Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with degree

What is ethnomusicology all about?

Vic Morrow's Personal Vietnam — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:58:01 -0800

What topics are covered in ethnomusicology? What sorts of courses do ethnomusicology majors usually require? What do people with ethnomusicology degrees usually end up doing? (Much more inside) I have a pretty strong interest in music theory (particularly tuning systems, temperaments, and their development) and in anthropology. So it seems like ethnomusicology might be a good field of study for me to dive into. But I'm still not sure what ethnomusicology really is. The definitions I have encountered seem hazy and very generalized (although I guess that's usually the case in anthropological topics), and I would like to know if there are specific topics that are always covered in the study of ethnomusicology, whether you end up researching Russian hip-hop or gamelan music or the evolution of church modes. I'd also like to know what you do with a major like that once you've actually gotten a degree. When I get a better idea of this, I hope I will get a better idea of what I want to study and how to study it most effectively (i.e. with a major, a minor, an 'undergaduate thesis' or directed study program, etc).

PS: I am 20 years old. I spent one very bad freshman year at a college I would rather not have to go back to, ending with a GPA just under 2.0. I've spent the year since then working at a low-income grind of a job, which -- while good for my character and such -- is about to make me tear my hair out. In other words, I finally feel eager to actually study and learn the topics that interest me, but I will have a tough time convincing any college of that with my current transcript. Any advice you might have about all that is welcome.

How can I use my law degree and still like my life?

Anonymous — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:47:38 -0800

I'm getting a law degree but I hate being adversarial. Any ideas for something fun to do with this degree? I know there are books about this question, but I thought some of you lovely people might have personal experiences you could share, or at least some outside-the-box ideas.

I came to law school because I wanted to be a public interest lawyer -- I like helping people. I have one year left before I graduate and sit for the bar. I have spent the last two years learning about indigent defense and working at the public defender's office. Even though I think the work public defenders do is very important, I think it makes me miserable.

I admire public interest lawyers who fight for good, but the truth is that I just hate fighting! That is hard to admit, and it took me a long time to own up to it, but it's just true. Fighting just depresses me.

If I could turn back time, I would never have gone to law school. I would have opened up an organic coffee cart near the beach, or become a dog walker or something. But now I owe $120K in student loans (and by the end of this year, I'll owe around $180K). So I sort of feel like there is no turning back...I'm going to need to get a decent-paying job just to pay off the loans, which means something in the legal field. ...Right?

(For anyone wondering how my debt could be so huge: tuition is $35K per year, and I get about $25K per year for living expenses. Cost of living in my city is pretty much as high as it gets within the US.)

How to work for the National Parks

Alpenglow — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 06:57:01 -0800

I'm sick of my cubicle - I need advice on how to go about obtaining a career in a National Park. What degree is most useful? Where do I start? After 12 years working for The Man, I'm over it & want out. Outside, that is. I'd like to start taking evening classes toward a degree that will help me work for the U.S. National Parks. What should my concentration be? And what's the best way to get a job in the parks?

Balancing work experience and college?

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:58:59 -0800

I am switching from full-time college with a part-time job to part-time college with a full-time job to gain more experience. I'm in the Web software development industry. How do I keep motivated and not get discouraged? I have had a part-time/full-time job since I was 15 developing a niche Web application. I've since graduated from high school and completed my freshman year at a nearby university working 30+ hrs/wk with classes 15 hrs/wk (not including studying) with a 3.5 GPA. The job is going downhill quickly with new management and many of my smart coworkers leaving for bigger out-of-state companies. If I could, I'd work somewhere else, but there isn't a lot of companies doing what I do in this area.

That's why, a few months ago, I resolved to quit the job by the end of summer to focus on getting my degree in Computer Science while living with my parents to cut expenses. I planned on doing some consulting type work, not for the money per se, but to keep my current skills.

