siberiantiger
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Posts posted by siberiantiger
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On 6/24/2018 at 1:11 PM, majorchange said:
Hi all!
I am currently a Ph.D. student in a healthcare field. I just finished my first year of the program, and I am now almost certain that I want to quit to pursue a career in agronomy. My program is very well-respected within my (formerly) intended field and fully funded with a stipend, so naturally this is a very hard decision to make. However, I just cannot see myself in any healthcare field and I have always struggled to maintain even a moderate level of interest in the research within my field. I just had no concept of what working in a healthcare field would be like - especially as a very introverted person - prior to beginning clinical work in graduate school. I've gotten good grades, positive feedback from supervisors, etc. but I find no joy in what I do. My strengths lie in attention to detail and "puzzle-solving" based on observation. I also deeply want to be in a career where I can spend a good deal of time doing outdoor fieldwork as well as indoor lab work. I was a chemistry major during my first two years of undergrad and I deeply miss the time spent in chemistry labs. Based on what I've found online, it seems a career in agronomy would open a variety of opportunities that are in line with my strengths and preferences. I have developed an interest particularly in soil sciences, but I am interested in crops as well and not entirely sure if I would rather specialize in plants or soils.
The question now is where to move forward with this decision. There is a nearby university (~1.5 hours away) with a good agronomy department that offers both a B.S. and M.S. in plant and soil sciences. If all of my gen ed and basic science courses from the chemistry major transfer over (it looks like they will), I could complete the B.S. in 2-3 years and could afford the tuition using a portion of my savings without taking on any debt, assuming I could work at least a part-time (if not full-time) job to support myself. The tricky but workable part is that the house I am living in is paid for and my partner needs to keep his job in town. So moving is not an option, meaning I would have to manage with the long commute to the school. After getting the B.S. we would both be ready to move so I could apply to a variety of M.S. programs and go to one with good funding.
Another option is that the university in question would allow me to go for the M.S. even though my B.A. is in an unrelated field, provided I take some extra courses at the beginning. However, funding is not guaranteed and provided by faculty members as a condition of acceptance into their lab. I seriously question whether a faculty member would be willing to accept me, much less secure funding for me, given I have no prior exposure to this field. Further, I am not sure whether any of my former professors (except for maybe the chem professors whom I haven't seen in years and may not remember me) would be willing to write rec letters given I will have abandoned my current program. Funding is very important for the M.S., as paying graduate-level tuition would mean taking on student debt which I want to avoid at all costs.
Another factor to consider is that I completed my GRE approximately 2 years ago, meaning I have only 3 years left before it expires. I did *very* well on all portions of the GRE and it would likely be my biggest strength in reapplying to graduate school, so I would really rather not take it again as I am not certain if I would do as well the second time around.
Questions: Is it worth trying for the M.S. straight away, or should I go for the B.S. first? Any other miscellaneous advice? I want to learn everything I possibly can about my options as well as this field in general (i.e. what the work is like, job prospects, etc.)!
Thanks in advance!
Hi there! I’m a geology and astronomy dual degree but spent my entire undergraduate part time job as the agronomy field trials Assistant at umd under Jason P Wight. I highly recommend Agronomy, and I come from the stand point of someone who never of thought it would be interesting. I’m honestly going to consider agronomy if planetary science doesn’t work out. My boss, Dr. Wight, an established agronomist, said there’s actually a need for agronomist and there’s more jobs then there are people. This is field to go into especially since no one wants to do it and it’s needed. We will always use crops! The other great thing about agronomy is that you get to spend time inside and outside. The work is not always the same thing, so you won’t get bored like other jobs.
Also, just shoot me a message or email for more questions since your post is a little long to read on a phone. My email is amills12@umd.edu. I can ask my supervisor about suggestions for school recommendations that would cater to you. I honestly would go with Purdue, Texas and m, Tennessee, Louisiana, Ohio state, penn state, Virginia tech, etc. but that’s my personal biasment due to working with these programs and my boss going to 3 of those schools. Also, you should probably be able to enter a Ms program in agronomy with your degrees for some schools based on your degree.
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On 1/22/2019 at 2:45 PM, geoapp said:
Hi, Just wondering if anyone here has applied to Penn State or Maryland for the PhD programs? I applied on Dec 15 and 14 respectively, and haven't heard anything back yet.
Undergrad Institution: Undergrad and MSc at Canadian schools (different schools)
Major(s): Undergrad - Chemistry and Earth Sciences, MSc. Earth Sciences
Minor(s): Nope
GPA in Major: A (MSc. )B+ (undergrad)
Overall GPA:
Position in Class: N/A
Type of Student: International
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q:157 V:156 AW:6
Research Experience:
Worked at Geological Survey of Canada
Lab assistant during my undergraduate
RA for my supervisor
Undergrad honors research project
MSc. is research-based
Presented preliminary MSc results at Goldschmidt
Awards/Honors/Recognitions:
Won undergrad poster day
Partial MSc. admissions scholarship
Pertinent Activities or Jobs:
Worked at the geological survey and as a lab assistant
RA for my supervisor
Numerous volunteer outreach in science organizations planned a grad student conference.
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: N/A
Special Bonus Points: worked in multiple lab settings, attended conference, well known MSc supervisors, good work experience
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: mixed race minority female
Applying to Where:
Penn State, Maryland
Hey there, I am a recent undergraduate graduate from UMD. Who did you apply for? We invite the accepted students I believe in March, so if you haven't heard back by the end of February, you were most likely not a top applicant.
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Does anyone want to meet up for LPSC or need to make arrangements? With the day before the conference starts being St. Patrick's Day, I was looking to get a few others to go out. Sadly I don't have my advisor going due to the government shutdown, so I am looking to meet some new people.
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Hello all! I wanted to make this forum for anyone who is planning to attend LPSC 2019 and would like to meet up.
Personally, due to the government shutdown will not have my advisor going, so I will be going alone and would appreciate company especially on St. Patrick's Day.
2019 Waitlist Thread
in Waiting it Out
Posted · Edited by siberiantiger
So I’m also a geology major with a focus in planetary science. I saw this as I’m assuming you’re applying to geology as well from what it says on the bio. What school are you waiting on? I am offered a TA position then NASA funding when it comes in for University of Alabama. If your top choice is this school, I won’t be making a decision till after April 15 when the schools (Washington University in St. Louis and University of Hawaii) I’m waitlisted for respond. I got an extension from Alabama.