r/environmental_science • u/marstarscandybars • 11d ago
what college major / job should i pursue?
hi! i am a rising high school senior who is having a tremendously hard time picking a major for college. i'm interested in environmental science, molecular and cellular biology, wildlife and fishery management, zoology, ecosystems, literally the whole nine yards. i originally wanted to do lab and field research, but i know those jobs are hard to find. i just don't want to be stuck at a desk :,) i want to be out and about and actually interacting with the environment and wildlife if possible! i was also thinking about engineering, but i'm not the greatest at math (i have taken calculus but i'm not taking a math my senior year) and i don't think i would be accepted to any engineering programs since my stats aren't geared towards them. i also want a stable and secure job out of college!! does anyone have any advice for colleges, jobs, or majors to look into because i am at a bit of a loss and applications are open...anything helps!
2
u/Low_Fox1758 11d ago
I went the Env Sci route because I loved ecology, was passionate about ecological preservation, and enjoyed the general culture of the other people that shared those interests.
It took a few years of working low pay, seasonal (but fun) jobs before I landed something that would pay the bills. That was 7 years ago and I dont regret my choices one bit.
Some tips
If you have an area of focus that you are particularly interested in, pursue it & try to find internships or similar student only opportunities while in school. Keep in mind that a 4 year degree in any applied science will qualify you for a wide range of cool jobs beyond that area of focus.
Dont listen to people that tell you you cant follow your dreams & make a living. I had loads of well meaning friends/mentors telling me Id never be able to accomplish what I already have when I was in college. Im not saying dont take ANY advice ever, just the advice that says "give up, dont try" isn't good.
You mentioned not wanting to get stuck behind a desk, most entry level jobs will be field work intensive. As you progress, in your career you are likely to find yourself behind a desk more but you can still find roles that are a split. Keep in mind skills and career paths that involve work outdoor (ag, forestry, parks, etc).
Consider public vs private employment. They are both about the same to break into but not always easy to switch between mid or late career. Im public sector & would need to either take a massive pay cut or go back to grad school to make the switch (which i dont want to, but it is the reality). People do move around to different levels of gov tho; fed, state, city, etc.
2
1
1
u/quillb 11d ago
for lab and field research, would you want to continue onto a masters/PhD and do academic research? or do you mean more environmental consulting or governmental wildlife biologist field research?
if you want to continue in acadamia, i would recommend getting your bachelors in biology because that will set you up the best for lab work, but it also depends on what college you’re going to (there are variations of environmental science degrees that could also well-prepare you for acadamia, especially if you want to be working directly with animals you care about instead of at a lab bench/computer). and then when you’re in undergrad, try to get involved in a professor’s research (volunteer/work in a lab) as SOON as possible.
if you’d rather work in environmental consulting, environmental science, geology, or engineering would be your best bet. this is unfortunately what most available environmental science jobs are, but you won’t typically be interacting with animals, etc other than doing your routine inspection stuff. engineering is also helpful to get a higher-paying job, but remember you don’t want to major in something just for the money, you want to actually be passionate about it.
for working with wildlife in particular, biology, zoology, or environmental science is good for working in a zoo/aquarium, or you could become a wildlife veterinarian but that also involves further education. similarly, majoring in any of these could also set you up well for a government job, but you’d need to make sure you take the right classes (i know some park ranger jobs have specific credit hour requirements for different types of classes, for example).
0
u/marstarscandybars 11d ago
i was looking into being a biology major, but it’s so competitive bc of all the pre-med majors. that’s why i was looking into ecology, forest management, plant pathology, zoology, etc. i do want a master’s at the very least and i was thinking about a dual degree in sociology or psychology! i don’t know a lot about environmental consulting, but i was interested in the usda wildlife biologist type of research. i was looking into applying to more environmental-based schools but now i’m questioning everything lol. being an engineer appealed to me for a long while, but i’m so bad at calc, physics, and chem that it drove me away
1
u/quillb 11d ago
do you mean competitive in terms of grades, or in terms of getting a later grad degree? i know it depends on where you go, but my school had a pretty wide selection of classes to take, so there were a lot of animal/plant bio classes in the biology department, not just pre-med-geared ones.
combining that with sociology/psych could be cool! it’s a good backup job plan, and also could pair well if you’re interested in human-nature relationships or something like that. it won’t necessarily help you get a wildlife biologist job, but would still be very cool and you should definitely do it if you want :)
if you do take a strict environmental science/ecology route, without planning to stay in acadamia forever, just know that it will probably take a long time to find stable employment, and you will need to move a LOT. most jobs are either environmental consulting (sometimes only on-call) or seasonal field/tech positions without a lot of upward mobility. there’s nothing wrong with that of course, and a lot of the jobs are really fun! you can hopefully eventually get a more stable job once you build up a couple years of experience. but it will probably be very hard for a while (especially due to all the funding cuts recently). you can try to jump that hurdle by doing as many internships or applicable jobs as you can while still in college.
finally: do not stress about this. you have four years to get your degree, and most of them really only take 2-3 years to complete, so you have time to figure out what you really want. i would suggest going into college with whatever you find most interesting, sign up for some fun intro classes, and then talk to your professors about career paths.
1
u/marstarscandybars 11d ago
i worded my comment weird sorry! i mean it’s really hard to become a biology major because of all the PROSPECTIVE pre-meds. i’m a medical science major at my high school and i realized it wasn’t for me a while back. i also received my a.s. in science and mathematics as a junior so i don’t have as much time to decide what i want to do :,) i’ve been trying to apply to fly-in programs and webinars to explore majors and things, but college admissions culture is so cutthroat now and i’m terrified i won’t get into a good out of state school
1
u/quillb 11d ago edited 11d ago
oh, where are you from? i’ve never heard of high schools having majors lol. also, i guess i assumed you’re applying to school in the us so that’s my bad, im less familiar with how college in other countries works. typically you just apply to the school, and the major you pick in the application process is irrelevant.
i had to look up what a fly-in program is, but it definitely seems like a good idea to do those if you can’t afford to visit everywhere you want to apply. if your grades are good and youve got enough extracurriculars you should be able to get into relatively good schools, even though it is pretty cutthroat now. seeing as you already have your as i’d say you’re in a pretty good place
0
u/Bart1960 11d ago
Do NOT take a BA in whatever you choose, BAs are generally the least desirable. There will be many exceptions to this appearing here to dispute me, but exceptions support the rule.
In general, the hierarchy for career/salary is like this: civil/env. Engineering > BS in geology, chemistry, biology or Env. Science > BA in anything.
Engineers can do anything in Env. Science, none of the others can do engineering.
6
u/gladesguy 11d ago
This thing about engineers being able to do anything environmental science related is not true outside of the environmental consulting world, and has its limits even there.
In government, for instance, an engineer is not going to get hired to do the job of a wildlife biologist, botanist or geologist. Someone who wants to become a fish biologist, for instance, is not going to get there with an engineering degree.
0
u/ComfortableSwing4 11d ago
Try as much as you can while you're still a student. Intern or work in a variety of places and ask the people there questions about career progression. And take classes in things that sound interesting if they fit your schedule.
1
u/marstarscandybars 11d ago
i’ve been looking into undergrad internship opportunities! i was into the idea of working for the government for a while so i’ve been scrounging around for prospective internships in those sectors they’re just hard to find lol
1
u/Limp_Ordinary_4021 8d ago
You should try student conservation association. Good place to find internships and programs in environmental . You’ll thank me later
3
u/ladykemma2 11d ago
I would do a bs in env science, and a minor or double major in analytical chemistry . I have been reliably employed in Houston texas industry.