A month ago, an ex-coworker called me asking if I'd be interested in joining their team at a company I always dreamed of working for. It's at a relatively large company in California. I decided that I should give it a shot because I have noting to lose-- and got the offer. It's definitely not over my head but it'll give me a new challenge. The job will start out using the skills I developed at my present job and I'll have the opportunity to learn more as I continue to work there. I'll get paid a lot of money and can live on my own. The people are great, I feel wanted, and the environment rocks.

The only problem is that I'm not through school yet! My friends and family think that this is a non-issue because I'm getting relevant job experience and the company will pay for school. My parents argue that continuing with school here will leave me without relevant experience when I graduate. Indeed, many of my coworkers are working below market to gain Web app experience-- and they have CS degrees from the university I have attended.

At the same time, I recognize the need for a good education. I know that the "CS theory" & math skills I have must be improved on if I want to continue a career in this field because the Web isn't going to be using my current skills forever. I plan on going to a local community college part-time with this full-time job. There is a university nearby but, of course, my admission there isn't guaranteed.

I'm concerned that I'll be a greater risk of getting discouraged with school. I'm concerned that I should be focusing on school to potentially transfer into a better school. (Basicially, that I should be a "traditional student" and not going part-time.) I'm concerned that if I don't take this job opportunity doing what I love, I'm going to regret it forever. However, I could leave this job after a year and return to the same university.

I'm looking for advice. I'm pretty much committed to taking the job right now but I'd like to get some perspective from others who have more experience than I do.

Here are a few starting points:

How do I transfer from a community college to a university as a part-time student? Should I look into online or distance education? Any gotchas? Should I be concerned about 7-10 year time limits on undergrad degrees?

Any wise words to keep me motivated to get through school and work? Will this job be an asset or a liability to applying for a university in a couple of years (think application essay and/or my knowledge gained on the job)?

Thanks everyone! You may contact me here: workingstudent@rocketmail.com

How to convince employers that you are more than your job title?

MeetCleaverTheatre — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 11:33:11 -0800

I am a library director who definitely needs a change of job (possibly a change of career) but I am stumped as to how to convince employers outside the library world that I am willing, able and sometimes more than qualified to do a job that doesn't necessarily involve books/libraries/IT maintenance. Can anyone share examples of how to convince employers you are qualified for something different? As above, I am a library director and IT guru for a small midwest college (have been for 6 years now). We currently got a new president and a new executive director and what was once a comfortable position has become an exercise in justification. I am used to juggling a lot of tasks in the library/academic world, but what was once a renaissance position has turned into a "goat rodeo" of doing everything but my job...and I find I'm so much nicer/more fun of a person when I'm not there. :)

I've recently seen many jobs for corporations, hospitals, start-ups etc. that I feel I could easily do and enjoy, but I'm finding that I have a hard time convincing them that my managerial/IT/office skills are translatable from libraries to _________. I know AskMeFi is high on librarians, and maybe others who've experienced similar situations. Any ideas as to how to become more marketable? Anyone out there change careers in mid-life? FYI: I am 35, MLS, 9 years of professional library experience & teaching/public speaking exp. and 16 years of professional online media / video production experience

Any advice or insight would be most graciously appreciated. :)
Thanks a million gang!

How to work with no diploma?

Anonymous — Wed, 07 May 2008 08:15:05 -0800

How do the uneducated make a living? What jobs are available to those who don't have degrees, but can easily fool you into thinking they do? Without getting into the circumstances, I'm at a standstill in my life. I'm 21, have zero (0) formal education, thus no college degree, high school degree, or even GED. I'm not a dropout, and assuming any sort of generalized job, I would be on par with a college graduate.

What would be a good place to start to set myself up for the job market?

While I have no formal education, I'm reasonably confident that I could get a GED with ease. I have amateur skills in design, but that's about it… I'm not unintelligent, I'm reasonably well-informed about most things, even educated pretty well, but not formally, i.e. little that I can put on a resume.

