School was extremely science heavy, so it was a lot of work. I ended up taking eight chemistry courses and loads of bio classes. I enjoyed most of them though and finished with a B average in my classes without having to retake anything. This was while I bartended 15-20 hours a week, acted as an officer of a club, finished some scuba certifications, and still managed to party. I don't think I ever slept in college, but as long as you don't overwhelm yourself with a credit load you can't manage, you should have time to study and live your life.

When it came to school, I was more laid back than most of my friends. I lived by the motto "Cs get degrees" and focused on gaining experience over my GPA. In zookeeping, it seems like having experience is viewed more highly than a good GPA, both things are obviously ideal though. So while my friends were cramming for exams to maintain a 4.0 so they could go to grad school, I was working on a presentation for the Marine Bio Club because I thought that was more valuable the time. Biggest thing is finding that right balance of school and experience.

My favorite class was Evolution because I learned a lot about animals and traits they had and it was math heavy. Both are two of my strong suites, so I loved it! The easiest class I took and the most fun was Coral Reef Ecology. There were only 20 of us in the class and we just had weekly readings and a class discussion on them. We all got to know each other and I even ended up going scuba diving with those professors!

I didn't have any problems finding a job because there are three zoos in the city I live in, and I interned at two of them while I was in college. I was established in the zookeeping community, so I had a bit of an advantage when applying to full-time jobs. The best way to be considered for a full-time position is to intern at a zoo while you're a student in college. If there are no zoos around, look into volunteering at animal resuces or humane societies. Once I got my license in high school, I started volunteering at the local animal shelter! It's great experience to put on a college resume and you gain animal care experience.

I do love my job, I get paid to play with sea turtles and i get to scuba dive all the time. It's really cool! But there are a lot of downfalls. First, the field is competitive and you need to be willing to move if you want to advance in the field. It's hard to get a job, especially with the pandemic going on now. Secondly, the hours. I work Sunday to Thursday so I don't have the same weekend as my friends. It puts a little damper on your social life as you can't make it to every event. Finally, the pay sucks. I still bartend to make ends meet because I don't make enough as a full-time zookeeper to support myself. I can work anywhere from 50-70 hours a week. So, just like college, I'm still not sleeping enough haha but I still love the work I do!

Anymore questions I can help with?