employable because it sucks to waste a ton of money on an education that does nothing for you after college. I'm sure you've got a good head on your shoulders and you've got some time so you'll be alright.

[harmsalmon]

at school at 8am a week before school starts and waiting in a big ol' line just to change what hour I have gym. zzzzzzzz

[nick]

how do I ask profs to 'audit' their classes (aka be a pretend student!). my older brother does this, but I tried sending an email that got no response! so for future tries I want to do it right. is it a rude thing to ask? (Like being a freeloader)

I love sociology-type classes and participating in them, and learning shit that really affects the way you look at the world. funny how when you're out of school you miss parts of it. of course I dont miss 20 credits and strict deadlines and shitty professors and feeling like the world will collapse in front of me: but I do miss learning. learning is pretty cool.

[blankinput]

Emailing usually works, but since in your case it didn't, try showing up to the professor's office. It's not rude at all; the fact that you're taking a genuine interest in their field of study would likely make them inclined to let you sit in, provided seating isn't limited. Just don't be the person who audits and never shows up, because if you actually have to take one of their classes further down the line you'll really look like a dumbass.

[okayfruit]

The paper I got listed as third author for was rejected at one journal, and now we're just sort of waiting to see if a slightly smaller journal will approve it. This is the third time something I'm listed high up on has been rejected already, and it's fucking disheartening because I've put in about 2 years at this lab already and I just want to get my name on something before I quit. Yesterday my postdoc told me that he'd put my name in the acknowledgements for this paper that he has under review already, which sucks because it isn't even the same thing and who gives a shit if I made a handful of gels anyways? I started off undergrad seriously considering academia as an option for me because I thought research was cool as fuck and my PI constantly told me how I'd be good at it, but now it's becoming increasingly clear that this is not something I'd ever want to do with my life. It's a little frustrating because it takes out yet another career option, and all I'm left with is to either go to professional school after graduation, or get my masters and work for proctor & gamble or something.

Biochem is dumb. Life science is dumb.

[SteevMike]

same:
-my undergrad thesis was supposed to get published. one of the collaborators lost interest in the topic partway through so the whole thing crashed and burned
-a paper that i spent the better part of a year on got rejected from a conference last summer
-when i was admitted to my grad program i was going to be working on a team project that I was told would result in SO MANY publications. nothing's been published or submitted or even written except for one paper i wrote. none of the other people have even started writing anything, and the project ended a year ago. basically a colossal waste.

my feelings right now are:
-fuck academia (unless you're one of those wunderkinds who's been getting their name on 15 publications every year)
-make money

[bels]

Make money is my advice to all young people.

[Ques]

anyone here a lawyer/in law school? that's probably where i'll be in 3 years so it'd be fun to talk to somewhere who's already there

[BIGBEE]

anyone going to UNH in durham?

[vgtbls]

After a nerve-wracking summer filled with anxiety, I've settled my schedule and I'M GOING TO GRADUATE IN DECEMBER!! Just gotta get through these five classes and I'll have myself a purty degree. This has been weighing down on me for at least a year now and I feel so relaxed I can't even put it into words. My transcript isn't pretty but once I have it nobody can take it from me.

Stay in school kids

[rublev]

I dislike everything about careers, average salaries and job growth... i wanna work in a ...farm shop :(

[prawnzee]

because I'm too lazy to type a new thing, I'll just copy paste my flow of thought from da x factur

Pronssi| I'm starting to study psychology, or I'm gonna try what it's like. I had a revelation today and I figured I want to be a psychotherapist, have to get a degree in psychology first and work as a psychologist first for a few years tho
Pronssi| gonna graduate in cs first though, but I'm gonna take a few classes now
Pronssi| I've almost completed my minor (economics), so it's going to be basically useless school-wise, but yeah
Pronssi| dunno how I'll handle it, it's been such a long time since I've studied psychology at any level. it's probably gonna require hell of a lot of reading
Pronssi| and if I ever want to graduate this cs thing I must concentrate more on that side
Pronssi| but yeah this is a super long term thing, and it came to me really recently
Pronssi| deep down I hate computers
Pronssi| but I gotta think about this super hard, and I think the most realistic route would be graduating in cs, and while I'm here get some psych classes done, work in some IT shit somewhere and apply for a psychology major at the same time
Pronssi| suuuuper slow made process
Pronssi| how does that sound

