Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with university and career

Help me take control of my education! Law, cognitive science...

macg02 — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:27:22 -0800

Help me take control of my education! Law, cognitive science... Hi! Long time reader, first time asker. I'm 22, Irish and have studied up to now Law and German as an undergraduate. I've just had a pretty rough experience during a year abroad in Germany, the net result of which is that I have to repeat a year back home.

That has to do with some unrelated personal issues, which I'm dealing with now (finally...!), but it was made a lot worse by the feeling I'm losing control of my education.

Ok, so I chose to study law, against the advice of my parents who thought I'd be more philosophically or linguistically inclined. At the most anxious point over the past year I thought about packing it all in and starting again with computational linguistics.

That's getting at where I want to go, but I then don't want to abandon law totally.
I think the law/computational linguistics choice represents two sides of what I'm ultimately trying to get at - the nature of argumentation, and its implications/uses.

I don't want to abandon law totally... It's just I don't want to study 'just' law...

Further, I have, with little consistency, tried to learn in my spare time (for 'learn,' replace: reading a few popular science books), about persuasion, linguistics, jurisprudence, cognitive science, rhetoric, logic, economics, psychology, yadda yadda. The whole learning on my own gambit worked in the past, especially with languages, but I was studying those languages at school, working towards exams, learning on my own because class was boring. Now there's no structure to my self-directed learning, and no goal in sight.

It feels like I'm trying to do it backwards - if I was in America I'd study liberal arts first, with all those cool things like cog sci, lingusitics, languages; satisfy my curiosity, and then go on to law school...

So do I try and quell my dillettante-ish quest to learn everything to do with language and logic, and just get on with studying law?
Do I try and satisfy my lust for learning and keep on with studying those things at home, with little to show for it?
Or is there a post-graduate programme or field of studies I'm overlooking? I'm thinking of something like Symbolic Systems at Stanford (which seems more undergrad orientated) Would anyone even take me?

I'd love to do like Joseph Campbell and spend 5 years reading intensively in a shed in the wilderness, but I'm dealing with anxiety/add issues; I really think I'd fall apart without more structure and short term goals...

Thanks if you've read all of this! I'm driving myself crazy trying to tie these things together in some kind of coherent, worthwhile sense. Part of this is definitely me upset that *maybe* I'm not as smart and successful as I imagined myself to be, but I think I could do well if I got reenchanted by education. I could also just try and get by in the real world, but education does mean a lot to me.

Bonus points if you can suggest cool futuristic fields of study, and how to get at them - you know, neural networks, ontologies, natural language programming (all this stuff has to have links with law) - I'd even like to try programming, but as alluded to, I don't think I could do it on my own; I'd need structure: it would just become one more thing amongst all the other cool learning vying for attention. I'd prob start, then drop it after being distracted by a shiny penny and deciding numismatics is what I *really* want to study..

Thanks

Give me a career direction!

Phire — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:36:00 -0800

What kind of job can I get with this business degree that would let me have a degree of autonomy over my work, interact with my coworkers, and provide a measure of stability in this unhappy economic climate? I'm going into my third year of undergrad at a Canadian university in Ontario, currently working towards a Bachelor of Commerce with a BA Minor in Sociology. My tentative plans after graduation include getting a CA (Chartered Accountancy), working a few years, and then maybe studying law if I'm still interested at that point. I don't think that I want to stay in Canada indefinitely, mostly because of the climate, and I'm toying with the idea of either working in the States or going to Australia.

For the past two summers I've worked at a federal government job. The department I'm working at is related to my field in name, but not so much in practice. Mostly I've been doing clerical and documentation type work - writing procedures, updating files, translating, etc.

I am a very risk-averse person. I picked a Commerce degree in favour of the traditional liberal arts education that I probably would've enjoyed a lot more because I was concerned about my future job prospects. I'm also not your typical "passionate" person - not to say that I'm wholly emotionless, but I tend to subscribe to the philosophy that you can find enjoyment and misery in any job, no matter what it is, and I figure I don't really love one thing enough to give up stability in order to pursue that one thing wholeheartedly for 30+ years. That's also the main reason I would be getting the CA designation. I haven zero interest in investing and trading, but I don't mind accounting and find the policy kind of interesting. I think I might genuinely enjoy law, but the high cost of tuition makes me want to wait and see for now. I will be taking two business law courses next year to give me a better sense of what the field is actually like.