Oh, and what's a good fallback? I know someone who was in a similar situation and got a dream job at the age of 20 without any of the above… but things changed, ten years later he was out of a job, and then he was back at square one. So even if I get a job that works for me without any degree-requirements, what's a good degree to just have?

Basically, I'm starting from a blank slate, but a lot later than I should. Where to start?

Two notes:
I'm not altogether against starting from scratch (getting a GED and working towards a meaningful degree), but as part of my whole not-being-educated thing, I have not clue what a useful degree is, or what I'm interested in doing. I'm not concerned about starting something now, although I'm aware that ideally I'd have started years ago.
I'm in NYC.

Throwaway address: diplomas21@gmail.com

An extra year of.....what?

Defenestrator — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 20:48:37 -0800

How useful would a minor be anyway? I'm a sophomore in college, registering this Friday for my junior year classes, and I'm at a crossroads.

Thanks to a large collection of AP credits and smart planning, I only have 30 something units (2 moderate semesters) left before I complete both my GE and major requirements. However, I don't feel like graduating after my third year at only 20, so I plan to fill those extra two semesters in with more classes and stay another year.

I could:

A) Take whatever classes interest me. Because I managed to plan everything so well and double/triple count things, there are tons and tons of courses in my major (Psychology) I don't have to take but that I would love to take if I had the chance. There are also a number of random courses from other fields that seem very interesting. All in all though, they wouldn't add up to any new piece of paper.

B) Pursue a minor. I considered Biology but the amount of Chem classes scared me away. I feel as if Business would be a wise decision because it seems that it would be useful. I know this is dependent on what line of work I go into.

However, on that note, I'm not sure what I want to do. Research interests me, and I am deeply in love with my major, but I'm not convinced I want a life in academia. Doing something in the business world sounds feasible but the vision of repetitive cubicle work keeps me from fully committing to that option as well. I know, at least, that I don't want to do clinical/therapy. In truth, I'm not really sure what is out there. The point is though, I can't base my decision solely on my future career aspirations.

So, the question: How useful would a minor really be? I would derive much more enjoyment taking random classes, but I could still have a good time and do well focusing on a single minor if it were to help me out in the long run. Does anybody in the employment world really look at that stuff? Has having a minor ever helped anyone get ahead? Would a minor only be useful if obtained in certain fields? (I would think, for example, that focusing my energy on getting a minor in, say, Sociology would be less useful than most other majors, considering its close kinship with Psych)

My academic planning center wasn't much help. They basically said "It might help you, do whatever you want man." I was hoping that the large collection of MeFites who have already tread this path would be able to give me more perspective than my fellow peers or the old lady in the planning office.

Thank you for any feedback or answers!

Career change dilemma

frosty_hut — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:40:10 -0800

I'm being taken advantage of at work. My life and career need a major overhaul. I need to make a really big U-turn, but how? Today I'm really feeling burned, and I'm really at the end of my rope. The situation today feels like a last-straw moment, though it's minor in the grand scheme of things. Anyway, the studio I work in has been taken over for the past two days by a guy from a different office. My managers never think to tell me that this is going to happen. I've been in my position almost ten years, but becasue I'm a part-timer, I get treated like I don't exist. I'm flexible and friendly and I can always grab another studio -- although there are problems associated with that, which is where some advance notice from management that I'm not going to have my normal workspace would be helpful. This is the fourth time they've done this to me. I'm so tired of being treated like drek! I know these guys aren't going to change. I could stay here another ten years doing excellent work and they still wouldn't even know my name. I need to quit and/or change my life in a major way. This is a true thing I can no longer avoid as of today. I'm in my forties and there isn't always going to be another chance to start over. I feel like I need to grab this one.

So here's my situation in a nutshell: I have two part-time radio jobs. One involves commercial production (voicework and ground-up creation of commercials), and also a lot of data entry. It's about 26 hours a week.

