I have no idea what to do with my life?

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mattbiernat · #1 Post by **mattbiernat** » Sun May 04, 2008 12:25 pm

Anybody ever finished school and got stuck not knowing what to do next? I've got B.S. in Biology from UCI and right now I am stuck....

pianowizard · #2 Post by **pianowizard** » Sun May 04, 2008 12:31 pm

You can become a lab technician.

Trekk69 · #3 Post by **Trekk69** » Sun May 04, 2008 12:46 pm

Working on my BS right now, but aspirations for med school or health care management

#4 Post by **gator** » Sun May 04, 2008 1:03 pm

I worked for a couple of years after my bachelor's before I started grad school here at UF. It was a good experience working and it gave me direction ...

Have you considered grad school for the future?

Trekk69 · #5 Post by **Trekk69** » Sun May 04, 2008 1:29 pm

I have also spent a semester doing a study abroad program and was able to travel Europe whilst doing it...a great experience that made me appreaciate many things in life.

Have you thought of doing some traveling or volunteering abroad to "find yourself'

#6 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun May 04, 2008 1:57 pm

Why did you choose Biology in the first place?
Consider becoming a bio teacher.

mattbiernat · #7 Post by **mattbiernat** » Sun May 04, 2008 3:37 pm

I have chosen Bio because I wanted to be a doctor. Right now after 5 years at UCI I am simply exhausted. I started Medical School in Poland but it came out to be a disaster. The teaching system and just about everything was different than here in U.S. I decided to quit this school.
Right now I am lost because:
1) I don't know if I have strength to keep on going through another 4 years of schooling. And I don't want to end up with +100K debt and no career.
2) I don't know if a job as a doctor would bring me pleasure and happiness that i thought it would.
3) I really like teaching. I especially started liking it after giving several presentations at the Medical School in Poland.

So I was thinking about two jobs. Nursing and Teaching. The problem with nursing is that it would be more of a job that is based on applied practical skills and less of a theory (please correct me here if I am wrong).

The problem with teaching is that after B.S. in Biology I would only be able to teach High Schools. And I'd like to teach something a little bit more advance than basic steps of photosynthesis...

And regarding labs... I can't stand lab work. Every day that i had labs at UCI I've complained as if there was no tomorrow…

So what other options do i have? I am willing to go for 2 years to grad school. My gpa is low, only 2.7.

#8 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun May 04, 2008 3:58 pm

If you are going to teach, a Bachelor's degree pretty much limits you to secondary school starting out (and your still need Teacher's College, at least where I am). With some years of experience, you could teach in Community Colleges, which you might find more satisfying. But anything more advanced than that would require a Doctorate.

Good luck and best wishes. ... JDH

bobstockler · #9 Post by **bobstockler** » Sun May 04, 2008 5:48 pm

You very possibly could get a job as a sales rep for a drug company and
take some time to figure it all out.

Or, join the US Navy and see the world ! ! !

I graduated with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering in 1948 and went to
work at Tennessee Eastman Company (division of Eastman Kodak) as trainee
to become a Tenite (cellulose plastic) sales rep.

Harry Truman interrupted that by starting the Korean Police Action, and
drafting me, but I enlisted in the US Navy and went to their Electronics
School at Great Lakes, IL,thence to Officer Candidate School at Newport,
RI,and thence to the USS Pocono AGC-16 (COMPHIBLANT flagship), which
mostly stayed tied up to Pier 5 USNB Norfolk.

We got a new Captain every year, mostly ones doing their last sea duty
before retiring. The last, however, was rotating between his BMD (big
mahogany desk) at the Bureau of Naval Personnel and sea duty.

That last Captain drew more water than the Flagship's Admiral,and every
day every day after lunch he'd take three junior officers ashore with
him to play golf. I bought a set of golf clubs and six lessons from the
pro at the Naval Officers Golf Club, and got into the rotation.

After I got out of the Navy, my father - who owned/operated a retail
optical dispensing business - offered me a job; he said he wanted me to
play golf with the eye doctors to attract more of their referrals.

Point #1 - Never believe your father.

Anyway, I inherited the business and operated it until I sold it some
years ago. I got to go to a lot of meetings and conventions and became
an officer of relevant (optical and hearing aid) trade associations,
and got to see a lot of the USA.

Point #2 - Nothing you've ever learned will abandon you. I still find
use for stuff I learned getting my BChE, at USN Electronics School, and
later getting an MBA courtesy of the GI Bill.

Take it one step at a time and go where your heart leads you.

Bob

PS - The Admiral whose flagship was the USS Pocono liked to play tennis,
so the ship went to Newport, RI, and to Bermuda, so he could play there.
And we got to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and other interesting ports.