My rationale for working in the public service involve finding a job that I can leave at the office once I do get off work, leaving me enough disposable income to enjoy my hobbies without too much concern about financial shortcomings. In my spare time, what little there is currently, I read, draw, write, play and listen to music, and get too invested in reading interesting online debates. At school I'm part of a debate team, an auditing committee, an international affairs club, and some volunteer gigs. I have a pretty solid social circle, but we're the nerdy video game type, and don't go out much - I've always also considered myself a fairly introverted person. Being in Commerce and fielding the associated networking events I find that I've gotten much better at staying calm in unfamiliar circumstances and talking to people I wouldn't otherwise have talked to, but I don't thrill at these situations by any means.

However, recently I've realized that as much as I like my alone time, the cubicle-farm environment of your typical office job kind of depresses me. Things are very much isolated in my current work environment, and apart from giving me assignments and receiving my finished products, I don't interact much with other people in my office. I've tried to reach out and chat to a few of the younger workers, but while they're always friendly, there's been no overt reciprocation of friendliness. Everyone is pretty much content keeping to themselves.

I had an interview with an ad agency earlier this summer and I really liked the casual, friendly atmosphere at that office, and I feel (perhaps mistakenly) like that type of atmosphere is mostly prevalent in the private sector. I think I would like a job that allows me control over my final output and the quality thereof, but still lets me interact with other people on the team/in the office. The Canadian government has a system of bridging in summer students, and this is most feasible if they worked at that department summer between third and fourth year. My questions are as follows:

1) Given the above back story, what type of work is out there? I'm sure there are tons of jobs I haven't even thought of, beyond "accountant", "investment banker", and "office drone".

2) Would it be unwise to give up a two-summer history with this department right before my final summer (and thus potentially crucial bridging term) and try to go for a private sector job for next summer, when the private sector is unstable and will in no way guarantee me a position after graduation?

Any input is appreciated. Thanks very much!

Learning to Teach

pywacket — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 16:38:34 -0800

I need a good overview in recent Secondary Educational theory. Whatever is currently in fashion in Academia. Any books to recommend? Any journals that are especially helpful? I'm new to this field and not sure where to start. I'm taking a senior level pre requisite class for a Master's in Teaching. This could be my second career. I wanted to teach High School English when I was (much) younger (before my many years detour into Systems Engineering). I do have a Master's in English. I haven't been in school in over 14 years. I can't actually start in freshman classes--it's a money thing at the very least. I also have a family to care for and a step parent in hospice--so four or five years in school isn't a go. But school is something for me, something I really want to do and I have already put it off a couple of years. I need to find out finally if this is what I want to do.

I've been tossed into the deep end of the pool and need to spend some of my off hours reading about this "scholar practitioner" model and other assorted buzzwords I'm unfamiliar with. Any guidance on the praxis II English Subject tests would rock too, but hey I'll take anything I can get.

Personally, I'd rather be a rock star...

shoebox — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:19:55 -0800

What can I do with a degree in Physics? What doors and pathways will it open for me? How long will I need to study before I am able to call my self a Physicist and make a meaningful contribution in my field? I'm about to make what seems to be the biggest decision of my life. Applications have been sent and responses have been received. Now comes the hard part.

My parents (one of whom is a computer engineer) are hell-bent on making me an Engineer (EE or CE) and have resorted to every known form of propaganda and coercion to force me to think like them. To be honest, I don't really think engineering is suited for me. I can certainly do the mathematics and tackle the theoretical aspects of it, but have never had the practical ability needed. I am horrendous when it comes to using my hands to do anything constructive (although I excel at things destructive).

The main argument my parents use is that engineering will quickly land me a good job after graduation, opportunities will be plenty money will come easy, whereas pursuing a career as a physicist would involve me studying till I get my Masters or PhD and most likely end me up in some teaching position (do not want) or spend the rest of my life as a lowly (and poor) researcher.

My question basically is this: Are my parents wrong when they say Physical Sciences is career suicide? Will I be able to do as well out in the "real world" following a career in Physics (Theoretical or otherwise)?

