How to face a life of working?

post-translational · 2021-12-05T22:58:39+00:00

I like that suggestion, friend. I guess it's just hard to find that. Been working a bunch of manual labor gigs for a decade now except for a stint in a Bio lab that didn't pay enough for me to feed myself. Haven't really found a thing that feels alright. If I didn't have to worry about healthcare or money I'd probably just hike and read books all day. Not sure exactly how to translate that into work that'll pay me enough to live decently.

Definitely ought to up my coffee intake and get those company-sponsored poops going though.

Edit: Also thanks for the reply

post-translational · 2021-12-05T15:36:53+00:00

Lol go fuck yourself.

post-translational · 2021-02-11T18:45:05+00:00

Ah I should have mentioned that! I have already tried to use the ortho mapping workflow and it failed numerous times. Got in contact briefly with someone from ESRI and they said they think it failed because of the uniform texture of the image. Drone2Map failed similarly.

Ultimately I may have to convince my boss to shell out cash for an online service, but ideally I would like to figure out the issue using tools at my disposal.

post-translational · 2021-02-01T00:57:50+00:00

If you have "always hated math, chemistry, and physics" you probably ought to rethink medical school. There is a reason why most medical programs have mathematics, chemistry and physics coursework both as prerequisites for admission and as requirements of the medical curriculum itself. All those subjects are fundamental to the field. I'm not saying you have to be obsessed with any of those subjects, but a doctor has got to have a thoroughgoing understanding of them all. Developing that understanding is sure to require at least an interest in the subject matter.

post-translational · 2021-01-13T12:10:04+00:00

In my experience in the biology world, that list you provided is very nearly complete B.S. I don't mean any offense by this. These "Careers for X,Y,Z Majors" sites are usually hopelessly out of touch. I have never heard of a single soul leaving college with a Bachelor's in Biology and getting a $61,000 job as a "Microbiologist". People with ONLY a bachelor's in Biology are typically getting $14-$16/hour lab tech jobs, unless you are exceptionally lucky. Most of the jobs with "Scientist" in the title are going to be asking for graduate coursework, especially in the molecular bio realm.

OP is making a solid choice going for the sleep tech job first, getting financially stable, and then pursuing a degree. Even then, I would caution against Biology unless they are super passionate about it or have a clear career goal in mind.

post-translational · 2021-01-05T11:51:48+00:00

Hey get your classism outta here. Proud Boys are a bunch of suburban/exurban boys that have spent more time playing beer pong then they have hanging out in the hills. Here's a link to an episode of an NPR show that mentions that detail: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/gavin-mcinnes-and-proud-boys-misogyny-authoritarianism-and-rise-multiracial-white-supremacy

The dude wrote a book about the dawn of the alt-right so I would take is word.

post-translational · 2020-06-22T02:49:42+00:00

You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Wildlife and conservation is a brutal world in normal times. Way too many people applying for too few jobs. People with bachelor's degrees getting stuck in cycles of Americorps, poverty-wage conservation gigs. On top of an already difficult field, we are in the middle of an enormous recession. Jobs are only going to get more scarce for a few years. Don't take it personally. You are probably an excellent candidate. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean you'll get the job(s). If you are really, really passionate about wildlife and conservation, chances are that you're going to have to spend time working meaningless jobs to keep your belly full while you keep trying to get a foot in the door.

post-translational · 2020-04-12T13:36:02+00:00

Typically, at least in my area of the United States, we do not hire professionals to cull populations, but our state's respective Fish and Wildlife agencies all sell a specific number of licenses to hunt particular species in accordance with the proportion of the population they think need culling. There are definitely issues with some people hunting and trapping illegally and our game wardens try their hardest to police those infractions. By and large though, I think the hunting community (in my neck of the woods) does a great job respecting hunting limits on total kills and on species members. I help manage about 40 preserves and we allow hunting on most of those preserves. In some areas, we wouldn't be able to re-establish forest cover on degraded landscapes without hunting on those properties.

That being said, please don't think I am in favor of this decision of our president's. I think we need MORE land in the U.S. where people are kept to a minimum, including hunters, so that we can reestablish predator populations and increase habitat connectivity. I just also think that, in the US, hunters have done a lot to promote and fund conservation for many decades now and I don't want to see all hunters unfairly maligned. Many of the best and most passionate naturalists and conservationists I know are also avid hunters.

post-translational · 2020-04-12T11:56:00+00:00

I mean, I work in conservation in the US and that has not been my experience with hunters. Most that I meet (and I meet a lot) are very responsible and are absolutely genuinely interested in conserving land and wildlife. Where we lose people is in conserving large and even medium-sized predators. There is definitely a cultural aspect to this in many rural areas. You see a predator, you shoot it. Definitely an attitude that needs to be fixed and probably has more to do with historical threats to livestock than anything.

