Has anyone else done this?

Angeleyes7715 · Dec 11, 2017

My mom had me watch Contact when I was in third grade and took me to the science museum. When I was growing up there was a huge push for kids to get into STEM. I liked Bill Nye the science guy and Dexter's laboratory and Jimmy Neutron. I tried to rent books on robot building and my mom bought me little mini chemistry sets and electronics sets. I lugged astronomy books in my backpack and attempted to read them although I probably didn't understand much lol. I watched xfiles and had a telescope where I tried to pick out stars etc.

I ended up graduating with a bachelor's of science in biochemistry.

I had plans to go on to a PHD after getting a job as a lab tech. It's crazy now though because I realize there is absolutely no way I could accomplish this. Way too many barriers, not enough time, and not enough pay off. I also have no where near the intelligence and aptitude for that career path lol. I cried through organic chemistry( i took upper division) and i got a c in physics. be

I'll def. never be an astronomer for NASA and I let a childhood fantasy romanticize me into a unrealistic lofty goal lol. Carl Sagan really got me lol. I wanted to be a scientist and writer just like him only exception is I'm a female.

Anyone but me do something silly like this?

Petros2015 · Dec 11, 2017

Angeleyes7715 said:
Anyone but me do something silly like this?

It doesn't sound silly, it sounds like you pursued it and evaluated what it takes and what it would give and made a choice. PhDs are rough and not for everyone. You can still enjoy and appreciate astronomy outside of NASA or a professional career. And probably science will be a big part of whatever professional path you take and your own personal learning outside the profession.

tampasteve · Dec 11, 2017

It sounds like you had a really supportive childhood and college experience that enabled you to go on the path towards what you wanted to do as a career. It is important, as an adult, to realize that your career is not what makes you who you are. If you want to make astronomy a part of who you are, you can do it when you are not working, and still peruse a career in that general field if you desire. Join astronomy clubs, join national and international amateur projects, there are many options to contribute to science and even NASA from an amateur position.

miamited · Dec 11, 2017

Hi angeleyes,

I too, don't consider your path to be silly. There are a lot of jobs in the bio-chemistry field that don't require PHD's. My son, a recent graduate of Clemson, also was a STEM student and he graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer engineering and before he even graduated had a job lined up with Intel and is doing very well. He's 25 and just bought his third house because Intel transferred him from Columbia SC to Austin TX.

My point, however, isn't about his success but rather that his work environment is with a whole slew of other computer engineers. He probably isn't the best and brightest of the group, but he's getting paid a lot of money for what he's doing because of his college education. So, you don't have to be the lead bio-chemist, but should be able to find a job with a company that employees a pool of bio-chemists and likely make pretty good money.

However, if you've just decided that pursuing employment as a bio-chemist isn't really for you, then look for employment that would branch from that. Here's a site that gives a pretty good list of jobs for which a undergrad bio-chemistry degree would be helpful.

Biochemistry Careers: What You Can Do With This Degree | Academic Invest

Look it over and see if any of them might be appealing to you. Like I say, you don't have to take a job that deals in the toughest nuts and bolts of bio-chemistry where slightly lower grades might be a hindrance. I hope this helps.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

Angeleyes7715 · Dec 12, 2017

miamited said:
Hi angeleyes,

I too, don't consider your path to be silly. There are a lot of jobs in the bio-chemistry field that don't require PHD's. My son, a recent graduate of Clemson, also was a STEM student and he graduated with a bachelor's degree in computer engineering and before he even graduated had a job lined up with Intel and is doing very well. He's 25 and just bought his third house because Intel transferred him from Columbia SC to Austin TX.

My point, however, isn't about his success but rather that his work environment is with a whole slew of other computer engineers. He probably isn't the best and brightest of the group, but he's getting paid a lot of money for what he's doing because of his college education. So, you don't have to be the lead bio-chemist, but should be able to find a job with a company that employees a pool of bio-chemists and likely make pretty good money.

However, if you've just decided that pursuing employment as a bio-chemist isn't really for you, then look for employment that would branch from that. Here's a site that gives a pretty good list of jobs for which a undergrad bio-chemistry degree would be helpful.

Biochemistry Careers: What You Can Do With This Degree | Academic Invest

Look it over and see if any of them might be appealing to you. Like I say, you don't have to take a job that deals in the toughest nuts and bolts of bio-chemistry where slightly lower grades might be a hindrance. I hope this helps.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

I'm currently trying to get into computer science lol while I work as a Pharmacy tech for slightly above minimum wage and live with my mom and I'm 26. Most people I hear are in my situation after college your son's story is a blessing. As far as I've seen at least in my area computer engineers and engineers are the only ones getting reasonable jobs in STEM. Your son chose the right field, lucky him. Btw I had a publication before graduation, research work experience etc etc. Didn't help me at all. The most I've ever made is $18/hr and it was a temp job.

Personally I think STEM careers are impossible to get into these days unless your a software engineering graduate.

miamited · Dec 12, 2017

Angeleyes7715 said:
I'm currently trying to get into computer science lol while I work as a Pharmacy tech for slightly above minimum wage and live with my mom and I'm 26. Most people I hear are in my situation after college your son's story is a blessing. As far as I've seen at least in my area computer engineers and engineers are the only ones getting reasonable jobs in STEM. Your son chose the right field, lucky him. Btw I had a publication before graduation, research work experience etc etc. Didn't help me at all. The most I've ever made is $18/hr and it was a temp job.

Personally I think STEM careers are impossible to get into these days unless your a software engineering graduate.

Hi angeleyes,

Well, $18/hr isn't the worst thing if you'll be getting regular raises. Are you up for moving out of town? If you are, then go on line and look for available positions all over the country. My son went to an interview in Wisconsin and in Columbia SC. We live in Seneca SC which is just out of Clemson. He was fully prepared to go wherever there was a good job offer.

