The New York Times recently published an article titled:
The article talks about how hard science is. It's not all fun and games and many either drop out or switch to something a bit easier.
For those of us who finished or are now a part of science I have to admit....it was not easy. It's STILL not always easy. Sometimes I actually had to read a chapter more than once....in fact 4,5, or even 10 times.
The concepts are sometimes hard and rarely easy. What does this mean? Are American students lazy or simply unprepared? Is the science different or have we spawned a crop of whiners and weenies? Is it possibly have anything to do with the fact that academic science in general does NOT pay well and the number of positions are very limited?
The answer....just like when you took those multiple choice tests....it's "D" - all the above. (I hated those tests....A, B or C and then "D"-all the above, "E"-none of the above, "F"-A and B only, etc etc etc.)
(A) It's true, we are turning out high school grads that have no concept of what science does nor how it works. What little science they get is bland, blah and out of a book. The days of exciting science in high schools or - heaven forbid...junior high - has become a thing of the past. It's all about routine facts out of a book. Microscopes and telescopes are disappearing from the classroom.That's, of course, IF you don't get the "Creationist" version of biology when you get no real science at all. It's unimaginative and at least here in Washington State - the teachers MUST teach to the WASL test. The bottom line on this argument....kids are not getting a solid science education that will sustain them once they get to college. YES...the science in college is a lot harder! You need to actually study and that means not just reading the book/chapter/paper just once....it takes a lot of work to shove in all the info. The first year is the worst, before you can get to the fun stuff you need a foundation. It's designed to weed out the kids that can't cut it.
(B) Does science pay well? YES! BUT....you need to study something practical to get paid. Engineering? You bet....LOTS of jobs and good money. Advanced degrees are not necessary to work in industry. Is it hard? ABSOLUTELY! LOTS of math and physics. Botany? Not so much although just as hard. You need advanced degrees to get anywhere. Few jobs, not so much money. Interesting work? YES! Do we need botanists? YES. Microbiologists? Yes on the jobs but to get ahead you need advanced degrees or training. Money.....it depends. Do we need microbiologists or virologists? YES! Psychology...some would say this is not a real science - but that's my take on it. Jobs? Few and far between - advanced degrees are assumed.
(C) Academic jobs (post doctoral) jobs are very few and hard to come by. They do not pay well (at least to start) and forget it if there's someone in the job you want with tenure. This is after you've spent 4-6-8 or more years after your BS degree. The cost....starts at around $100K. You could be old before you pay off all your school loans.
So, yes...it's hard. Stop whining. It's cool work and sooooo stimulating...every day is a new day and those of us who do it love what we do. There ARE jobs out there but you need to be smart and pick a field where there are jobs to find. Otherwise....just do what you love and learn to do with less. Think of it this way...it's not that you're not making enough money....you're spending more than you need to. If you love what you do and feel you're making a difference that's enough. Marie Curie did not make enough to live in a 5000 square foot house on the beach with 4 TVs and 3 new cars with a motor home and quads. She lived simply but lived a significant life.
Buckle down and Buck up! READ that chapter over and over....don't give up, do the problems again and again until you get it right. We all will retire one day. Someone needs to be there to continue the work we've started.
No comments:
Post a Comment