sg_87

Thank you for the advice everyone! Over the weekend I found several openings at private schools. One was a college prep school. I think I would like it better there. If I end up getting a job like that, then obviously it is all a moot point. However, in case I don't... I am still going to get the applications started. backtoschool13 - Good luck in your quest!

Thanks for the info everyone! I really don't have the option to switch jobs right now. Unfortunately I am stuck in NC, with my closest family being 10 hours away in PA. So to be able to support myself I have to keep my current job. All of the tech jobs I have looked at pay less than what I'm making now (which is a very sad salary to begin with). I think that I would like teaching at smaller universities. I don't mind teaching, really. I just hate teaching where I am at now. The secondary education job market is about the same as post secondary education. The only reason I got the job I have now is because it's at an alternative school for really bad kids (no one wants to work there!). From experiences of friends, I have found that once you start working for alternative schools, that's all that will hire you. The big fancy schools look down on you because you worked in public education. If I want to get a job somewhere better, I either have to pray for a miracle or do something to advance myself beyond that (or both). And if I ever have dreams of returning to PA, I know people who have years of experience and 3 masters degrees and still didn't get hired. I have to do something. Just accepting where I am and waiting it out is not working. Allow me to clarify my original post - I am looking for a masters program. PhD would be nice, and it would certainly be nice to save two years, but I don't think I have a chance at them. I'm going to apply to big universities, but I know I probably won't make it. My education masters degree (2014) might be all that it takes to get me to where I want to go. I know that community colleges aren't that picky about who they hire. But, if not... I really don't want to wait around another year, just to find out that the education masters is not enough. I think I should apply for some programs, hope that I get some letters back, and maybe move on to get my masters. Thoughts? I feel like all of my energy and brain matter are being sapped out of me at this job. I do no like teaching 8 hours a day. I really don't like teaching high school kids that I have to treat like kindergarteners, because if I have a negative attitude they'll drop out. I mean, really? I am not a psychologist. I signed up to teach. It seems like the only place I can do that is at a university, or at least at a very specialized high school. And to do that... I need at least an MS. To answer some of the questions you asked: - I am not sure what I would want to study yet. I like everything. I know that I don't want biochemistry, because it bores me to tears. I'm leaning toward ecology. I do not have the money to do any other classes, and I certainly don't have the money to do unpaid internships. I am quite literally stuck where I am. - I am taking the biology GRE just as insurance. I figured it couldn't hurt, especially since I have no real lab experience. I'm not too worried about it. - I am going to ask my previous professors for reccomendations. Even though I have no real world research experience, the university I went to let the undergrads do a lot of research like work. I know how to use machines and computer programs that most undergrads aren't even allowed in the lab with. I'm hoping that my university professors will at least attest to that. Sorry for the long post! Thanks again for your help!

Agreed with everything above. I only have an undergrad, and I have been looking at both MS and PhD programs. I've found that I qualify for most PhD programs too. If you're ready, and that's what your ultimate end goal is, then go for it!

I'm originally from Pittsburgh (got my undergrad right next to Pitt) and I am now living near Durham NC (Duke). I am also looking at applying to both of them this fall. Because you are stuck abroad, I thought I'd throw my two cents in. From what I have observed, they are both very similar cities. Lots of colleges/universities, lots of hospitals, lots of college kids. The weather is much nicer in NC, though. If you like Duke, go for it. Don't wait. There are lines of people behind you begging to hear from Duke. (I'm one of them!) Not that Pitt and CMU aren't good schools, but you should not waste your time and energy waiting on a list. Whatever you choose, let me know how it goes! I'm hoping to get accepted to either Duke or Pitt (or Penn State) for 2014!

All of the grad schools I have been looking at tell you how many to send. Try looking at the department website itself. Instead of just looking at the graduate admissions page, go to their biology graduate programs page. From what I've seen, most universities require 3. Definitely call that university's admissions department if you can't find it. I would also like to know the answer to the question in the first post, if anyone knows it.

Hello all! I just randomly came across this site in my GRE searches, so I figured I'd join in. Right now I am a high school biology teacher at a very disadvantaged school (read: really bad place to work). I moved three states away for this job, and now I'm realizing that it's not what I want at all. So, I decided to go for grad school. I'm taking the biology GRE in three weeks (yikes!) and the general GRE in May. I really thought that I wanted to teach. I am nearly 3 years out of college. Right now, I am getting my masters in education. I had an experience last semester where I was a GA for undergrad biology classes. I. LOVED. IT. It was so hard to leave, and now I'm realizing that leaving it was probably the worse decision I have ever made. I'm at a job I don't like, three states away from home, and even worse, I left a really awesome opportunity. Now, here's my dilemma. Since I was going into education, I never did research in my undergrad. Student teaching was considered our research graduation requirement. The only reference I have is the professor I was a GA for. I'm not entirely sure that she would feel comfortable writing me a letter, though. Since it has been three years since I graduated, I am really not confident about either GRE. Tell me truthfully - what chances do I have? The only thing I've got going for me right now is my undergrad GPA (3.8). I don't need to get into Ivy League, but I do want to get into a good school where I'll have a decent shot at becoming more than a high school teacher. (Maybe a university professor instead?) Any advice would be appreciated. Please don't tell me "Oh you're in grad school for education. It'll be a piece of cake!" They are two completely different ball games. You can't compare football and tennis. Don't compare education grad school and biology grad school.

I'm taking the biology GRE in three weeks, and after reading all of this, I'm thinking that I'm on the right track. Thanks for the info everyone.