REDACTED| what do you eventually want to do Pronssi
Pronssi| I feel so young and so old at the same time
REDACTED| like what job do u want Pronssi
Pronssi| that's part of the problem, I'm not sure at all
Pronssi| I'm gonna <end up doing> something IT related, that's all I know. system administration or some other laid-back low workload stuff for sure (smiling)
Pronssi| but
Pronssi| the thing is
Pronssi| I have this spark in my heart now
Pronssi| and I'm really really interested in being a psychologist and eventually a psychotherapist
Pronssi| I thought of this the first time like 12 hours ago
Pronssi| so I have to see where this, uh, idea leads
REDACTED| Pronssi: you dont want to do something that like mixes cs and psych
Pronssi| no
Pronssi| not at all
Pronssi| if I figure something out that would merge them then I might
Pronssi| but at this moment being a helpful person, privately, to a troubled person
Pronssi| the thought resonates with me
Pronssi| if I want to contribute something to this society, that would be it. if I stay in IT I'm seriously going to end up at a 0 effort job that does no good to anyone
Pronssi| if I can help a person and get a paycheck from it that would actually make me content
Pronssi| but as of now that's just a pipedream you know

GIVE ME YOUR JORTS ON THE SUBJECT PLEASE

[chadnik]

it's kind of funny how downhill my ambition has gone since I first began thinking about my future job (and I do mean ambition in both the positive and negative senses, so I don't think it's all bad). when I was young, I expected that by now I would have a best-selling book or just somehow be famous for my wit and winsome ways. now my requirements have condensed considerably into the following: a job in a city with a lot of trees nearby and nice art/architecture, doing something that helps people and is stimulating for me, making enough to travel a bit, buy some garms, live in a house with wood floors, and have a measure of financial security (and even these seem plenty aspirational). I enjoy what I study but lately I have been thinking more about those goals as an end point than even those pertaining to my field, and basically trying to think about how my study plan can slot me into a job that will allow me to fulfill them. it is depressing that these goals are kind of banal (and 15-year-old me cannot believe that a Pushcart Prize or scientific award is not on the to-do list) but it is also sort of refreshing compared to my previous vague, bloated aspirations of grandeur.

[eufemism]

first day of my direct observations course and half way through the class i was seriously debating changing my major. the amount of work going into just applying to the program is insane or at least it seems so to me. i have to study and focus more on school or else i won't make it far into this year without getting totally overwhelmed.

[finolino]

thinking ahead with this post

do any of you guys know how i can put an english (creative writing, more specifically) major to good use after i leave college and join the common workforce? it's a major that i'm heavily interested in pursuing, seeing as to how writing is one of the only pastimes i have that i'm good at and, most importantly, enjoy doing, but i know that the ever growing scarcity of literary-related jobs on the market means that my degree could mean absolutely nothing in a few years. some food for thought on how that last point could change would help a bit!

i still have about five years to think this through so i'm not too worried, though

[bels]

Sell your soul and go into marketing I guess?

[Bobbin.Threadbare]

I did a degree in Linguistics and have a career. There's hope.

[stappard_]

Mine was in Social Anthropology, always a contender in any 'obscure and useless degree' contest

[zayg]

I may take the prize here with obscure. "Global supply chain management."

Maybe not useless, although I don't know exactly how fulfilling it may be...

[yoyobeat]

Is going to grad school at all worth it?

Any kind of grad school.

Should one go to grad school if he does not have a clear idea of what they would do with grad school but miss learning and a beautiful campus.

[maj]

i've just seen the prediction of what my student loan will be and after i take away rent it's shocking. genuinely questioning my survival.

[RomanEmpire]

We got a new principal this year and one of his new rules is that we can't use cell phones in the hallway because he doesn't want us to record fights and put them online

[wiggly--woo]

[breakadawn]

try living in london m8, I have a £6k maintenance loan and a £3.5k grant and it only just covers my accommodation for the first year. Considering moving to some secret location after uni just to avoid loan repayments lol

[papabear]

I'm going into my senior year studying business administration with an accounting concentration, but I have no intentions to work in accounting or getting my CPA. I want to work marketing/biz dev in possibly the fashion industry. Should I go to grad school for merchandising or something. or should I just try to find work and build my way up? I currently have job experience in social media/content/SEO marketing if that changes anything. Thoughts?

[INNIT]

I failed out of engineering and am now doing my bachelors of arts in english/theology (smiling)))

hit me up if u wanna talk about the torah im all about that ancient israel

prolly never gonna have a real job tho

[zayg]

new roommates actually seem cool and not slobs

digging this