I've been underpaid at this job for years. I can't get a raise, can't change my status to full time, and can't get hired in any other capacity at this station. My mentor, who is great but isn't my manager, is giving me lots of creative production tasks, and seems to think I should be ecstatic to get them. My position is, I'm making a few bucks above minimum wage to build commercials for airplay on all the stations in our cluster, and I'm doing production director level work, but can't get hired full time and am not getting paid what I'm worth. People always scurry up to me and say, hey, I heard you on station blah blah blah! It's like being a celebrity, except that it's practically a minimum wage job.

I have another part-time job in which I'm on the air, and it pays twice as much, and the fun factor is greater. But my position is fill-in, rather than full time, and I can't get a straight answer from them about whether or not I will ever be given a regular schedule or full time status. They're basically not holding out a lot of hope for me.

I've begun to realize the radio thing is a bit of a dead end, and I want to start ramping up work on my other projects. I just don't know how to do it, exactly. I'm an artist and would like to find a job as an illustrator, sketch artist, cartoonist, or something like that. If I could sell my fine art, that would be great too. With an art degree I could also be a creative director or get a number of possible positions in advertising. It seems like it would really open things up for me.

Currently I have a BA in Liberal Studies. It would take about another 100 credits to complete my degree, and since I could only take one class at a time--since I'm paying as I go--completion of my art degree would be a few years out.

If I do go back to school, I would need to keep one or both of my part-time jobs since I'd be doing this without loans. I'm worried. We don't have kids, but my two jobs are already an incredible time suck. I'm wondering how I could add school into the mix and not explode. And my DH gets annoyed when we're both so busy that we never see each other. I don't want to risk more tension in my marriage.

One last piece--I'm almost finished with a novel I've been working on. In a perfect world, I would be able to nail it down and get it published in about a year's time (don't have an agent or publisher currently). An advance would cover a big chunk of my schooling costs. But again, I'm just free-associating.

I don't know where to begin, and I'm overwhelmed at the thought of how much work I've got ahead of me. Any insight/advice would be appreciated.

grad school in germany

mustcatchmooseandsquirrel — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:00:03 -0800

Grad school in Germany? I'm interested in the international programs offered in Germany. The idea of getting my Master's degree in Germany in English is very appealing. I would want to study international relations, public policy, or do a program focused on Eastern Europe.

Does anyone around here have any experience with this? I'm mainly concerned about the logistics of the matter.

Would I actually be able to do this? As a US citizen, I know that I would only be able to work 90 full days a year of 180 half days and that doesn't seem to be enough to get by. How hard is it to get funding/grants/scholarships of any sort?

Also, unlike with US universities, I can't seem to find any concrete information on how competitive the programs are. I will have a Slavic Language/Literature BA with a 3.1 GPA (not awesome), so will Germany even want me?

Any other information is welcome. Thank you.

How to request a reference?

cincinnatus c — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 09:10:33 -0800

Help me write an email requesting an academic reference (for myself). I am applying to study for an Msc starting this autumn, and I need to supply two academic references.

I have a couple of people in mind who may be able to provide one, and know their email addresses at the university. The thing is, though, I completed my first degree five years ago and I'm not convinced that they will remember me. The classes were quite small, and they would know me if they met me, but seeing my name at the bottom of the email might not be enough to jog the memory. What is the best way to approach this? How much detail about my current plans should I include?

The other thing is that I have left it quite late to apply, and places are filling up, so I need the references ASAP. Would it be completely tactless to mention this, or should I wait until I receive a positive reply?

I am thinking there must be a standard way to word such a common request - so what is it?

How do I compare progress in different Chinese degrees?

Tnuocca — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:07:59 -0800

How much Chinese should I be able to study in a Chinese degree? I'm thinking of studying Chinese at degree level. I'd like to be able to compare the progress that’s expected in different courses. Is there a Chinese equivalent of the JLPT?

Also, I was wondering if anyone knew of a standard that's generally reached by the end of most Chinese degrees (e.g. X000 word vocabularly)?