P.S. I will most likely attending U of Waterloo (physical sciences) or McMaster U (either physical sciences or engineering). Since engineering involves a common first year here, I have the choice when it comes to specialization so I definitely have more choices than my parents present me with.

Failed School, Succeeded Life

divabat — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:22:54 -0800

Who in history (or in your life) has flunked/failed in school or university, but has gone on to great success? They don't always have to be dropouts, just those that failed in school assessments (so not people like Bill Gates who dropped out because of a clash with his fledgling business). Bonus points if their failure is the same thing that led to their success - for instance, yesterday I read about an Australian music photographer whose photo won a music magazine competition and earned him a job as staff photographer, but the same photo got him a fail at TAFE. Or a graphic designer who failed in Arts at school.

By "success" it doesn't have to be "million dollars" - any definition (respect, happiness, sustainability) will do.

I Wanna Be A Social Worker...

divabat — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:20:34 -0800

What can I do in social work and/or education that doesn't require a social work/education degree? I'm currently doing a degree in Creative Industries, submajoring in CI management (basically arts management) and creative writing. It fits my interests, and arts management is fascinating, but I would really love to get involved in a career in either social work or education.

I am passionate about alternative education, and about educational and lifestyle issues such as students getting stressed out over pressure for grades, people doing degrees they don't enjoy due to outside pressure, etc. I also enjoy working with community projects and nonprofits, specifically those related to youth, the arts, or multiculturalism. I'd mainly like to work directly with the community, but would also enjoy logistics, policy, and advocacy.

While I do a lot of volunteering, and am currently working in the university's student union, I haven't managed to find more work along those lines that doesn't require a degree in either field. I'm not much of an academic; I prefer real-world and experiential education. Doing a Masters would probably kill me (gah, academic writing!!), but I may consider it if there is a suitable program. It's a bit too late to change my degree, though I do have my electives remaining, which I plan to use on exchange.

I was thinking of being a guidance counselor, but I happen to be in the only state in Australia (Queensland) that requires an education degree to qualify as one. I'm not interested in being a teacher. My dream job would be to travel as road staff on an international study-abroad program (the one I have in mind combines performance, community service, professional development, leadership, and travel). Diversity management looks interesting too but I don't know what sort of qualifications one would need.

What can I do? Has anyone managed to break into social work without a social work degree? Are there any ideas for jobs I may have overlooked?

Parenting a teenager who needs to make some big decisions

Anonymous — Sun, 03 Dec 2006 07:59:45 -0800

Please help me to wisely assist my reluctant teenage son choose his future and take action to achieve his goals. My son has just finished his second last year of high school (Australia). He turns 16 in February 2007. He’s usually B+ student with very little effort. He claims to have no interest in alcohol or drugs. His main form of entertainment is computer games. He is not fit, not interested in exercise but he’s not overweight. He’s tall – over 6’. He’s naturally blonde. He’s a pacifist. He’s shy. He’s never expressed any interest in girls (or boys for that matter). He’s not interested in part-time work. Other pursuits can be a little difficult due to our lack of a car and our minimal income. He’s normally polite and friendly to his parents, and willing to help out (when asked).

He has said in the past that he’s interested in either history or computer programming (and has enjoyed doing a bit of C etc in school but is not motivated to write his own programs at home) but he can’t decide which. His dad is in IT, which means he never had to open his computer to see what was wrong. We’ve told him this decision doesn’t choosing his career for the rest of his life, just for the next three years.

So the problem is this: whenever I talk to him about his future, no matter how gentle or tactful I am, and how relaxed he was before I started, he storms off and says, “Now I’m depressed.” Usually I don’t get a chance to ask why because by this stage his body language alone is so strong that I know not to keep at him. I respect his privacy and ease off.

Next year from early February, he will be starting his final year of high school and his grades from this year will greatly affect his entry to university. He’s likely, just from innate ability, to be able to pull up a good enough score to get into any one of the 4 local universities but not necessarily into a program he likes. He has to make a decision about which universities to apply to by August.

I’m worried because I’m his mother, and because I know how hard it is to try to get a degree after you’ve left home and are working. I’m worried because I don’t want him to end up only playing computer games and living off us forever. I’ve always encouraged my kids to make their own decisions and face the consequences, but it seems like he’s satisfied with the consequences of doing nothing.

