Saturday, December 06, 2003
I never got around to revealing my major life decision. It may not seem like a big deal since it's fairly logical and plenty of other people do it, but for me it was a hard choice to make since I'd had other plans for so long. I'm taking a year off before grad school and working. Why? I keep changing my mind about my specific interests, so it doesn't seem wise to decide on a school and advisor when I could very well change my mind in a couple months. Like I was sort of headed in a development direction with this fish project of mine, but of my courses this semester I loathe development and love animal behavior.
Somewhere in the past few years I think I lost track of why I wanted to be a bio major. Why do I? Because life is amazing and nature astonishes me. But somewhere down the line, I got swept up with the pre-med competitive environment, where a drive to "succeed" drowns out an appreciation and passion for the material. I think a year off will help me recover from four years of competition and will hopefully help me define my interests better so that I can choose a grad school and advisor with confidence.
Fall break of freshman year I took a Cornell Outdoor Ed sea kayaking trip in the Thousand Islands. I really loved it- it's a great feeling to have control of your own kayak and know that you're capable of transporting all your gear around from island to island. And I was pretty good at it- one of the instructors suggested that I apply to be a COE instructor myself. You're probably wondering where I'm going with this. Well, a year or two ago, when I was swamped with work and it was cold outside, I was daydreaming of where I'd most like to be, and I decided that a kayaking vacation in a warm locale would be ideal. Paddle around islands, explore what was around each one, keep an eye out for animals, jump in the water for a swim if it got too hot, get some exercise and a nice tan, and otherwise enjoy myself. Sounds like a good vacation to me. But wouldn't it be even better if I could take something like that, which I love, and turn it into a job?
Ergo (:P), next year I'm hoping to get a job or two doing field work somewhere a little more exotic than Ithaca. No, it probably won't be as idyllic as my little kayaking fantasy, but I just want to get out there and see more of the world, especially new settings that will rekindle my love of nature. I won't get paid much, that's for sure, but if I'm learning, enjoying what I do, and my basic needs are met, then it should be a success. Perhaps I'll come across some natural system that's so incredible that I'll want to study it for my PhD thesis.
So yeah, it's a little scary knowing that I have to find a job and that my life won't be neatly prepackaged into the life of an undergrad or grad student, but it's also pretty exciting knowing that there's so much out there waiting for me to discover. So while I have some time over break I'll be looking into field work opportunities, and hopefully next year my life will take an exciting turn.
Somewhere in the past few years I think I lost track of why I wanted to be a bio major. Why do I? Because life is amazing and nature astonishes me. But somewhere down the line, I got swept up with the pre-med competitive environment, where a drive to "succeed" drowns out an appreciation and passion for the material. I think a year off will help me recover from four years of competition and will hopefully help me define my interests better so that I can choose a grad school and advisor with confidence.
Fall break of freshman year I took a Cornell Outdoor Ed sea kayaking trip in the Thousand Islands. I really loved it- it's a great feeling to have control of your own kayak and know that you're capable of transporting all your gear around from island to island. And I was pretty good at it- one of the instructors suggested that I apply to be a COE instructor myself. You're probably wondering where I'm going with this. Well, a year or two ago, when I was swamped with work and it was cold outside, I was daydreaming of where I'd most like to be, and I decided that a kayaking vacation in a warm locale would be ideal. Paddle around islands, explore what was around each one, keep an eye out for animals, jump in the water for a swim if it got too hot, get some exercise and a nice tan, and otherwise enjoy myself. Sounds like a good vacation to me. But wouldn't it be even better if I could take something like that, which I love, and turn it into a job?
Ergo (:P), next year I'm hoping to get a job or two doing field work somewhere a little more exotic than Ithaca. No, it probably won't be as idyllic as my little kayaking fantasy, but I just want to get out there and see more of the world, especially new settings that will rekindle my love of nature. I won't get paid much, that's for sure, but if I'm learning, enjoying what I do, and my basic needs are met, then it should be a success. Perhaps I'll come across some natural system that's so incredible that I'll want to study it for my PhD thesis.
So yeah, it's a little scary knowing that I have to find a job and that my life won't be neatly prepackaged into the life of an undergrad or grad student, but it's also pretty exciting knowing that there's so much out there waiting for me to discover. So while I have some time over break I'll be looking into field work opportunities, and hopefully next year my life will take an exciting turn.