Finding an easy-to-get job that requires a BA

Ndwright — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 14:44:29 -0800

What's a job that's easy to get that requires a bachelor's degree? In order to stay in the country (U.S.) a friend of mine, on the verge of graduating, needs to find a job. However, due to immigration laws he can't stay in the States unless he has a job that requires a bachelor's degree. He's having difficulty finding employment at the moment and I thought I'd help him out.

A little employment-related info: His major is Econ with a physics minor, but he doesn't need work specifically in the area of business/econ to stay in the country. He's quite intelligent, very literate, highly competent with computers (basic C++ and java programming ability) and speaks English more fluently than most of the people I went to high school with. Personally, I'm baffled by his difficulty in finding work.

So, to my question: what's a job that requires a bachelor's degree that is relatively easy to get?

Mech/Mfg. Engineer w/o degree. Possible?

high0nfire — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:45:56 -0800

Can a person who just can't get through college make it in the (mechanical/manufacturing) engineering world? If not as an engineer, a close second, maybe? I'm a guy who's pretty smart, likes to figure things out (thrives on it at work, actually), problem-solve, etc. However, I have always been a horrible student (really horrible, srsly). In an educational setting, I have never been able to put forth any sustained effort. After High School (didn't graduate, got the California HS proficiency thing, kinda like a GED), I tried community college, which was a disaster.

I went into the Machining trade (my dad's trade). I did pretty well, learn by doing, work with my hands, visualize. Though I didn't really like the outlook so much. Machinists know their trade (like many other trades) has HUGE ups and downs in hiring and firing, where when it's good, overtime can be almost unlimited, then as soon as manufacturing dies down, Job shops sell off their newly-financed machines and the mass layoffs begin for all but the most experienced, talented, and underpaid machinists.

Well I eventually ended up at a small medical device manufacturing company (less than 10 people) that changed my life, in terms of career outlook. I started out there as a machine operator (they had one CNC lathe) and I became the only machinist there (the owner knew how to machine, but he was busy running the company). Well as time went on, I progressed from setup/operation to programing new parts, to learning AutoCadLT (to draw up new parts), eventually taking on more of an engineering role (solving problems in the manufacturing process, documentation, researching new materials/tools/hardware, having to dabble with basic engineering math to figure out burst strengths of components and stuff like that, designing new parts and assemblies with SolidWorks, etc). They couldn't afford a full-time "real engineer", and I didn't have all the education and experience of one to demand such a salary. It was such a great experience for me, in terms of pointing me in a career direction, one that gave me great joy and satisfaction. It made me feel like I didn't just "have a job" to get a paycheck, I was making a real impact and I'd never felt so "effective" in my life. Even during bad times, it was worth every headache. It also helped that the owner and the general manager were the best people I'd ever worked for, before or since.

Anyhow, after five years I eventually had to leave that company to relocate, and It took me about a year and five job changes to find something where I didn't just want to walk off the job (which I did, 3 times in a row). Now I'm finally at a company that seems to have that "show us what you can do" attitude, and I'm certain that I can stick around for a number of years.

I guess my general question would be, am I a fool to think I'll ever get anywhere without an engineering degree (or a degree of any kind)? I make somewhere in the low 40's as a salary, but I live in the metro Boston area, so i'm not exactly making a great living.

I know that really the best thing for me to do is get that degree, but has anybody else risen through the ranks (to the point of having a decent career in manufacturing) without one? Any input, advice, experiences, stories, reality checks, anything would be appreciated.

And I just have to add, to any engineers who might take this as "i dont think a degree is really worth it or important", please know that I've got nothing but respect for a person who was able to put their head down and barrel through that seemingly endless process of hard class after harder class to get to an engineering degree, with the only light at the end of the tunnel being a friggin' PE exam (which my friend, who got a BSME, studied for like 6 stressful months for). I've just never been able to learn something unless A) I really found it interesting and wanted to learn it. or B) I needed to learn it to solve a problem at my job. In those circumstances it's EASY for me. But just to learn it to get a passing grade on a test, I start stabbing myself in the eye with a #2 pencil in class. Well you get the idea. And yes, I have mental problems that are surely causing me to have this aversion to formal education.

