Warning: the post that follows is a “thinking out loud about my life and things like that” post
Y’all, looks like I’m almost done with my bachelor’s. What do I do??
I graduate in the fall (taking one last course over the summer), but what happens next?
Do I go and get a diploma in aircraft maintenance?
Or learn how to use chainsaws and climbing gear and such and become a utility arborist or something?
Do nothing and slowly turn into a pile of mush?
Actually become a full-time writer?
Basically the only certainty is that I definitely do want to get a master’s. Dunno exactly in what, though, or where.
The idea of studying abroad is kind of tasty, if a bit daunting. Not going to go into the pros and cons now, because I’m feeling lazy. I actually found some things in Russia that look totally amazing but I have a sneaking sensation that I’m not going to be allowed to go there xD
Otherwise there’s plenty of choice here in Canada. Nice places nearby and far away.
But what do I study?? I’m looking in the general direction of the earth/environmental sciences. Or planetary science in general. I feel like I’m pretty done with physics. I kind of don’t want to take another quantum mechanics course again. I think the things I enjoyed the most were the applied aspects; using physics for things, like explaining Europa’s magnetic field using (actually really simple) electrodynamics. Also computer modelling.
Based on my current experience, computer modelling-related things would probably be the easiest to which to transition - easier than, say, geophysics or ecology (where I’d have a host of topics on which to get up to speed), but those things seem so gosh-darn interesting, especially with the field work. And I really need to expand my knowledge to areas outside of just physics.
I don’t think I’d want to spend my working life sitting in front of a computer all day (although that would be a great way to sneak some writing into my workday...). Computer modelling will, pretty much be just that. But it does carry some level of satisfaction; making code work is a heavenly sensation.
But in the end, I’d don’t want to end up working for an oil company (or some other entity that is, morally, a hot, sticky pile of decomposing garbage) or some corporation about whose products I couldn’t care less. The idea is that wherever I work, I do worthwhile stuff. Academia isn’t a terrible place for that, but as far as that goes, I’d better make sure I’d be down for the lifestyle.
So...yeah. Going to wrap this up before I go on a tangent about how drastically my literary tastes have changed over the last year and how that is probably a reflection of, or possibly even caused by or a cause of the evolution of my worldview and life and career goals and such.