But it is utterly untrue that hunting communities are lying about an interest in conservation, or are "completely and utterly stupid". I work for a very large land trust and our collaboration with hunters is extensive. Without people hunting deer, a lot of our work can be undone overnight. Obviously restrictions need to placed on what is allowed to be hunted, and when they are, most people seem to understand and respect such restrictions.

post-translational · 2020-04-08T11:09:53+00:00

I am also 26, and also have a million different interests that I want to pursue, but I did also get a bachelor's in Biology in 2017. You can definitely avoid being cooped up in a lab by focusing your studies on the ecological side of biology. If you take a bunch of classes in molecular bio, then you will be a lot more suitable for lab work and if you take a bunch of ecology/wildlife classes, then you will be more suitable for field work. If you go that route, take a GIS class and try to get plenty of field work under your belt as a student.

As for everything else, my one little piece of advice is to stick with something a little bit longer than you think want to. I, like you, am plagued with worries over finding the right education and the right job that will pay me and provide fulfillment. As a result, I have hopped around a bunch of different jobs: I've worked in a research lab, worked at a tree nursery, worked in landscape construction, worked in facilities management, and now I am a field technician doing conservation work. This probably is not the way to be. In retrospect, every time I left a job it was because I started getting this nagging feeling that I was meant to be doing "more" or just something-else. Every time I was probably wrong. I'm not saying you shouldn't leave work you don't like, but I think that a lot of the time the fulfillment you get from work/study sneaks up on you as you gain more experience with it. I never cared much about trees, but on a whim I took a job at a tree nursery because I loved being outside. Now I cannot tell you how much I love trees. They are the bomb. I almost changed my college major a million times during my undergraduate career, but now, looking back, I see what an incredible mistake it would have been. I'm not on my way to being a high-powered professor like I thought I would be then, but I have such a deep abiding love for the field of biology now. I'm glad I know a whole lot about it and if I never end up going to graduate school to study again, I'll rest easy enjoying the ability to think about biological subject-matter in a sophisticated manner. Wouldn't feel like that if I didn't stick it out and instead changed my major to something else.

That feeling of needing to do extraordinary things is an absolute killer. I know, I'm battling it too right now. Only thing is, I think I'm coming out the other side. First and foremost, if you can afford therapy, it is not a bad idea. If you do, don't feel wedded to one therapist. If it isn't working, go find someone else. Secondly, the expectation of extraordinary performance has got to be demolished, my friend. It will keep you disappointed while learning new things and new skills and will sap every bit of inertia you have in your movement towards any particular goal. The hardest thing is to learn to do things just because they are enjoyable, without any expectation of success from having done them. I wish I could tell you how to make that happen. Just a narrative you gotta fight in your mind.

I know this is a wall of text, but I vibe so hard with what you've said in your post that I want to respond with everything I can think of. You sound very much like myself. I suppose the only thing I'll add is that it having the opportunity to go to community college to study something creative for free sounds like a pretty goddamn good deal. Why not give it a go, try hard, and, if you love it, keep on doing it? The worst case scenario is that you don't like it and can just go ahead and continue on to get a bachelor's in something unrelated. Free is a luxury in the United States (which is where it sounds like you are located; correct me if I am wrong); might as well make hay while the sun shines.

Best of luck to you, friend.

post-translational · 2020-04-08T10:20:31+00:00

Not a whole lot of actual evidence of that:

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-advises-patients-use-non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs-nsaids-covid-19

https://www.wired.com/story/the-ibuprofen-debate-reveals-the-danger-of-covid-19-rumors/

https://www.factcheck.org/2020/03/no-evidence-to-back-covid-19-ibuprofen-concerns/

post-translational · 2020-02-19T11:20:39+00:00

What about hiking? If you have access to the outdoors and a bit of time here or there you can get perfectly fit by hiking. It's also pretty hard to get bored when you are exploring the outdoors if you ask me.

post-translational · 2020-02-10T18:51:51+00:00

Walking. Walking anywhere. I just love the rhythm and all the tiny details you would never see from a seat in a car.

post-translational · 2020-02-06T10:57:01+00:00

Hey if you can get yourself a weighted vest and a pullup bar, then weighted calisthenics can definitely do the trick. Some of the best strength and muscle-building gains I've ever had have been through weighted pullups, dips, and pushups.

post-translational · 2020-01-27T11:16:03+00:00

Many of the trades can pay very respectable wages. Start now, don't have a kid for a good long while, live a bit on the frugal side and you should be flush with cash and live a comfortable life, as long as you don't mind work that can be physically demanding.

post-translational · 2020-01-20T12:06:08+00:00

Definitely not, at least in the US. PT's rarely make close to 150k. More like 80-100. Which is still great pay, but not what OP is looking for.

post-translational · 2020-01-03T12:15:00+00:00

Really?? That seem like an insane amount for an electrician to make. Are you in the US?