What degree to become a therapist?

shivohum — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 06:52:13 -0800

I want to become a therapist. What kind of degree should I get? My interest in becoming a therapist anticipates the joy of exploring the psyche and of helping people in pain.

My basic desire is to learn from the best in the field, absorb the knowledge out there that exists from a variety of orientations, get a lot of supervised training, and have the ability over time to formulate my own style and brand of therapy. I think I am most interested in treating "normal" people and couples rather than severely mentally-ill people.

Should I be getting a Ph.D., masters, Psy.D.? Maybe a masters with extra training from a psychoanalytic institute? Maybe a Ph.D. NOT in clinical psychology but in something else?

I haven't done research and am skeptical that I'll like it, but I'm not sure. I'm also working a full-time job right now, so that constrains my ability to find out if I'll like it -- is there any easy way to see?

I'm ambivalent about spending five years in a Ph.D. program (if I could get in -- I understand they want research experience!). It's just a long, long time. But if it's the best way to learn the deepest information from the very best, I'll do it.

I'm also a little worried, from previous MeFi answers, that a masters degree will put me with relatively unmotivated, less focused peers than would a Ph.D. program. Comments?

Also, I'm interested in teaching down the road. But it doesn't have to be at a super-prestigious college.

Any advice? Thanks!

Adjunct Instructor, Lecturer, Professor...?

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:49:22 -0800

My contract said "Adjunct Professor." My faculty ID card said "Adjunct Instructor." My paycheck said "Lecture/Adjunct." I never cared since this was just a two-year, part-time gig and I had no further interest in academia... but I do need to call it something in my bio. I don't have a terminal degree, suggesting and the contract was wrong and the ID card was right. I emailed the department; they said they'd check but didn't email back (I'll ask again). This was at a large private university in the U.S. I have to finalize a bio tonight -- should I just say Adjunct Instructor?

How do I write a business proposal without coming across as a complete rube?

myodometer — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 05:17:04 -0800

I've never had to orchestrate a business proposal before, any suggestions? I've been working a really great job for the last two years, but I'm going back to school full-time and really need to make my degree my main focus. This job, however, has treated me very well and the recent hiring of a new director over me has only made things better at the office.

What I want to do is create some kind of written proposal outlining the fact that college graduates make X amount of dollars more over their lifetime than do non-degree holding employees. To that end, I'd like to notify my director of my intent to focus wholeheartedly on my studies but that I'd also be interested in scaling down my position to a part-time position with enough hours to maintain my health benefits.

In the past, I have proven to be able to work on a restricted schedule with no problems, but that was also when I wasn't juggling serious classes in my off-time. Would asking them for a raise be out of the question, too?

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to go about putting this into writing and presenting it without coming off like a douchebag? I am not really well-versed in the inner-workings of the corporate environment, so I don't really want to go into this completely uninformed. Any and all suggestions are welcome!

What can I do to get a cheap degree?

Kickstart70 — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 22:24:26 -0800

What's a good cheap way to get a degree online? I've seen a lot of ads for doing so, but upon investigation they are extremely expensive. I'm not overly concerned about having a degree from a well-respected college, but I'd like to have a degree. Additional info: I'm in Canada, in a very small town, have a toddler to take care of, and have a full-time job in IT. I'm, of course, interested in an IT degree, but I'm also willing to pursue one of my (many) others interests to get a degree.

Master's Degree in Urban Planning for a JD: now, later, or never?

stopgap — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 22:29:05 -0800

Master's Degree in Urban Planning: now, later, or never? I'm in my third year of law school, and I've realized (after taking on a pile of debt) that I don't really want to practice law. I think urban planning is the right field for me. Should I rush to get applications in now to start a program next fall, or should I enter the workplace and try to apply next year? Or should I skip the urban planning degree and start applying for planning jobs with my JD? I think I'm not being naive about the field of urban planning. I'm not interested in it because of any dreams of top-down dictatorial imposition of the "right" planning model. I don't think that's possible, and I'd be more interested in organic-growth planning through economic incentives or zoning. I'd be interested to know if any particular schools' programs emphasize this approach—but maybe that's the standard? I figure schools that offer dual-degree with their own JD program would be a better fit because they'd know what to do with me.

