Warning: the post that follows is aĀ āthinking out loud about my life and things like thatā post
Yāall, looks like Iām almost done with my bachelorās. 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 masterās. 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 Iām feeling lazy. I actually found some things in Russia that look totally amazing but I have a sneaking sensation that Iām not going to be allowed to go there xD
Otherwise thereās plenty of choice here in Canada. Nice places nearby and far away.
But what do I study?? Iām looking in the general direction of the earth/environmental sciences. Or planetary science in general. I feel like Iām pretty done with physics. I kind of donāt 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 Europaās 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 Iād 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 needĀ to expand my knowledge to areas outside of just physics.
I donāt think Iād 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, Iād donāt 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 couldnāt care less. The idea is that wherever I work, I do worthwhile stuff. Academia isnāt a terrible place for that, but as far as that goes, Iād better make sure Iād 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.