#10 Post by **RealBlackStuff** » Sun May 04, 2008 6:19 pm

On a similar note: I studied to become a mechanical engineer (engine design). After I got my cert, I never even got near another mechanical object for the rest of my (so far) life.
Instead, I was offered an introduction to, and joined, IBM in 1968 and learned how to program in Assembler, followed by Cobol in all flavors.
After 33 years of a very varied and interesting international career in programming, I switched over to web design, and I am as happy as the proverbial Larry. Combine this with my hobby/passion for PCs and, since a few years, also laptops, I am another example of what NOT to learn in school, or how to follow an opportunity when it arises.

ajkula66 · #11 Post by **ajkula66** » Sun May 04, 2008 6:47 pm

What would you really like to do? What do you have inside your heart?

Not that you have to tell me, or this forum, but you can whisper it ever so softly to yourself, and that will be your answer, at least for the time being. Nothing wrong with replacing one set of dreams with another.

I've had a Bachelor's in English Language in Literature for close to two decades now and have never taught in my life.

The same goes for my Recording Engineer degree that I've never made a penny using.

Having said that, I've been quite happy with my careers until about two years ago, and am certain that I'll be content once again very soon.

Good luck.

skitty4gzus · #12 Post by **skitty4gzus** » Sun May 04, 2008 8:04 pm

you know sometimes you get caught up in life and what not, but you gotta sit down and ask yourself what you really like to do. I mean what really makes you happy, you know the thing you are really good at. You can read all day in the Bible about the double minded man, but changing your mind isnt being double minded. If you are really having trouble with this, ask the Lord to show what to do. To paraphrase the book of James, it says, if anyone lacks wisdom let him ask the Lord. Not a shot at your intelligence, but you need wisdom as to where you should take your next step in life. It all depends on how serious you are about knowing what to do and if your willing to ask for help.

Peter_Peril · #13 Post by **Peter_Peril** » Mon May 05, 2008 8:36 pm

Yes. I would say your cup runeth over verily with the wisdom of the replies you've recieved thus far. I can't add anything as supportive as what has been given you thus far. I will toss my 2-cents into the cup and proffer this minor observation: no one ever goes to college and beyond to get a job! We all went to get a shot at our dreams; many of us settled for jobs because we lost track of what our dreams actually were. If you have a passion for teaching you should work to that end. Don't worry so much about what you might actually end up doing, if you love something it really won't mattter. The journey is very often much more interesting than the destination. I wish you well.

Me...I'm an English Major who wanted to write Sci-fi. I sell Insurance now...and I like it!

whizkid · #14 Post by **whizkid** » Tue May 06, 2008 3:01 pm

It's all true. Find your passion and follow it. You will be able to earn a living at it; probably even a good living if you apply yourself.

If you want to teach, try grad school again. The extra focus of having your goal in mind is a great motivator and can help you get there.

"People ask kids what they want to be when they grow up because they are looking for ideas." - Paula Poundstone

PS - you could consider male modeling, or high finance.

crashnburn · #15 Post by **crashnburn** » Tue May 06, 2008 5:30 pm

Pros and Cons everywhere.

If you end up doing something that will not give you the BLISS you want then you're gonna regret it just like this Poland school.

Move forward. Harder to do but I am doing the same right now. After reaching almost the Pinnacle of my career I am taking a drastic step and want to do something totally LEFT FIELD. Imagine doing that and risking everything after you hit 30 and have a Mid 100k+ job and reputation. Not easy..

"May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith"

All I can say is first thing.. find some CALM & PEACE. Without that you will jump around and not have CLARITY. At such times another 4-6 months wont kill you.

I had some major personal crises in the last 1.5 years. Made me feel empty and broken despite having everything I originally wanted.

I'd recommend something without sounding biased or directional. Take up some meditation... SERIOUSLY. MEDITATION & PRANAYAMA.

You can take any classes you want - Lots of them out there.. Ive been to 3-4 different ones.

I'd say the most compact version of STRESS, ANXIETY KILLING & CLARITY, CALMNESS builder was the one I took recently. Its a 3 day weekender - Art of Living. Take up the Basic Part 1 Course or preferably the Yes Plus Youth program.
PS: If not one has an objection I am linking this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7BF_uWtGEE - Art of Living Youth Presentation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXjrJKgxVTk - Summer Camp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRXoF5jRzUM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7paW2622pM

It might seem too left field for you. It did for me too.. But it allows you to sink it in as much as you want.

PS: Getting back to career choices... If its Biology you enjoy so be it. Who knows you could be a business rep for an organic medecine vendor traveling the world sourcing new ideas & herbs.

You could get into healthcare industry / vertical side side of Consulting companies. Contact Deloitte, Accenture and major corps. One thing that will definitely give you within 1-2 years of working with them... EXPOSURE. You will learn a lot and know everything there is to know about the Healthcare Industry.

You could get into an Organic Products Vendor / Merchant.

