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whogeek ([personal profile] whogeek) wrote2010-03-19 03:28 am
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Came to a Decision


So, some of you may remember that back in early December I went a bit depressive and stuff, and came up with a plan to get myself to a better place.  So I figure it's been a while, and I'm actually about to finish my counseling(what idiot came up with a 10-session limit for my campus counseling center?), and I've come to a decision on a major.

I actually took a couple of tests to figure out what my strengths are, and what jobs are best suited to those strengths.  Then, over spring break last week I did some research on some different careers, and I've come to a decision about what major I'm going to be switching to.  I'm going to go for an Anthropology major, with a concentration in Archaeology, and probably minoring in psychology or sociology.  I realized that as much as I enjoy chemistry and science, I wouldn't be happy sitting in a lab all day and doing the same basic motions over and over and over.  If I have a BA in Anthropology I'll be doing field work(which is what I want to do), but I won't be stuck in a lab every single day.  It'll be some lab stuff(filing, sorting, classifying, etc), dig sites, and working with museums and such.  It took my mom a little while, but after she thought over it some she realized that it really was a good fit for me.  So, hopefully in a couple of days I'll go talk to my advisor about changing my major and sorting that out.

One of my friends said: "It'll be like CSI, only not as dead."  And my response was: "Well, technically, it's like CSI stuff, but more dead."

But I really have to thank everyone who offered me support and advice during all that.  Especially [livejournal.com profile] jetpack_angel and [livejournal.com profile] thebritpopkid  for their "I've been there" wisdom.

[identity profile] talkingtocactus.livejournal.com 2010-03-19 11:27 am (UTC)(link)
good plan! i did a little anthropology for my last degree and although it's not really my area, it is pretty fascinating stuff. i hope you enjoy it! the nice thing about it though is that it's a good balance between science and social stuff - and i guess you can choose one over the other at some point, ie specialise in the more scientific aspect (studying 3,000 yr old skulls etc) or the social aspect.

just keep an eye out for edward evans-pritchard - i can almost guarantee he will be in there somewhere!

[identity profile] whogeek.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 01:17 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, and it's something that I have found interesting in the past whenever I go to historic sites here. Like my visit to the Jamestown Settlement, where I could have stayed and looked at everything for days, when I had only a few hours.

Edward Evans-Pritchard.... I'll keep that in mind.

[identity profile] talkingtocactus.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
i love places like that, where you feel like you can really immerse yourself :)

he studied a tribe called the Azande, and wrote a lot about their magical practices (it had a lot to do with killing chickens if i recall, it's been a good 5-6 years since i studied it!) and i think i remember learning that he was basically the front runner in anthropological relativism. i wrote an essay on it but like i said, a long time ago! this is hardly an academic source, but here ya go anyway: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evans_Pritchard

[identity profile] whogeek.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 04:52 am (UTC)(link)
See, I'd want to study more the ancient cultures; Roman, Greek, Egyptian, etc. The more modern stuff is fascinating too, but I'm really into the ancient stuff.

[identity profile] talkingtocactus.livejournal.com 2010-03-20 12:38 pm (UTC)(link)
i always used to say that - i was really into ancient egypt for a long time (i even did a night course in reading/writing hieroglyphics and had a text book the size of a house about egyptian grammar!) and i always kind of thought modern history was dull by comparison, but when i accidentally ended up doing modern history for my degree i changed my mind :) i guess i like to cover all the bases, my favourite periods are probably ancient egypt (although never at degree level); medieval europe (750-1250) and the bit between about 1780 and 1918, oh and soviet russia. it's much more of a history POV but for me it's all about the social change - the periods where there was most change and upheaval for the ordinary person. i think that works for anthropology too, esp if you're doing the social side, but even on a more scientific basis, major change can affect things like nutrition, health, death rates and so on.

haha now i'm rambling :)

[identity profile] talkingtocactus.livejournal.com 2010-03-19 11:27 am (UTC)(link)
oh, and - no problem :)

[identity profile] jetpack-angel.livejournal.com 2010-03-29 10:26 pm (UTC)(link)
So you're going to be just like Dr. Daniel Jackson! Without all the aliens and saving-the-world stuff, of course, but still. You're going to be one of those intriguing, fascinating people whose careers lay in ruins. *rimshot* I shall look forward to the History Channel special. Hurry up and figure out why the Mayans stopped their Long Calendar at 2012, would ya?

[identity profile] whogeek.livejournal.com 2010-03-30 01:59 am (UTC)(link)
Thanks. [/sarcasm] And without the Dr part probably. At least for quite a while. And don't expect any History Channel specials anytime soon. I'm only a college freshman.

[identity profile] jetpack-angel.livejournal.com 2010-03-30 02:02 am (UTC)(link)
What? I was trying to be supportive, and I thought the joke was clever since you'll be running around in ruins and studying them. Archaeology sounds awesome.

[identity profile] whogeek.livejournal.com 2010-03-30 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
... OH!! Sorry, I smooshed the "Careers lay in ruins" joke in with the "like Dr. Jackson" bit...... so... yeah. Now I get it. Slight misunderstanding on my part. I'm tired, and in need of sleep. My brain is not functioning at it's highest at the moment. XD I feel a bit silly now, because it is a pretty good joke(although I have a feeling it will get old fast**rimshot!!**)