So, before all the shit went down today I was thinking about what I want to do, and what degree would serve me the best, since I'm going to have to change my major very soon, as I've been putting the decision off.
-It's gotta be a science.
-It's gotta have good career prospects, at least within the Boston area (this skews heavily towards biology)
-I don't want to work with patients.
-I don't need to be rich, I just don't want to get shit pay.
-I would prefer it if it could help people. ie, I don't want to build weapons or shit like that. I want to improve the world, even if in a small way.
-I don't want to be bored. I want to take pride in my work.
So, I'm thinking, biology of some flavor, engineering, environmental sciences or chemistry. I'm willing to entertain computer sciences, but that might add more boredom. Or rather tediousness. Engineering may pose a problem in that I've never actually built anything, but if you know a website where I can tinker with rudimentary projects to get a feel if it's something I want to try, feel free. My favorite science is astronomy and related fields but that's too specialized and I don't want to go to school until I'm in my 40s.
I'd take a general science program if I could, but, well, I can't.
Twid,
31 and abandoning History, and BA's in general.
How about microbiology? Do you like microscopes?
Quote from: Pergamos on April 16, 2013, 07:22:30 AM
How about microbiology? Do you like microscopes?
I'm cool with microscopes. That's definitely something to consider. That could also lead me to working in the same building I work in now, but a few floors up. Which means that I have a legit claim to tuition remission through work.
I'm thinking biochemistry, microbiology, or biophysics. All solid research fields with good career options. I feel strongly that biotechnology and bioresearch is where it's going to be at in the next couple decades. If you could relocate to Chicago, I would suggest neuroscience, because holy shit.
Environmental science could be a good field too.
I would only go for engineering if you absolutely love it.
If you love astronomy, consider astrophysics. Sure, it's a lot of school, but you love it and it pays well, although you would almost certainly have to relocate.
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on April 16, 2013, 07:36:22 AM
If you love astronomy, consider astrophysics. Sure, it's a lot of school, but you love it and it pays well, although you would almost certainly have to relocate.
I do really love astronomy, but am unwilling to live outside of Boston, and I would prefer to get on with a career. I've wasted a lot of time. Well, maybe I could, but I would like to exhaust my options here first. Either way, I have to go to school in Boston, so I would be best served with a Physics BS if I wanted to follow that route.
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on April 16, 2013, 07:34:42 AM
I'm thinking biochemistry, microbiology, or biophysics. All solid research fields with good career options. I feel strongly that biotechnology and bioresearch is where it's going to be at in the next couple decades. If you could relocate to Chicago, I would suggest neuroscience, because holy shit.
Environmental science could be a good field too.
I would only go for engineering if you absolutely love it.
I don't know if I love engineering. I've never really tried it. I'm ambivalent about it, but I'd be less so if I could take an introductory course to get a sense of it. But that might complicate things. The bios you list are probably really good routes, especially here.
Biomedical field. The one that create limbs, and works on growing organs/skin for people. If you end up in a company that makes penis enlargement pills, and better fake tits collect paycheck, and try looking into respectable companies.
If you do not like doing handyman things,tinkering, the smell of wires,metal,grease, or have the obsession to just keep messing with things then skip engineering unless it's really easy for you, and care more about the dough. In which case make some serious bank then pursue passion etc...
Tom Araya was a medical therapist before joining Slayer. He used the dough to fund the band.
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on April 16, 2013, 07:34:42 AM
I'm thinking biochemistry, microbiology, or biophysics. All solid research fields with good career options. I feel strongly that biotechnology and bioresearch is where it's going to be at in the next couple decades. If you could relocate to Chicago, I would suggest neuroscience, because holy shit.
Environmental science could be a good field too.
I would only go for engineering if you absolutely love it.
You didn't hear it from me but bioelectronics is going to be huge. I don't mean electronics for the body though that is an application, but that as the resources used to create electronic components and the cost of energy rise the only viable solution is to copy the existing biological system.
There are always jobs for people in polymers and robots.
I know you said Boston area, but there is a hell of a lot of pharmaceutical and prosthetic companies in Rhode Island, but closer to the CT border in South County. Nunnery Prosthetics is in North Kingstown. URI has the Immunology and Informatics lab at the Providence campus. There are definitely jobs.
And you know environmental science is huge in New England has a whole. You have everything from city parks to national parks within 50-100 miles of Boston.
Quote from: /b/earman on April 16, 2013, 08:41:58 AM
If you do not like doing handyman things,tinkering, the smell of wires,metal,grease, or have the obsession to just keep messing with things then skip engineering unless it's really easy for you, and care more about the dough. In which case make some serious bank then pursue passion etc...
Tom Araya was a medical therapist before joining Slayer. He used the dough to fund the band.
Definitely looking at the dough aspect. Villager and I have been together long enough that a nice paycheck will help things progress to the next stage.