Possibilities are unlimited. Its our MIND that makes us MYOPIC.

Find CALM, PEACE and CLARITY first. The rest will follow.

As the Oracle said "Know thy Self". Once you clear out the Junk about the Self.. You shall see the LIGHT.. You shall see HIS Grace.

dsigma6 · #16 Post by **dsigma6** » Wed May 07, 2008 7:45 am

bobstockler wrote:<snip>

I enjoyed your story!

I'll be graduating with a BS in technical management and a concentration in computer forensics in October. Like you (OP), I'm not sure what to do!

It'll fall into place.

bhurley · #17 Post by **bhurley** » Wed May 07, 2008 11:33 am

While it's true that a BS in biology may not take you very far in the field of biology, it can definitely open doors to other possibilities. If you have talent for teaching and a passion for your subject, you might be able to teach at a private school without having to go on and get a teaching degree. I have a BA in environmental science, and had some teaching experience from school and from working as an environmental educator at museums and nature centers. I was surprised how many private schools were interested in having me come interview for science teaching jobs. The pay was poor, but in many cases the school provided room and board as well as a salary. I didn't end up pursuing teaching or environmental education as a career, but got into related work (I worked for Earthwatch for five years, then worked as a university grants administrator, then an environmental journalist; I now work as an environmental writer and editor).

A few thoughts:

1. Take a look at the help-wanted ads in your local newspaper or on online job boards, not with the idea of looking for a specific job, but paying attention to what kinds of jobs sound interesting to you. Keep doing this for a few months and note down the jobs that you're interested in, along with their requirements. That will help. Sometimes it's hard to come up with ideas for a career on your own, but seeing the kinds of jobs that are out there, and paying attention to how you react to them, can help you find your way.

2. If you're really stuck and need to find a job now, don't be afraid to take any job that you can. You'll gain work experience that can prove valuable later on and it will help you further figure out what you like and don't like in a job. When I graduated from college I worked in factories, I moved furniture, washed dishes, did landscaping, and other manual labor work for more than a year while I hunted for a "real" job in my field.

3. If you've got talent and work hard, you can carve a career for yourself without an advanced degree. Some fields do require it, but most good bosses will be willing to make exceptions for the right people. I only have a B.A., yet I've beat out people with PhD's for several of the jobs I've applied for, and my salary is as high or higher than that of many people in my field with advanced degrees.

4. Don't put too much stock in the "follow your bliss and the money will follow" philosophy. You have to be practical: yes, you should do what you love, but you also have to make a living. Money doesn't necessarily follow passion, it requires hard work and often a good amount of luck. Sometimes you will land a job that you never would have chosen and it turns out to be something you love doing. When you're really lost, it helps to spread yourself out and look at all the possibilities, it's the same approach used by fish and frogs: they lay millions of eggs in the hopes that a dozen will survive. When I graduated from college I sent out more than 200 resumes, unsolicited, to organizations that I wanted to work for. I heard back from two of them, and one of them ended up offering me a job.

mattbiernat · #18 Post by **mattbiernat** » Wed May 07, 2008 11:33 am

thank you everyone for your ideas. yesterday i have done a little bit of research on the internet regarding my job opportunities. i have also called several California state universities. unfortunately most of them don't like to accept anyone who is under 3.0 GPA. sometimes I think I have made a mistake going after B.S. in Bio. People in my school who quite Bio major often ended up acing sociology, psychology and related. But its too late and nothing is gonna change that. As I said my GPA is 2.7 (2.712 more specifically) and out of ~15 schools that I called yesterday there are only 2 potential ones that would take me in. There is one more which requires 2.75. Nobody really cares that graduating with 2.7 GPA in Biology is much harder than graduating with 3.0 in sociology. Or that having 2.7 GPA is much harder to get at UCI than at community college.
After a litte bit of researching i figured that I will sign up for Emergency Medical Technician (3 week course) training, get my certificate and start working on an ambulance. That will help me get some hands on experience in medical field which looks good when applying for nursing schools. Plus if medical field is something I don't wanna do, I will probably figure it out really fast. And it doesn't hurt that instead of working minimum wage at a grocery store, I will be getting paid ~$15 an hour.
And regarding my love for teaching, maybe some day I can pursue masters and phD in nursing and teach at a local university. Seems like bio major was a huge mistake in my life... should have gone right the way for nursing.

mattbiernat · #19 Post by **mattbiernat** » Wed May 07, 2008 11:37 am

bhurley wrote: you might be able to teach at a private school without having to go on and get a teaching degree.

this might seem like a dumb question, but where online can i find those private schools. I tried doing it yesterday but I had hard time coming out with any results. teaching has been my passion for a while and I would love to try it without going out and getting a 2 year teaching credential certificate...

