Finding the Career That Keeps You Learning and Living

Science is not just for the here and now; it’s a roadway to the future. Just like a Los Angeles freeway, the scientific roadway divides into smaller pathways going in different directions. Some of those pathways are nearly parallel; others veer off at varying angles. If we think of that freeway as a basic degree, of any discipline, and those smaller roadways as career paths, it’s easier to picture the possibilities that a degree opens up.

Aviation Careers–-Thinking Outside the Earth-Box

The idea of a career in aviation management no longer applies solely to the business of operating an airline or airline related business. The aircraft industry is always looking for ways to make aircraft more fuel efficient and you may choose a career in a research setting. As an example, GE Global Research is working with the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to design new age aircraft fuel injectors by changing the spray pattern of those injectors. On another front, you could end up managing a space-aviation firm. The Federal Aviation Administration has already given the green light for test flights of Sir Richard Branson’s SpaceShip Two. If all goes according to plan, passenger space flight will be just around the corner and you could be well on your way to a career that literally reaches for the stars. However, if you want to work a little closer to aircrafts you can look into aviation maintenance and engineering, here you’ll learn about how they work and operate and how something as small as which aeroshell 64 grease you use impacts the aircraft. Regardless of which path you want to walk, there will be many opportunities for you to experiment and feel out your new career.

Biology Majors – Saving Endangered Species

Biology majors that go on to pursue studies in molecular biology, genetics or veterinary science have the option of helping endangered species to survive. The San Diego Zoo is known not only for its extensive collection of living rare animal species, it also maintains a frozen zoo filled with genetic material from endangered animals. The ultimate goal is to produce viable offspring by using in-vitro fertilization to impregnate a similar species. The Reproductive and Genetics Divisions are pursuing new methods of stem cell banking and using that genetic material.

Environmental Studies – Storm Chasers

Storm chasing is meteorology for adrenaline junkies. It is the double-dip, upside-down, heart-stopping free-fall roller coaster ride for those wanting to study weather systems first hand. As global warming is expected to increase the number of storms we see each year, as well as their intensity, meteorologists will be in the forefront of teams helping save lives and property. Chasing tornadoes and placing scientific equipment in their paths is one way to collect valuable data that may help predict the formation and strength of future storms. Likewise, meteorologists that ride storm planes through the walls of a hurricane and into its eye also help judge the severity of the storm, rainfall amounts and perhaps give a better indication of its trajectory. A background in chemistry, computer, and environmental science is just the beginning. Further studies include climatology, oceanography, hydrology and physical geology.

A college degree is just the beginning of the learning process; the foundation to your successful future. Since you’ve already survived childhood and the angst of the teen years you may have already figured out that to live is to learn. Once you channel that learning into something worthwhile that you also love, you’ll also discover that to learn…is to live.

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