Quote from: Faust on April 16, 2013, 09:31:08 AM
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on April 16, 2013, 07:34:42 AM
I'm thinking biochemistry, microbiology, or biophysics. All solid research fields with good career options. I feel strongly that biotechnology and bioresearch is where it's going to be at in the next couple decades. If you could relocate to Chicago, I would suggest neuroscience, because holy shit.
Environmental science could be a good field too.
I would only go for engineering if you absolutely love it.
You didn't hear it from me but bioelectronics is going to be huge. I don't mean electronics for the body though that is an application, but that as the resources used to create electronic components and the cost of energy rise the only viable solution is to copy the existing biological system.
That is a good thing to know. Knowing what will be in demand when I graduate will help immensely.
Quote from: Queen Gogira Pennyworth, BSW on April 16, 2013, 04:39:52 PM
There are always jobs for people in polymers and robots.
Robots would go under engineering I think. Polymers might be good.
Quote from: Suu on April 16, 2013, 05:03:53 PM
I know you said Boston area, but there is a hell of a lot of pharmaceutical and prosthetic companies in Rhode Island, but closer to the CT border in South County. Nunnery Prosthetics is in North Kingstown. URI has the Immunology and Informatics lab at the Providence campus. There are definitely jobs.
And you know environmental science is huge in New England has a whole. You have everything from city parks to national parks within 50-100 miles of Boston.
I'm a little iffy about the pharmaceutical industry, though that is something worth considering. If the money was right I would consider employment outside of Boston, as long as it was still in Southern New England. I would probably have to move to Providence in that case, which wouldn't be a bad thing, since I could still go to Boston relatively easy whenever I wanted.
I might double major with environmental science, as I can see the demand for that only going up. Or, failing that as a minor.
Quote from: Queef Erisson on April 16, 2013, 05:30:46 PM
Quote from: Queen Gogira Pennyworth, BSW on April 16, 2013, 04:39:52 PM
There are always jobs for people in polymers and robots.
Robots would go under engineering I think. Polymers might be good.
UMass Amherst has a *serious* polymers program, I don't know about the Boston campus.
Quote from: Queen Gogira Pennyworth, BSW on April 16, 2013, 05:39:04 PM
Quote from: Queef Erisson on April 16, 2013, 05:30:46 PM
Quote from: Queen Gogira Pennyworth, BSW on April 16, 2013, 04:39:52 PM
There are always jobs for people in polymers and robots.
Robots would go under engineering I think. Polymers might be good.
UMass Amherst has a *serious* polymers program, I don't know about the Boston campus.
I think I can do distance learning, but I'd have to look into it. If I enrolled at UMA, I would have to get a car.
If you do end up going into Environmental Science, pay special attention to two specific areas for maximum employablility: Geographical Information Systems (GIS software, typically ArcGIS) and Hydrology. Chemistry is a big plus too.
Cainad,
On the job hunt, and really wishing he'd taken Hydrology
Quote from: Cainad on April 16, 2013, 05:55:19 PM
If you do end up going into Environmental Science, pay special attention to two specific areas for maximum employablility: Geographical Information Systems (GIS software, typically ArcGIS) and Hydrology. Chemistry is a big plus too.
Cainad,
On the job hunt, and really wishing he'd taken Hydrology
Actually I think I saw somewhere that hydrology was going to be an in demand career going forward.
Quote from: Queef Erisson on April 16, 2013, 05:33:42 PM
Quote from: Suu on April 16, 2013, 05:03:53 PM
I know you said Boston area, but there is a hell of a lot of pharmaceutical and prosthetic companies in Rhode Island, but closer to the CT border in South County. Nunnery Prosthetics is in North Kingstown. URI has the Immunology and Informatics lab at the Providence campus. There are definitely jobs.
And you know environmental science is huge in New England has a whole. You have everything from city parks to national parks within 50-100 miles of Boston.
I'm a little iffy about the pharmaceutical industry, though that is something worth considering. If the money was right I would consider employment outside of Boston, as long as it was still in Southern New England. I would probably have to move to Providence in that case, which wouldn't be a bad thing, since I could still go to Boston relatively easy whenever I wanted.
I might double major with environmental science, as I can see the demand for that only going up. Or, failing that as a minor.
It always makes me leery that the 3rd floor of that building has diseases in dishes in rooms. o.O
Quote from: Suu on April 16, 2013, 06:08:15 PM
Quote from: Queef Erisson on April 16, 2013, 05:33:42 PM
Quote from: Suu on April 16, 2013, 05:03:53 PM
I know you said Boston area, but there is a hell of a lot of pharmaceutical and prosthetic companies in Rhode Island, but closer to the CT border in South County. Nunnery Prosthetics is in North Kingstown. URI has the Immunology and Informatics lab at the Providence campus. There are definitely jobs.
And you know environmental science is huge in New England has a whole. You have everything from city parks to national parks within 50-100 miles of Boston.
I'm a little iffy about the pharmaceutical industry, though that is something worth considering. If the money was right I would consider employment outside of Boston, as long as it was still in Southern New England. I would probably have to move to Providence in that case, which wouldn't be a bad thing, since I could still go to Boston relatively easy whenever I wanted.
