Science
What kind of job in science can you get without going to college?
I did horrible in high school - no AP classes. I never cared about school until I was 16, and I started getting decent grades then.
After high school, I became inspired by press releases of scientists making neural networks on a chip that can perform computation and is able to self-organize to learn.
I was also very curious how the brain works.
I decided I wanted to do neuroscience/bioengineering.
I went to a community college for 4 years just to finish all the science and math classes for lower division - this was being a full time student. I pretty much left community college with enough units to get a bachelors, but I had to take all those classes just to meet requirements.
I misunderestimated my classes at the semester before applying and my grades tanked. I ended up only getting into UC Riverside for neuroscience, but I had my sights set on grad school so I wasn't too concerned.
I went to two research labs to volunteer. The first one was incredibly boring - they gave me the most menial of tasks. I didn't expect much given that it was undergrad, but I ended up finding another lab that was much more engaging, and suited for my interests - memory in the brain.
I was also interested in how the brain turns short term memories into long term ones, and I asked the PI to mentor me in a literature review, and I had to a chance to present it to the lab.
Near the end of my last year, I came across a press release from USC on a hippocampal prosthesis. Essentially, they're able to mimic the brain's ability to turn short term memories into long term ones with a chip, albeit for the most basic of memory tasks. But this looked like exactly what I wanted to do.
My engineering background was weak since I did my undergrad in neuroscience, so I went back to my JC and took additional math, engineering, and programming classes for a year.
I applied for the grad program(MS) and I got in.
Currently attending USC for neural engineering.
Looking forward to getting into the PhD program.
Lol science is terrible. You don't own any of the research you do, the company/university does. Scientists are paid terrible, there is very little freedom, etc.
I did horrible in high school - no AP classes. I never cared about school until I was 16, and I started getting decent grades then.
After high school, I became inspired by press releases of scientists making neural networks on a chip that can perform computation and is able to self-organize to learn.
I was also very curious how the brain works.
I decided I wanted to do neuroscience/bioengineering.
I went to a community college for 4 years just to finish all the science and math classes for lower division - this was being a full time student. I pretty much left community college with enough units to get a bachelors, but I had to take all those classes just to meet requirements.
I misunderestimated my classes at the semester before applying and my grades tanked. I ended up only getting into UC Riverside for neuroscience, but I had my sights set on grad school so I wasn't too concerned.
I went to two research labs to volunteer. The first one was incredibly boring - they gave me the most menial of tasks. I didn't expect much given that it was undergrad, but I ended up finding another lab that was much more engaging, and suited for my interests - memory in the brain.
I was also interested in how the brain turns short term memories into long term ones, and I asked the PI to mentor me in a literature review, and I had to a chance to present it to the lab.
Near the end of my last year, I came across a press release from USC on a hippocampal prosthesis. Essentially, they're able to mimic the brain's ability to turn short term memories into long term ones with a chip, albeit for the most basic of memory tasks. But this looked like exactly what I wanted to do.
My engineering background was weak since I did my undergrad in neuroscience, so I went back to my JC and took additional math, engineering, and programming classes for a year.
I applied for the grad program(MS) and I got in.
Currently attending USC for neural engineering.
Looking forward to getting into the PhD program.
He who pays for research owns the research.
NSA/other government agencies, I know the pay isn't all that well
If you want fast money, NSA or any government work is not the way to go.
Its less than 100kUm no, if you're an engineer for the federales you make a very comfortable living. You won't be loaded but the pay is quite decent and work/life balance is great.
So I've heard.Depends on what you mean by "fast money." If you work for an agency like the NSA for a couple years after college then go to a contractor with your experience and TS/SCI clearance you will get paid very well.
Its less than 100k
Are you seriously suggesting that you expect a new college grad to be making $100k?
Yeah if you are a lucky pharmacy grad.
Are you seriously suggesting that you expect a new college grad to be making $100k?
Are you seriously suggesting that you expect a new college grad to be making $100k?
I was a terrible student in college:
1) Had a band, and we were regulars at the off-campus hangout. We'd pull in $500-$1000 a week from gigs playing 70's and 80's rock. However, we had to spend so much time practicing that I didn't study.
2) Tried going into radiography, turned out to be a disgusting profession that paid just a bit more than McDonalds. Dropped it.
3) Went into culinary school, got my certificate, and made fancy food for a few years.
4) Went back to school and got an A.S. in Computer Aided Design. Intended to finish BS in engineering, never went back due to a job offer as a team leader at Philips/Magnavox.
5) Turned hobby of PC's into an IT career during the .com bubble
6) Got hired at present employer, been in IT hell for 15 or so years now.
My parents never gave me any encouragement, guidance, or direction as to education and my career. They both barely finished high school and nobody in their family went to college. School was treated as a "thing that holds you back from working in a factory". As a result I was all over the place, wasted a lot of time, and didn't have and set goals until later in life...at which time it's too late to achieve many of them. In effect a "jack of all trades, master of none".
Definitely not making the same mistake with my kids. I have my daughter taking college courses to become a veterinarian in her high school prep program, and I'm grooming my son to figure out what he likes to do before he turns 14 so we can start exploring possibilities.
It's rare to happen for someone right out of college. What the Hell does a geology person do? Research ?
Are you seriously suggesting that you expect a new college grad to be making $100k?
I think half the people I knew made $100K or more out of college. It just depends on what industry is booming, right now (at for the past decade) it's financial services and software.
When & Where, this is not the norm anymore.