God bless you,
In Christ, ted

Angeleyes7715 · Dec 12, 2017

miamited said:
Hi angeleyes,

Well, $18/hr isn't the worst thing if you'll be getting regular raises. Are you up for moving out of town? If you are, then go on line and look for available positions all over the country. My son went to an interview in Wisconsin and in Columbia SC. We live in Seneca SC which is just out of Clemson. He was fully prepared to go wherever there was a good job offer.

God bless you,
In Christ, ted

Oh I see yeah that makes a big difference. I have to stay in my state. I have family and a boyfriend with a job here and I have to think about having kids and things like that since we'll I'm a 26 year old female and time is ticking :/. I can't move so yeah, but definitely thanks for the advice. That would be a smart move if I could.

And I woulda been happy with $18/hr job for awhile but I got let go from my temporary assignment

!!! Plus it was in a call center job which is no kind of career. Guess I just need to keep trying.

miamited · Dec 12, 2017

Hi angeleyes,

What kind of work does your boyfriend do? Is it a professional job that would be hard to move. I was young once and I never allowed where I was brought up or where my parents lived to hold me back from moving to a new location for a good job. Now, when you get older and you're invested in a home and family and church, then that's a little different. I don't know your personal situation, of course, but your ability to get a good job will definitely depend on whether you're willing to move to where you might get a better job.

As I said, my son graduated Clemson a couple of years back and honestly the city we live in is very, very small. There aren't really a lot opportunities for professional high paying positions here. That's why he wound up taking the job in Columbia, but then after 2 years in Columbia, Intel closed up that location and he had to move to Austin. So, he put his house on the market and went house hunting in Austin and had a home bought there before he actually went to work his first day there.

Sadly, his home in Columbia hasn't sold yet and so he's currently in that 'two mortgage' situation, but he makes good money. I'm confident it will sell shortly. Columbia isn't nearly as hot a market for real estate as Austin is.

The other interview he went on before he graduated, and I'd encourage you to start your job seeking before you graduate if you haven't already, was in Madison WI for a company called Epic Systems. It was a really cool place to work. Kind of like Google. They had fun rooms and all the buildings were done in different motifs. Just for fun you should google Epic Systems and take a look at their campus.

I'd encourage you to look for a large enough company that can offer you education benefits if you do want to later pursue the PHD or other higher education. Intel will pay him for any higher education expenses so long as the education is in his field.

I just offer this as an example of what you could do, but I don't know your personal situation.

God bless you,
In Christ, ted

miamited · Dec 12, 2017

Hi again angeleyes,

Redirect Notice

This is an auditorium that is completely underground. It's like five stories underground and the auditorium seats their entire number of personnel. My son said that twice a year they have company meetings where everyone attends in this underground auditorium.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

Angeleyes7715 · Dec 12, 2017

miamited said:
Hi again angeleyes,

Redirect Notice

This is an auditorium that is completely underground. It's like five stories underground and the auditorium seats their entire number of personnel. My son said that twice a year they have company meetings where everyone attends in this underground auditorium.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

Wow that actually sounds rough. I definitely hope it works out for him. My bf is a mechanic working for a major dealership. He just started his job a month ago and it's the first shot at an actual career for him. He's only 20 very smart, maybe even smarter than me is some ways because he read a lot, but no time for formal schooling.

I'm not a person who is dedicated to their job or anything like that so I don't think I can do that. I've always needed a ton of flexibility. I graduated my bachelor's program already may get into a master's after some self study. But honestly I'm more of the lone ranger freelancer type.

Which is probably another reason I struggle other than location. I only network when I have to to survive I'm not a people person and I could care less about a company. I kinda look out more so for me and family so wouldnt really be willing to make any big sacrifices for a job or my employer unless it benefited me more than them. #millennial mindset jk jk but almost the truth.

Anyway, your son def. Sounds like a hard worker very impressive.

Far Side Of the Moon · Dec 12, 2017

Angeleyes7715 said:
My mom had me watch Contact when I was in third grade and took me to the science museum. When I was growing up there was a huge push for kids to get into STEM. I liked Bill Nye the science guy and Dexter's laboratory and Jimmy Neutron. I tried to rent books on robot building and my mom bought me little mini chemistry sets and electronics sets. I lugged astronomy books in my backpack and attempted to read them although I probably didn't understand much lol. I watched xfiles and had a telescope where I tried to pick out stars etc.

I ended up graduating with a bachelor's of science in biochemistry.

I had plans to go on to a PHD after getting a job as a lab tech. It's crazy now though because I realize there is absolutely no way I could accomplish this. Way too many barriers, not enough time, and not enough pay off. I also have no where near the intelligence and aptitude for that career path lol. I cried through organic chemistry( i took upper division) and i got a c in physics. be

I'll def. never be an astronomer for NASA and I let a childhood fantasy romanticize me into a unrealistic lofty goal lol. Carl Sagan really got me lol. I wanted to be a scientist and writer just like him only exception is I'm a female.

Anyone but me do something silly like this?

Awww dont sell yourself short. Youre a smart girl...very smart esp to have a bachelors in the field you do. But I think its so neat you had so many amazing aspirations... I pray god leads you to what is meant for you.

miamited · Dec 13, 2017

Hi angeleyes,

Well, as I said, I don't know your specific situation. But I would agree, as you describe yourself, staying where you are is probably the best option for you. Hopefully you're in a big enough metro area that you have lots of opportunities for whatever career goals you set.

God bless you,
In Christ, ted

MissRowy · Dec 28, 2017

Don't let the fact that you are female get you down. And you have a degree in Biochemistry...That is amazing...you could always become a teacher or university lecturer....if you really want that PhD you will get it

Has anyone else done this?

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