I might double major with environmental science, as I can see the demand for that only going up. Or, failing that as a minor.
It always makes me leery that the 3rd floor of that building has diseases in dishes in rooms. o.O
I'm used to it. We have the same thing on the 7th and 8th floors at my place. Maybe in the basement too, but that's mostly the animal labs.
....which makes me wonder what's on the 6th floor....
Part of what makes me iffy about the pharmaceutical thing is that I would probably have to experiment on animals, which I would feel bad about, and that whatever I'm working on might get outsourced to impoverished Indian subjects who are testing several experimental medications at once because it's cheaper than reimbursing Americans. I'd feel horrible about that, plus it fudges the data significantly.
I have a couple of friends in biotech jobs near Boston, not sure what they are, other than one does work with genetics.
Quote from: Suu on April 16, 2013, 08:35:42 PM
I have a couple of friends in biotech jobs near Boston, not sure what they are, other than one does work with genetics.
That's also doable. So, it seems like some sort of biological specialty with at least a minor in environmental is looking the most promising. I should probably look into these various fields and see what's required of them.
Quote from: Faust on April 16, 2013, 09:31:08 AM
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on April 16, 2013, 07:34:42 AM
I'm thinking biochemistry, microbiology, or biophysics. All solid research fields with good career options. I feel strongly that biotechnology and bioresearch is where it's going to be at in the next couple decades. If you could relocate to Chicago, I would suggest neuroscience, because holy shit.
Environmental science could be a good field too.
I would only go for engineering if you absolutely love it.
You didn't hear it from me but bioelectronics is going to be huge. I don't mean electronics for the body though that is an application, but that as the resources used to create electronic components and the cost of energy rise the only viable solution is to copy the existing biological system.
Bump, especially in regards to this.
What would be the best double major here, Biotech and Electrical Engineering? Here are two things to keep in mind:
1) I'm probably going to go to a state university within the next 2 years, and that's probably going to be UMass Boston, so I have to work with what they have.
2) I'm probably going to have to pursue a masters with this, no? It seems like it's still an emerging field.
I find this particular career track interesting.
Quote from: El Twid on May 23, 2013, 01:14:47 AM
Quote from: Faust on April 16, 2013, 09:31:08 AM
Quote from: M. Nigel Salt on April 16, 2013, 07:34:42 AM
I'm thinking biochemistry, microbiology, or biophysics. All solid research fields with good career options. I feel strongly that biotechnology and bioresearch is where it's going to be at in the next couple decades. If you could relocate to Chicago, I would suggest neuroscience, because holy shit.
Environmental science could be a good field too.
I would only go for engineering if you absolutely love it.
You didn't hear it from me but bioelectronics is going to be huge. I don't mean electronics for the body though that is an application, but that as the resources used to create electronic components and the cost of energy rise the only viable solution is to copy the existing biological system.
Bump, especially in regards to this.
What would be the best double major here, Biotech and Electrical Engineering? Here are two things to keep in mind:
1) I'm probably going to go to a state university within the next 2 years, and that's probably going to be UMass Boston, so I have to work with what they have.
2) I'm probably going to have to pursue a masters with this, no? It seems like it's still an emerging field.
I find this particular career track interesting.
I'm not sure what it is, but I think it would be hard to fully reconcile those into a single degree, they both come from a different place so there would be a lot of modules involved, so yes a masters would probably be necessary.
Quote from: El Twid on April 16, 2013, 07:16:20 AM
So, I'm thinking, biology of some flavor, engineering, environmental sciences or chemistry. I'm willing to entertain computer sciences, but that might add more boredom. Or rather tediousness. Engineering may pose a problem in that I've never actually built anything, but if you know a website where I can tinker with rudimentary projects to get a feel if it's something I want to try, feel free. My favorite science is astronomy and related fields but that's too specialized and I don't want to go to school until I'm in my 40s.
I'd take a general science program if I could, but, well, I can't.
Twid,
31 and abandoning History, and BA's in general.
I also think that any bioengineering field would fit you - biology with all the fun of engineering, and if you choose your employer carefully you can be proud of your job too and help people... also from what i hear, some fields there, synthetic biology for example, are not too difficult, as astronomy or logic...
http://www.igem.org
whatever it is - great decision, all the best!
Looking at your options at Umass Boston, this stands out as an interesting undergrad track: http://www.umb.edu/academics/csm/biology/ug/biotechnology
It appears to be designed to feed into this program: http://www.umb.edu/academics/csm/biology/grad/bmebt_phd
To be completely honest, I would not go into that program with the idea of double-majoring in engineering, unless you get to it and your adviser thinks it will really strengthen your application. The only reason I'm double majoring is because I think it will help my future research, assuming I end up a PI, and in the short run will make me more likely to match with a researcher. I think that if bioengineering is what you want to do, you are better off focusing on the biotech track and doing really well in it, while hopefully building relationships with some of the researchers in the bioengineering program. You will have an edge over outside applicants if you have someone who wants you in their lab.