Sunday Assessment for 5-22-11
Wants:
- Read one Chapter of Philosopher’s Stone a night.
- For it to be warm outside.
- Keep thinking/researching (about) career possibilities.
- Play GoldenEye.
- Watch a gosh-darn movie with the girl with no distractions.
- Don’t stay up past midnight.
Needs:
- Clean room.
What I’ve accomplished:
- Managed to read only two chapters from Philosopher’s Stone.
- Played lots of StarCraft.
- Played Left 4 Dead, inspired by another failed rapture.
- Ate pussy.
- Followed up on financial aid stuff – has yielded me a pell grant!
- Cleared windowsil. Hey, that’s part of cleaning my room!
Only got around to reading Philosopher’s Stone once this week. Better than nothing. This may sound odd, but as many details were left out in the screenplay, there’s a lot more visceral and visual details that just can’t be communicated in books. Living underneath a staircase? No way I could possibly picture what that looks like. Nor each of the characters. In the way I’m terrible at describing people, I’m terrible at taking a description and creating a picture. Visuals aside, Mr. Potter’s fat cousin (I can’t even remember names) is far meaner in the book. :: nods ::
Been thinking about what I could “do” with a math degree. Among the more interesting options is becoming an actuary. It would be incredibly amusing, since that’s basically the career of the main character in Yes Man. In my googling, I ran across a rather interesting presentation: http://www.shsu.edu/~mth_jaj/blinn_handout.pdf Among the statistics: math majors do better at both the MCAT and LSAT than any other major. I can sort of understand how a math major would be good preparation for being a lawyer, but a doctor? I find that absolutely fascinating.
Something else that occurred to me recently. I’ve always been really good with money. I’ve had the same savings account (well, minus some bank acquisitions and name changes) since I was 8. I remember having a little mini-safe. I kept meticulous records of my transactions and how much I had on hand. I like numbers and keeping track of stuff. I wonder how the statistics class I’m taking next fall will treat me.
And then I think about continuing on the path of exercise science. I scoffed at the idea of being a personal trainer, because there isn’t much to do after that, unless you’re REALLY good and get your own facility. I also have little interest in being a physical therapist in terms of diagnosis. You know what really fascinates me? Exercise periodization. Given a list of stimulus, what’s the best way to optimize whatever goals a client has in mind.
Any way it goes, in a year’s time I’m going to pick a direction and GO. This time, it’s for real.
Do you like statistics? When I did research a couple years ago, there were statisticians who were just “around” (i don’t know what else they did honestly) and we could send them our work and they would help figure out the statistics for us. I thought it was really cool! I can see why math majors do well on the MCAT, although apparently they are putting more philosophy on it now so it might change.
Warning Comment
As an actuarial student in the UK I can say this – you’ll have to REALLY love statistics and calculus to succeed in the actuarial profession. It’s a pretty thankless (but lucrative) job. Personally, I’m not loving it, but diff’rent strokes etc. 🙂
Warning Comment
I have a feeling you’ll be good at Statistics, and end up loving it. It’s unlike any class I have ever taken before, in which your brain is required to taking on a completely different thought process. I liken it to learning a new language actually, though I do think that the key is having a good instructor. The sky is the limit when it comes to being an actuary. Though, I’m sure you already know this. 🙂
Warning Comment
Dudley Dursley. And I love you even more now.
Warning Comment
Honestly? If I had to do it all again, I’d get a double-major in a hard science and a “soft” liberal arts area. You can go anywhere from there. Also, there is a *huge* growing field for things like patent lawyers, people who have to understand technology *and* be able to talk/write about it.
Warning Comment
Ryn: Every Harry Potter nerd loves the other.
Warning Comment
A degree is a degree. If it is important to you and you get a lot out of it, that’s all that matters. I hate when people ask “well what can do you do with THAT”? as if you shoulda majored in something you had no interest in just because it got you a job. Look at how happy those people are. And TEACHING is always an option.
Warning Comment
RYN: Technical writing is grossly underpaid for the skills it requires. But the ability to both understand technology and to communicate effectively can carry over into a great many better-paying careers.
Warning Comment
I wish I could find the essay, but it was an excellent discussion of how the best education for *any* career would be a combination of hard science and liberal arts. Prepares you to go in any direction because you don’t know what will be hot when you’re out there. I mean, look at me. The web didn’t exist when I was in school, but it was almost designed for someone with a background in communications and an aptitude for technology. I’m not quite as squishy soft as to say “go with your heart” because some people have notoriously unreliable hearts. I’d say, always study and do what interests you, but with an eye to how practical it is. The odds are that you’re going to have to make a career doing it, so it doesn’t make sense to choose something you hate just to make money. But it also doesn’t make sense to do something you could never support more than a starving student with. The world is your oyster. Open it. Slurp it down. Don’t choke on the pearl.
Warning Comment
yay to harry potter 🙂 <3 xxx
Warning Comment
Yay for thinking ahead!
Warning Comment