Anyone in grad school?

I'm trying to figure out if I should be in grad school or not. Birds are my passion, and I always wanted to be some sort of researcher... but...

I would have to take that expensive GRE again since mine has expired already

I have physical weakness too and I'm often too slow doing field work. I've been told I should do lab work, but I don't know how to get my foot in the door.

Mental health issues... I sometimes still get symptoms and even the past research job that I was good at, I developed symptoms and it ruined it.

I'm on SSI, if I'm deemed not able to work... why should I try school? But I don't want to be in this apartment forever.

Suggestions?

Hi birdcrazy,

I do really know where you are coming from. It's interesting, I myself am struggling with the same type of issues. And yet I feel compelled to tell you to keep moving forward toward this dream, though it is so hard for me to tell myself that. I also suffer from mental health issues (depression) that got worse when I hit my 30's. I also long to work in a science-related field. Things can seem so overwhelming at times. And so it is the old question of... is it worth it? In fact, I have been heartened by your post... to know there is someone out there who feels somewhat the way that I do... You mentioned that you have physical weakness and believe you would be too slow doing field work. However, I think that if you did find your way into doing lab work, I bet there would be some opportunities for you to get out to the field. Not every field job requires physical stregth... many simply require driving, keeping supplies organized, taking notes, recording data etc. It is often so hard for me to feel like I am entitled to follow what I enjoy. But it is much easier for me to see it in your post... that you should follow what you enjoy. We only live once. Isn't it better to work slowly toward our dreams then to wake up one day in 20 or 30 years and have to ask... "what if?"

E

I'm in grad school. If you really feel passionate about it, there's a way to make it happen. When it comes to field work - that's what undergrads are for!!!!!! haha

But seriously....I have epilepsy and it was a constant struggle because it doesn't take much stress to make me have a seizure. So sometimes, doing field work, I would have to stop and go sit in the truck for a few minutes until I felt okay again.

What exactly about birds are you interested in? Have you done a search for it?

I used to work at the Cary Institute in upstate New York and they did a lot of bird research there. Most of the profs there were from Texas Tech so maybe search their ornithology site and see if you like what you see.

First things first. Figure out what YOU need. Do you have to stay in the same city? How far can you move or travel for grad school? Once you narrow down your area, think about what you are interested in. A good way to start is to look at google scholar. Search for some journal articles that you find really interesting and look at the authors and references. These are the people you may want to contact. Even if they are too far away or not accepting, they most likely know someone to direct you to.

Most profs will have a grant which will cover your tuition plus give you a stipend of usually around 15000 a year. When you get past everything I just listed, start emailing or calling. If you can find their individual sites, a lot of times they will flat out say whether they are looking for someone. Then you and them can see if you have good chemistry, if your interests overlap etc....

I hope all this works out for you. And as far as the GRE goes....I hated it. It was expensive. And nobody really cared what my score was. I think it's pointless but apparently chairs of depts don't.

And if you are looking to possibly get some experience before applying to grad school, http://www.wfsc.tamu.edu/jobboard/ go there. They have internships, masters, phd, temporary and permanent jobs etc... It is all wildlife based and they usually have a lot of bird work on there. Plus you can narrow your search to a state or area of work.

PM me if you need anything! Good luck!!!!