wow

[styleee]

my reaction to how different my life is going to be for the next few months, maybe even years.

i forgot how hard school is, or rather, how much time u need to put into it. :shake: u c, i just started school again, i finished one degree in photography, and now i'm back. but for environmental science. so, this semester i have 3 lab sciences, thanks to the fact that i have about a bazillion general ed classes, and no sciences that transfer.

and it's hard. really hard. i just spent 4 hours doing part of what's expected for this week for ONE class. and i have to find a job, like right now. or else i loose my apartment, and i can't do that, or i'll die. (ok, i'm being dramatic, but the only thing that i really really like in my life (outside of school) is my place, and i don't want to give it up.)

so, instead of having weekends free, and not knowing what to do with my time, i'm going to be working, and studing, and trying to figure out how to pay for everything. oh, and also trying to find time to sleep.

btw, if anyone would like to give me about $2K a month, for whatever reason, i'll take it. or even less, i'm flexible! :D

[BADFlSH]

I think I am going to be in the same boat in a few years. I am going to be graduating this year (I hope :)) with a degree in computer engineering. After working for a year or two I plan on going back for a second degree in electrical engineering. I have heard that it's really hard to make the transition back to school once you have started working. Not to mention trying to both at the same time. Good luck!

[welfareloser]

hey styleee, not to poop on your parade, but do you have a good plan of what to do with the environmental degree? i ask because of the hundred or so ppl i know with environmental degrees, about five managed to get actual "environmental" jobs... three as "environmental educators" (poorly paid camp counsellors) one as the forester for a paper company (60 hour weeks for $18,000) and ONE as an actual forester. about half of the people that i met doing lab work/animal care at the university of michigan hospital had environmental degrees of some kind, mostly MS, and had been sending out hundreds of resumes all over the country, and striking out totally - they were competing for $20,000/yr jobs in fisheries, forestry, etc. with ppl that had phd's and 20 years experience - it's just a tight-as-hell job market, and when i was going to school, i was flat-out lied to by professors and job fair pimps about how easy it would be to get a great job.

best way around that is the peace corps - after you come back, you get priority in getting hired for all federal jobs. by the time you get back, the forest svc may have lifted their 3-year-minimum hiring moratorium.

just my 2 lire worth.

and yeah, the transition from work to school is tough. it's hard to suddenly have no extra money and homework instead of free time. but you've done it before, you can do it again... good luck!

[styleee]

Originally posted by welfareloser
hey styleee, not to poop on your parade, but do you have a good plan of what to do with the environmental degree? i ask because of the hundred or so ppl i know with environmental degrees, about five managed to get actual "environmental" jobs... three as "environmental educators" (poorly paid camp counsellors) one as the forester for a paper company (60 hour weeks for $18,000) and ONE as an actual forester. about half of the people that i met doing lab work/animal care at the university of michigan hospital had environmental degrees of some kind, mostly MS, and had been sending out hundreds of resumes all over the country, and striking out totally - they were competing for $20,000/yr jobs in fisheries, forestry, etc. with ppl that had phd's and 20 years experience - it's just a tight-as-hell job market, and when i was going to school, i was flat-out lied to by professors and job fair pimps about how easy it would be to get a great job.


you sound like my best friend.

and i know, it isn't that easy to find a job, but this is my second career. i have other things to fall back on, and when i do finish, i'll be ahead of the game, because i worked for 3 years in corperate america. and, me being myself, i've never not gotten what i wanted. ever. it might take a little time, but i know i can do it. plus, i've already gotten accepted to do an intership, which i can't do until the spring (i have to figure out a way to $$$ not working for $$$ first.) and, i'm going to get my teaching cert, so i can always teach. which isn't the worst thing in the world ;)

[welfareloser]

that's a plan! good luck...

[ironchef]

my fiancee just graduated last year with a dually in geography and environmental studies (not the sciences, more philosophical in its content). so far, she's worked for an environmental consulting firm that mostly did contracts for the EPA. about 6-7 months ago, she left that and decided to cut out the middle man and head to the source. so now she's working for the EPA, stratosphere and ozone, and enjoying it.

she just took her LSATs too, so next year she's headed back for law school and an MS in environmental science. when she's finished, we're banking on the world being in a totally effed up state, thanks to Bush's wonderful environmental policies, so hopefully she'll be a busy lil lawyer.

my point, anyway, is that there are lots of places to look with an Env. Science degree than hardcore earthy-crunchy-type jobs (although i'm sure it's hard to "settle" for corporate work when you're qualified for some very attractive field work).

[welfareloser]

yeah, i know a coupla ppl headed back to school for a law degree, going to do environmental law... i think that would be rewarding.

[ironchef]

yeah, she's a good kid. she's really taking a hard look at which schools to apply for, trying to stick with those that don't focus on corporate env. law (i.e., how does one eff over the environment and work around these gawd damn tree huggers). the next few years oughta be fun..