I’ve suggested websites (like the local university websites, the government going to uni website) etc. I’ve suggested alternative career pathways, a trade for example or clerical work for the government. Any of these suggestions result in an uncharacteristic response of rudeness and a brush-off.

What should I do to assist my son in making wise life choices without being an overbearing (and therefore ultimately ignored) nuisance?

Dressing past the interview...

srah — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 10:41:17 -0800

What should I wear to work in a higher education student services setting? Interview attire is one thing - I'm all set with that. But once I get the job, what should I wear to work? I want to build up my professional wardrobe and I want to do it right. There's plenty of information on the web about what's appropriate or inappropriate to wear to a job interview, but much less about what's appropriate to wear once you get the job. What information there is (I've read JT Molloy's New Women's Dress for Success) seems to be angled towards the corporate world, rather than higher education, and I feel like the rules are probably slightly different.

Background: It's my first professional job after back-to-back college and graduate school. I want to look professional to my co-workers/supervisor, but I thought that wearing a suit every day might be overkill in this setting. I want to be approachable by students but not look like one of them (I'm a petite and young-looking female, so this is a concern).

Please let me know what works/doesn't work for you!

How can I big myself up on a personal statement?

angryjellybean — Wed, 21 Sep 2005 12:32:07 -0800

What can I write in the personal statement on my CV that makes me sound interesting and funny yet responsible and sensible, and like someone who would be an asset to the company that would take me on (without being boring)? I am at University but my degree involves a placement year where I go find a job for a year that is relevant to my degree course. My course is called Digital Arts and Technology, which is a combination of computer programming and web design, animation, and digital art. I have to write a personal statement that makes me stand out, because I'm competing with everyone else on my course for potential employers' attention. Any good suggestions? PLEASE try to think of something slightly witty because I just hate the idea of sounding boring =/

How to study osteopathy with no savings

ajp — Mon, 27 Jun 2005 17:42:19 -0800

I am considering a career change, and need advice. I am thinking of going back to college to study osteopathy. Am I making the right choice? What sort of financial arrangements can I make to avoid massive debt? My current career is in I.T. management. I find it, and where it would lead, stultifying and completely uninspiring. I've always wanted to "make a difference", although I've never been sure how. Money isn't hugely important to me, but I couldn't spend my life volunteering.

Osteopathy seems a potential good choice. Colleges I've looked at do work with HIV patients and geriatric people, which I would enjoy. It would also tie in well with martial arts, a hobby of mine. (A career in standard western medicine doesn't appeal, for lots of reasons). I am qualified to get onto an osteopathy course. I live in London, England, and the course would be in London.

The one thing that really worries me is the financial side. I'm 32 and don't have much in the way of savings. I would hate to be approaching 40 with nothing under my belt but a huge debt. My plan is to start a 5 year, part-time osteopathy course next year, and in the mean time, save up to put down a deposit on a 2 bed house. I plan to live in it during the course, and rent out the other bedroom to help with the mortgage. I'm hoping that student and bank loans would cover the mortgage and other living costs. I could live in shared accomodation, but I've been doing this since the age of 17 and I've had enough of it. I also think that I couldn't study effectively in shared accomodation.

The Student Loans Company will lend me a large amount of cash, but I estimate this to be less than half of what I'd need to live on. The bank would probably lend me the other half, but would be far happier if I had something like a house as security. I presume this means they'll be happy giving me a loan, even if I use it to keep up mortgage payments, and even if they are providing both the loan and the mortgage. I am nervous about asking them this question directly!

I suspect there are holes throughout this plan. Can anyone point them out, and help me to plug them? Or better still, suggest ways of ensuring it would work? I don't need general advice like "investigate other career options", since I've been doing that for a while. Any thoughts or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated.

best major for international student future visa

k8t — Fri, 24 Jun 2005 10:13:47 -0800

A young woman that I am helping has recently left her home country (a totalitarian regime by any account) and is going to be attending undergraduate university in the U.S. in the fall. The school has given her a full ride as her family lives in extreme poverty. After she is done with school, she'll probably want to stay in the U.S., what sort of major should she choose so that she'll have the best chance of getting a job after that will provide her with a visa? I know some will say to choose what she loves, but she needs to be strategic.