If this is something I could get a career in with just the JD, I'd be glad to be done with school and get going, but I don't have any job prospects at the moment and I'm not sure what kinds of jobs I could get. Can I get a job as a planner without a planning degree?

If I took a year off and applied next year, what should I be doing in the interim? Keep in mind that I'd need a real income because I would have to start making loan payments.

Writing a scientific paper on scientific illustration - where can I find sources?

D J Robertstein — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 06:21:58 -0800

I chose an unusual subject for my third year dissertation- Scientific Illustration. I need to compare past and present methods of recording images and their pros and cons with a named example (at the moment I've chosen Phytophthera, potato blight), as well as methods by which students and researchers observe and record their images. I'm a little stumped though, as there is very little (to my knowledge) peer-reviewed referencable texts out there for me to study with. Can anyone help? I'm currently studying Biological Science in my 3rd year, and my research project, rather unusually, is about scientific illustration. I enjoy science, but do not want a career in it when I graduate, and so chose to keep at least one of my proverbial fingers in a vaguely artistic pie. However, I now have the task of making this paper sufficiently scientific, which is a major problem since there are few peer-reviewed papers and sources for the research I need to do compared to, say, a study into MRSA or cancer genes.
The bulk of the paper will be comparing methods of illustration from painting to photography with reference to their intended purpose (decoration, diagram, etc) and the type of information they must get accross to their audience, both in the past and in the present, with at least one example- it currently being images of potato blight, Phytophthera and how they have changed with changing methods of illustration. Moreover, I would also like to look into ways of helping students to observe and record what they see, and methods drawing diagrams for those who would not be described as artistically talented.

I'm sorry if this seems vague, but at the moment I'm sitting in a bit of a limbo between art and science, and as a result I am finding it very hard to aquire much source material. Are there any books, papers, or websites out there about the subject of scientific illustration, or comparisons between photography and illustration, past and present? If you have any questions I'll happily try to be more specific.

Thanks in advance.

Distance Ed

simplesharps — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 15:33:57 -0800

I stopped 3/4 of the way through my degree. I'd like to get the piece of paper, but I don't necessarily want to study on campus or with that Australian university. I was bored with its syllabus difficulty (not it's content: web, video and graphic design) and decided to see if I could make it in the real world. I've since been working in the industry for 4 years with some success. I thought it was time that I made another change so I quit my job, traveled remote parts of SE Asia without dying OR contracting horrible diseases. I came back refreshed and got straight into freelancing. Still haven't quite mastered all the ins and outs, but the freedom of waking up and starting work in pajamas is something else.

Now that I have the opportunity, I'd like to finish a similar degree with a respected Australian institution who is well known for its creative graduates. I can't study on campus, so I'd need to apply for some form of distance ed. I'm not sure how all of this works - any recommendations much appreciated.

Working it Out

Sassyfras — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:49:21 -0800

I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. Problem is: I am grown up. I'm thinking that in about 4 years I will be headed back to the workforce. What workforce is the issue. My youngest will be entering kindergarten at that time and thus freeing my time up somewhat. What to do?

I have about a year left of my undergrad degree to go. I take a class here and there (but haven't taken any classes in about 2 years). I would like to finish up my degree before the wee-est one enters kindergarten. Most of my credits are in criminal justice so it makes sense to finish that degree up. I don't know what to do with that degree, however.

Like I said, I would like to enter the workforce, but am conflicted with what direction to take. It is important that I am home when my children are home. This is severely limiting my choices. Also limiting is the fact that I don't really care for children except my own, so being a teacher is not an option . . . at all. So, what can I do? I understand that a lot of employers may be flexible with schedules and whatnot but that doesn't take into account summers when the children would be out of school the entire day.

