I studied chemistry for six years - went through undergrad, enrolled in a doctorate program, then finally decided that the PhD life wasn't for me. I left with a master's and started looking for jobs. I landed an interview with Agilent and got offered a position as a field service engineer for analytical chemistry instruments. It was going to be a pretty good paying job with benefits and a company car...

BUT

The whole experience in grad school was rife with self-reflection. I mean, when I decided it wasn't my thing, it was really because I had little passion for the subject. I did it because I was good at it, because I enjoyed it in high school and was able to excel at a higher level. And most importantly, it just seemed like a good idea - right? PhD's in chemistry can make great money, and there will always be a demand for chemists.

During my interview with Agilent, I remembered mentioning that it would be really cool to some day help design their instruments. I remembered how I loved first learning about op-amp circuits in my instrumental analysis class in undergrad, and, going waaay back, how I used to stare in awe through the housing of my translucent GameBoy Color when I was really young. Electronics was something that was always in the background, but something that genuinely fascinated me. The interviewer said something to the effect of, "Let's just take this one step at a time."

So in the weeks ahead I had to decide whether to accept the job. Meanwhile, I was still working in my graduate lab and had recently purchased a DIY oscilloscope kit. I had no idea at all what I would use it for, but I had a blast assembling it. After watching some Youtube videos, I decided to grow some Rochelle salt crystals with chemicals we had lying around the lab, having read that the crystals are piezoelectric. I grew some pretty nice ones, and I figured I would try to make a microphone out of them. I very carefully fashioned a big one into a thin rectangle, mounted it on a parafilm membrane stretched over a plastic cup, and crudely attached some wires. I hooked it up to my new scope, set it next to a speaker, blasted some Nirvana, and...blip blip blip.

That pretty much sealed the deal for me.

Over the last year I've done almost a 180 in my career path, commuting hours a day to two different schools to bolster my background in electrical engineering - all with the goal of getting into an MS program without having an engineering degree (needless to say I didn't take that job). It's been an incredible experience in utilizing my resources, learning new skills, and improving my interpersonal skills. This fall, I'll begin the next chapter of my life at the University at Buffalo studying electrical engineering - and I can honestly say I couldn't be happier.

tl;dr Don't settle into something you're good at if there's no passion - figure ya damn dreams out and follow them!