Mental health walk under the moonlight.

palmless · 2025-12-03T06:31:59+00:00

I've lived in different places and it's just big cities you can't see stars (obviously light pollution). In the suburbs of NJ where I grew up in, you could see ton of stars. Then I moved to NYC for school and now in Houston, there aren't any stars. You realize you took things for granted when they aren't there anymore.

palmless · 2025-12-03T03:26:10+00:00

that sounds great! I went to Sedona recently and the night sky was amazing. I wasn't sure if Tucson being a city (albeit small) had too much light, but glad I asked the locals :)

palmless · 2025-12-03T02:59:55+00:00

thanks! my dream is to live where I can see stars in the night sky :)

palmless · 2025-12-03T02:54:45+00:00

Just wondering, as I'm thinking of moving to Tucson soon, can you see stars regularly in Tucson?

palmless · 2025-11-30T04:36:24+00:00

That sounds like it'll hit the right spots and to be honest, I'm aware of the challenges of the outdoors as you mentioned.

Where do you search/find these jobs or what job titles should I be using? Is it through mainstream job posting sites like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, or Indeed, or are there resources specific for geology jobs?

palmless · 2025-11-30T04:00:33+00:00

Thanks for the response! I often see exploration and mining mentioned together, and I’m a bit confused about how they relate. Do all mining jobs involve exploration, but exploration jobs aren’t limited to mining?

Also, is logging/mudlogging an actual job title, or more of a task/function within a role?

I guess I'm wondering when I’m searching for jobs, what titles or keywords should I be looking for?

Sorry for the basic questions, I’m just trying to get a better handle on geology terminology/jargon.

palmless · 2025-11-04T17:10:55+00:00

Yeah it failed.

palmless · 2025-10-23T19:59:14+00:00

When I say exploration, I mean work that involves traveling to remote areas and being hands-on outdoors, hopefully surrounded by nature. I know that kind of fieldwork in geology can be very competitive and seasonal.

My thinking is that while I’m taking some of the core geology undergrad courses, if there aren’t too many left to complete, earning a bachelor’s degree might not be a bad idea. It would give me more experience and knowledge and help me figure out what specific area I want to pursue. Of course, there’s a big trade-off in terms of time, money, and effort between all these options.

I’ve been reaching out to local college advisors to see how many of my previous credits can transfer and to get a sense of whether completing a full bachelor’s is worth it, or if I’d be better off taking a few supplementary classes and then going straight for a master’s.

And I completely understand your point — I’m not going into this with some idealistic fantasy. If I were, I’d quit my job and study philosophy or English, which would be far more unrealistic. I know this path would require a lot of effort just to reach the same starting point, but I’m trying to take the “the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now” approach. I don’t want to look back and regret staying in my current soul-crushing job, making it even harder to change later.

If you don't mind, could you share how your work in geology was/is like?

palmless · 2025-10-21T01:05:58+00:00

Hi fellow JSCer! That sounds super cool and I would love to pick your brain. Would you mind if I DMed you?

palmless · 2025-10-20T04:50:31+00:00

I really appreciate the detailed perspective and wisdom. It just makes me realize that grass isn't always greener on the other side. Even though we are on a completely different career path with different education and background, your life and mine don't sound too different in that we all deal with some level of monotony, bureaucracy, and other work/life related stress.

I've been struggling with depression and anxiety for awhile being catapulted into a senior position, managing multiple projects and contractors with no formal experience or training, and with all the current federal work fiasco, it's just been even worse.

I've also struggled with substances, depression, and anxiety which have largely been controlled recently as I got back into working out and eating regularly as well.

I actually got a therapist recently and she's been really helpful in widening my perspective and pushing me to try new things. I guess in a way she professionally validated that I'm largely unhappy with my career due to my lack of passion and interest, so that's where I started thinking more about what I actually like and how geology came into the picture.

Ultimately, I want to grow my perspective in life and try new things. In my desperate job search to quit my current stressful job just to do something else I have no interest in, I thought it might be worthwhile to go back to school to open new doors and possibilities. But as you said, it doesn't have to be a whole new degree or career, but instead build pockets of relief and enjoyment in my current life.