Work at home options? Other options that coincide with school schedules? What am I missing?

Seeking AFA in Seattle; evening classes?

TochterAusElysium — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 22:22:45 -0800

Is it possible to earn a Fine Arts degree in the Seattle area taking solely evening classes? Thanks in part to the many positive answers I got on my question about going back to school in my 40s, I am now attending a local community college and taking classes towards an AFA. The problem is that because the school (Shoreline CC) doesn't offer some of the required classes (specifically, art history) as evening classes, it isn't possible for me to actually finish the degree there.

I've called around to several other community colleges, and so far I've found none that have a program which allows a student to complete the degree taking just evening classes.

Quitting my job, or finding a different one, as the unhelpful adviser at my current school suggested, is not an option. I make good money, and am working toward the degree not for financial but for personal gain. I hope to transfer to the University of Washington after earning the two-year degree and continue my fine arts education, possibly ending with an MFA someday before I turn 50...but I'm constrained by my conventional work hours.

So I'm hoping that some MeFite in the Seattle area will happen to know of a school in this area that does offer a complete evening fine arts program. North of Seattle is preferred. Thanks!

In China, what (unique) challenges do the locals face in getting a good job?

gttommy — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 13:34:19 -0800

In China, what (unique) challenges do the locals face in getting a good job? From what I know: schooling is tough, getting into university is tough, due to the high number of graduates the competition is tough... from observation alot of people do low-level, uninteresting jobs, which would be considered demeaning in wealthier countries, so it must be extremely difficult to get a good job in China especially with no degree.

I want to research into this. What are the things I should know? Facts, anecdotes? Where should I go for more info? Search terms to use in Google?

Your help is appreciated.

Should I go back to school for a second degree?

misled — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:59:34 -0800

Should I go back to school for a second degree in something I feel very passionately about? I need advice on what I should do with my life at the moment. I hate to ask about this on the Internet, but I can't get any *intelligent* advice in reality world. Hopefully somebody out there has gone through some similar experience and could offer some input.

Some background information: I am just turned 24 years old and I graduated over a year ago with a BS in Business (Accounting spec). I currently work a job that has nothing to do with my degree (I do not like accounting) and is in high demand. Due to the high demand, I make a decent amount of money (45 an hour at the moment, which will be going up soon and can go as high as 100 an hour in the next couple years if I go independent). Although the money is right, I do not like the job at all - I find it tedious and boring. It also requires me to travel a lot, which is to say that I am never at home.

I took the job because I had planned on going to Law school and the work I do is great for experience. The person I work for still expects me to go to Law school so that I can work as an attorney for him when I get out.

My problem is that I can't see myself doing something I am not passionate about. Although the money is great, I am unable to justify doing something for the rest of my life that I hate just so that I can achieve monetary success. I have thought long and hard about what I am passionate about, and one subject keeps coming to mind - the subject of science (in general). I have always dreamed of research as a career but was sidetracked because I did what other people expected me to do (ie business degree).

So, long story short: should I go back to school and get a second bachelors degree in a scientific field in order to achieve my goal or just stick with my current situation? A new BS degree will take me probably at least 3 years because I haven't taken any of the required lower division courses (Physics and Chem - I have taken calculus but need need additional courses in math). A graduate degree after that would be another couple of years. In addition to the time it would take, I also would have to leave my current job since travel is the main part of the work.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. I didn't go into full detail on a lot of things because I noticed this 'question' was already getting too long. If you have questions for me, let me know. I am just really hurting for some sound advice.

Thanks again.

Where isa list of colleges offering the DLS?

jackypaper — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 12:45:11 -0800

Where do I find information about universities like Georgetown that offer the DLS program, or Doctor of Liberal Studies? I hold an MLS (English) and am interested in more interdisciplinary research, but alas, Georgetown is too far away. Thanks!