Thread: Hello

Hello,

Just saying hi. I'm 27, and just now returning to college after some time in the "real world" (some military service and some civilian work). Still trying to decide between Electrical Engineering, Geology, or Physics as a major, so I figured it'd be a good idea to get online and talk with other students and professionals in the various applied sciences!

That's all...! :-D
GM

I confess to an out and out bias for geology. My degree is in geology, though very little of my career was spent as a geologist.
I took geology because it interested me: the same reason I continue to read about it and study it. I strongly recommend taking a subject that interests rather than one which will, apparently, generate good job prospects.
The majority of people probably do not work as what they trained to be for more than a few years before moving into some other role: a related field; or sales; or management; or teaching; or a wholly new career.
That will be especially true of physics and geology.

No reason to decide, get all three. If you manage it right it should take you little more time than just getting one (I'm talking less than a year more).

I'm a chemistry and physics major and I'm getting minors in math and geology before moving on to grad school. Just getting the chemistry bachelors was going to take me three years, everything else takes me just four. It's all about scheduling and staying on top of it.

Welcome to the forum.

Welcome.

Same here. Double-major in Planetary and Space Science, and Geography. Since the bulk of the courses cross-posted, it didn't take more than an additional semester or so.

Ditto with the "not working in the field they went to school for."

These guys offer words of wisdom with which I cannot disagree. I started out believing that I wanted to major in Geology concentrating in Environmental Science... after a year of coursework, I discovered that Anthropology (specifically archaeology) is where I wanted to go. I'm still getting a minor in Geology. Take a wide range of courses as you attempt to satisfy core requirements & electives and perhaps something will jump out at you.

By the way, I spent over 12 years in the military, left & worked in the juvenile justice field for 7 years before going to college and I'm about to begin my graduate work at age 40. Don't ever think its too late!

Thanks for the replies! :-D

Right now I'm leaning toward going the electrical engineering route first and then returning for about 2 years to snag the geology (with marine/oceanography concentration) degree.

Ideal job for me would be helping to develop robotic/automated equipment for ocean and seafloor mapping/exploration. Hence my choice of majors. But like you said, who knows where I'll end up eventually. As long as it's science related I'm happy.

When I was 26 I did start worrying that I'd be too "old" once I got out of college, but my wife knocked some sense into me and got my ass in gear. I'm still young!

I'm also very comfortable with the idea of teaching science. So that's another possible route for me.
GM

Exactly. I had technical certificates, work experience, 6 years in the Army, and a lot of continuing ed. courses, before I went to College - in my mid-30's.

You do what you set your mind to do.