Expert: Daniel Mazur - 9/30/2010

Question
Hi Daniel,

I am currently in my last year of high school, and seeking for advice on what type of careers or jobs I can look into.  I am interested in mathematics, physics, biology and geography, I currently get good grades in all these subjects mentioned above.

Please I really need your advice urgently and if you can suggest which universities can take me.

Thank you,
Deborah

Answer
Hi Deborah,

due to an accident I couldn't write any answers lately, so I don't know if you have any use for my answer any more.

What universities can take you? Virtually ANY university around the globe will be happy to have you. I don't know enough about you to feel qualified to say more. I don't think you can select a University using this point of view. As long as you have good grades (SAT test and similar standard exam results), you needn't worry, who would take you. You need to decide, where you would LIKE to go, what school you are willing to relocate to, what tuition you can afford etc.

With your interests you have plenty of career paths open for you. The most difficult will turn out, if you want to implement all the subjects in one career. Biology and geography together can lead you to study wild life, whatever remains of it. Biology and physics can lead to scientific biophysics or biomedical engineering. Physics and geography then would point to geophysics, meteorology, but also to the oil-mining and other ore- and mineral-mining industry. Next, wherever you touch physics, you will need to study quite a lot of maths as well, so your talents in maths will be an advantage. And finally, if you would choose only one of the subjects you named, then you can always become either a scientist, who does research funded by governments through Universities and National Laboratories, or you can choose a career in "the industry" as we call it. The latter means quite a different workstyle, it is product-oriented and the time pressure on results is far greater, but the salaries are higher there.

I suggest that you take a few visits to Universities in your vicinity and ask the faculty there "what do you do here". Let them show you and tell you, what life is like as scientists. Then you can do the same with companies that have their own Research&Development divisions, let them show you, what work is like with them. And finally, just think what are your career priorities, what kind of work you'd like best (lab experiments for example) and worst (sitting at a computer all day for instance). After you refine your vision, pick a University major you want to study. Only after that go through Bachelor, Master's and Doctorate programs of some Universities that you would not mind graduating and find the best match between what you want and what they offer. Before you decide well on what you want, you can as well decide on a University by taking a "Top 100 Univesities in the U.S." list and make a blind pick.

I cannot advise more specifically at this point.

Good luck!
Daniel