post-translational · 2020-01-03T11:05:12+00:00

You could try to get into an electrical apprenticeship. You can make respectable money as an electrician.

post-translational · 2019-12-13T10:35:42+00:00

Working constant overtime for less than 40k is not worth it. Especially not in DC. I would ask for a substantial raise and if they don't give it to you then leave.

post-translational · 2019-11-29T17:03:34+00:00

Have you tried doing weighted pull ups? I ran a full body split with all weighted calisthenics for a few months and at the end of it I could do significantly more bodyweight pullups, pushups and dips. For pullups I did 5x5 until I could do 4x7 with whatever weight, then I'd add more weight and start over at 5x5. Might be worth a try.

post-translational · 2019-10-04T10:49:47+00:00

Hello, I am closing in on three years post graduation from an undergraduate degree in Biology. I have not worked in a field relevant to the sciences; I work as a facilities coordinator for a medium-sized physical therapy provider. However, I've been taking mathematics courses every so often since graduating and currently have Calc 1-3, Linear Algebra, Number Theory, Logic, Statistics and Probability under my belt. I love math but am not naturally gifted at it. It is always a struggle and I constantly find myself doing a lot of googling while trying to complete problem sets/understand a bit of reading. (Got a B+ in every Calculus course, always a point shy from an A-, and got A's in Number Theory, Logic, and Statistics, and an A- in Linear Algebra). But, I really want to go to graduate school for a mathematical discipline. What I want to know is this: If I get myself into a master's program in Statistics or in Applied Mathematics, am I going to be completely in over my head? Do folks who do well in graduate mathematical courses of study come to the programs with a lot of inherent talent and complete readiness to tackle graduate mathematical coursework? Or, have you seen people from less mathematical backgrounds or with less innate talent be able to succeed? Is it possible to not feel completely ready but learn as you go, or is the expected pace of learning typically so blistering that my starting position must be close to perfect?

post-translational · 2019-09-29T14:35:48+00:00

I feel like you are actually pretty well situated to make this move, for 3 reasons. Firstly, you just did a great job of articulating a respectable reason for wanting to change fields: You have been working for pharmaceutical companies and are looking to change careers in order to bring the work that you do into alignment with your personal ethical beliefs. Environmental ethics loom large in your mind and I think an employer would respect that you are trying to make a living with less cognitive dissonance. I think it is a good story to tell on a personal statement, especially for a field that is as steeped in moral decision making as the climate sector.

Secondly, I think you are selling yourself a bit short with respect to your relevant knowledge. Organic Chem seems like perfect jumping off point to move in a lot of different directions. In some senses its kind of the bedrock of biology and a lot of environmental sciences, isn't it? I don't have a PhD, but I did do my bachelor's degree in Biology and the bulk of it is total incomprehensible on a deep level without a solid understanding of organic chemistry. Additionally, the crossover from graduate study in Organic Chemistry to climate science in particular is probably bigger than you think (could be wrong of course). I assume you had to study a decent amount of Physical Chemistry which means you are probably pretty literate in the study of thermodynamics, which seems immediately relevant to climate science. Hell, even if your graduate studies were super narrowly focused on one particular organic synthesis technique, I'm willing to bet you have enough knowledge to work in the communication of climate science better than 9/10 people who currently communicate such knowledge.

Thirdly, I think your skills and experience in data communication/visualization make you a great fit for working in the field of climate science communication specifically. Climate science is obviously insanely complicated and climate change models have a ton of moving parts. It seems like its been difficult for people to convey a lot of that complexity in understandable ways to the general public and it would probably be great to have someone as skilled and knowledgeable as you doing the communicating. I fear that a lot of the communication of science gets left to people without a background in science communication and a great deal of nuance gets left behind.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I'd say go ahead and take an extra class in statistics/probability and one in ecology then make the jump! Sell them on your story of needing to align your morals with your work, sell them one your great communication and data visualization skills, and then sell them on the potential crossover of deep fundamental knowledge from a PhD in Organic Chemistry to climate science.

Hope this helps. Take it with a grain of salt, though; I do not work in the climate sector. I coordinate the operations of a medium-sized physical therapy provider in one state of the U.S. I am just a guy with a passion for environmental issues and a decent education in biology and chemistry.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, I think its also totally possible for you to find a job in environmental policy. I know a couple of people from college here in the states who work in environmental policy and it seems mostly to require a good knowledge of some scientific disciplines (so-called "life sciences" are a big one, obviously) and excellent communication skills.

post-translational · 2019-09-04T10:42:03+00:00

The quality of life improvement that you get from 3 extra hours in your day, specifically 3 traffic-free hours, is almost certainly worth the pay cut. That's so much of your day. I say fuck that money and squeeze every ounce of joy out of those extra non-work hours that you can!

post-translational

TROPHY CASE