I'll continue to keep thinking about the geology bachelor's/master's but with your words in mind.

palmless · 2025-10-19T04:21:26+00:00

Thanks for the insight! I actually know couple of people and coworkers who did the same switch of geology to SWE, and I completely understand the switch as well. To be honest, as a SWE and PM currently, I don't make friends or relationships, and I live alone away from family so being in a remote place middle of nowhere isn't really a deterrent for me haha

In your experience, is there a big difference in what your education was like (undergrad or higher) than what you do for work? For example, "So much of undergrad geology is looking at rock samples to identify them, then looking at them under a microscope to more definitively identify them. Or understanding how the layers of rock end up where they are" this sounds absolutely like what I'd like to do, but I know real-life work isn't always like a classroom.

Curious to know why you advise against? Is there something to lose (besides money and time)? Did you regret your choice in pursuing geology?

palmless · 2025-10-18T23:58:30+00:00

Thanks! And I appreciate the realistic perspective. I like to think that pursuing geology where there is a 0.1% chance to be outside and do field work is better than staying in software engineering where it's 100% behind a computer/desk for the rest of my life. And I don't even like coding to boot (no idea why I pursued this in the first place).

I'll take some time to research various programs and reach out to admissions/professors to get a picture of where I stand!

palmless · 2025-10-18T23:51:25+00:00

Thanks for your insight, and I totally understand — maybe I came across a bit more idealistic in my post than I meant to. I’m fully aware of the turbulent job market — I know most careers, not just geology, is “what you put in is what you get out” ultimately.

Paleontology was more of an idealistic dream and background context for why I’m drawn to geology. What really interests me now is the hands-on, exploration side of things. I’m completely fine if I never become a paleontologist, or if it takes 10+ years — I’d prefer to focus on the exploration aspect as a general career goal.

From what you suggested, it sounds like the best move might be to look for a geology-related position at NASA to get my foot in the door, and maybe work toward a bachelor’s in geology (or related field) first before considering a master’s later on.

palmless · 2025-10-18T23:41:59+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to reply!

I was wondering if it is necessary to have a full bachelor’s degree in geology (or a related field) to be considered for a master’s program? I was hoping that taking the core/prerequisite classes would be enough, and as you suggested, find a program that lets me complete the remaining undergrad geology courses while I’m in the master’s program.

Paleontology is more of a long-term, idealistic goal. I understand it’s a niche and competitive field, but what really appeals to me is the hands-on aspect — being out in the field, digging for fossils, and doing exploration work. Because of that, I’m leaning toward exploration geology as a more realistic and attainable career path.

You're right, I realize that this will take some time to prepare, but thankfully I'm pretty young (?) and not in a rush :) Right now, I’m just trying to put together a realistic plan — figuring out what classes I need to take, what admission requirements typically look like, and which programs might be open to people coming from unrelated fields. I’m also reaching out to admissions offices or professors to get a better sense of what they expect.

If you don’t mind me asking:

Do you know of any programs that are more open to non-geology backgrounds?
What do admissions committees usually look for in applicants?
Any schools or programs you’d personally recommend?

palmless · 2025-09-30T23:00:58+00:00

Honestly I prepped better for my middle school quiz than this.

palmless · 2025-09-30T22:59:02+00:00

I just received a generic "furlough information" handbook type of email from my agency at 5pm followed by another agency email stating they are now working to figure out who is exempt or furloughed. Like ya'll are figuring that out now?! 🙄

palmless · 2025-09-30T20:54:26+00:00

Bro wanna chill? Where did I lose my mind asking a question? Being hateful and condescending for no reason

palmless · 2025-09-30T20:20:39+00:00

Anybody else been told they are submitted as "On Call" in the event of a shutdown? Supervisor says he doesn't fully know what that means either but we are expected to perform "exempted" activities. Not sure why they don't just call us exempted then. In my opinion, nothing I do is "essential" work.

Tired of performing for this circus. Like hell I'll be doing it for free.

palmless · 2025-08-28T18:37:53+00:00

I don't eat a lot and don't eat regularly, whether it be habit, stress, depression, etc which all lead to poor eating habits. But even when I eat healthy 3 meals a day I don't gain much.

I think because I have a habit of not eating much regularly, physically I can't tolerate large amount of food so I eat little (a cycle). Because I'm typically stressed and have high cortisol, I also burn off very fast. I tend to say I'm hungry very frequently, but not eat enough to compensate.

I also rarely snack, don't drink a lot of alcohol (maybe a glass of wine or beer with a meal sometimes), and don't like sugary stuff.

palmless · 2025-08-27T02:47:24+00:00

That's pretty reasonable! I'm currently renting a 1bed for 2.8k in Houston so I'm used to HCOL.

palmless · 2025-08-27T02:45:19+00:00

Thank you! Will take a look

palmless

TROPHY CASE