#20 Post by **Kyocera** » Wed May 07, 2008 12:30 pm

matt, I think you have a good attitude, and that will take you a long way in this life. Just enjoy it, but always try to better yourself no matter what you are doing at the time, it keeps things interesting. Good luck to you!

Trekk69 · #21 Post by **Trekk69** » Wed May 07, 2008 1:01 pm

Follow up on a childhood dream, looking at my Grade 2, end of the year book my mom would make me fill out, I have listed under 'Ambition': "Be the first man to walk on Mars"....you have your BSc, you are half way there!

mattbiernat · #22 Post by **mattbiernat** » Wed May 07, 2008 1:32 pm

http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e84/mattbiernat/
here are some pictures from the medical university that i have attended. you should get a pretty good idea why i've quit that school.

Trekk69 · #23 Post by **Trekk69** » Wed May 07, 2008 1:41 pm

mattbiernat wrote:http://s37.photobucket.com/albums/e84/mattbiernat/
here are some pictures from the medical university that i have attended. you should get a pretty good idea why i've quit that school.

Awful!!

Personally, I was thinking for myself either an international Caribbean/tropical Med School for when I applied!

#24 Post by **Kyocera** » Wed May 07, 2008 2:15 pm

I'm sure it looks much better there in the summer when the weeds are in full bloom

!!!

crashnburn · #25 Post by **crashnburn** » Thu May 08, 2008 12:48 am

Ow! 3rd Grade Meidical Schools in India in a small village look better than that. Those look like bomb shelters.

PS: A lot of folks take up med school in India.. save years..

ajkula66 · #26 Post by **ajkula66** » Thu May 08, 2008 5:37 am

Reminded me of the first high school I attended many moons ago...thanks for the memories...

mattbiernat · #27 Post by **mattbiernat** » Thu May 08, 2008 10:54 am

ajkula66 wrote:Reminded me of the first high school I attended many moons ago...thanks for the memories...

the school was not only depressing but to get from one class to another you had to take a bus or a tram and it took anywhere between 40 minutes to 1.5 hours. Plus normally in Poland you can get into medical school right after high school so teachers treated U.S. college graduates as high school students. The 4.5 months that I spent in there the sun came out only like 5 times.... I had pretty bad depression in that place for 3 months and I still have nightmares about this school.
----
regarding my decision what to do next, I found a total of 5 nursing schools in California to which I could probably get into. I would get my 2nd B.S. in 2 years or 1 year if I get into the accelerated program. the thing is that right now I am starting to get cold feel again. being a doctor was always kind of my dream but when I look at medical school with 4 more years of schooling and 4 licensing exams, I just feel like I have enough studying... besides i really don't do well with cumulative exams.... and I know doctors work like crazy and I love to get my 8 hours of sleep and 8 hour work days.
I guess I am still lost in a way.... and that means more researching.

crashnburn · #28 Post by **crashnburn** » Thu May 08, 2008 12:31 pm

mattbiernat wrote:
ajkula66 wrote:Reminded me of the first high school I attended many moons ago...thanks for the memories...
the school was not only depressing but to get from one class to another you had to take a bus or a tram and it took anywhere between 40 minutes to 1.5 hours. Plus normally in Poland you can get into medical school right after high school so teachers treated U.S. college graduates as high school students. The 4.5 months that I spent in there the sun came out only like 5 times.... I had pretty bad depression in that place for 3 months and I still have nightmares about this school.
----
regarding my decision what to do next, I found a total of 5 nursing schools in California to which I could probably get into. I would get my 2nd B.S. in 2 years or 1 year if I get into the accelerated program. the thing is that right now I am starting to get cold feel again. being a doctor was always kind of my dream but when I look at medical school with 4 more years of schooling and 4 licensing exams, I just feel like I have enough studying... besides i really don't do well with cumulative exams.... and I know doctors work like crazy and I love to get my 8 hours of sleep and 8 hour work days.
I guess I am still lost in a way.... and that means more researching.

I wish I had that kind of DROP THE BALL & QUIT realization sooner. To bear such pain for long times can be killing. I did it for years..

Good

. Really figure out what you want because everything else is just a temporary distraction.

#29 Post by **underclocker** » Fri May 09, 2008 6:03 am

There is already good advice in this thread, so I won't add much, however, you're lurking / posting on an IT type forum, perhaps you should look into the Information Technology field?

IT is still a field that can use any intelligent mind available. There are other benefits, too

Trekk69 · #30 Post by **Trekk69** » Fri May 09, 2008 1:31 pm

I think this topic is a great sign of the community of members that are involved in this Forum!!
Members suggesting viable, useful options that may not have been thought of by the original poster, suggesting new career routes or possibilities that are out there.
I think its wonderful that a positive atmosphere can be created and stem lots of discussion trying to help a fellow member out.

Cheers to you all!

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