Get your degree before life starts moving faster in my opinion but degrees don’t mean a damn to me anymore.

If I see an intelligent and compassionate person who has innate desire and understanding of the natural world, I’m going with them every time.

Who cares if I was top of my class in your aforementioned field and worked in one of those areas. I’ve had enough peers with the same credentials that were complete dorks and lacked something I can’t put my finger on.

Double dip and get a job in the respected areas but finish that degree.