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I need some advice about life

Chaotic42

Chaotic42

Lifer
I'm posting this because harsh, critical people who don't know me might be able to give me an insight into my life that I wouldn't normally get. I should also warn everyone that the melatonin has kicked in and this post might not flow as well as it should.

Here's some important info:

I'm 23. I've had about 10 jobs and lived at 22 different addresses (The SF86 was fun for me to fill out). I'm a super-sophomore right now in community college (I have enough credits to be a junior).

I work as a Geospatial Analyst at a mid-sized GIS company (I work with maps, basically). I make $11.96/hr. I leave for school at 7am and get home from work at 12am.

I used to want to be a fighter pilot. Unfortunately a car wreck bent my hip. That kept me out of the military. I worked at McDonald's, on the radio, at a library, at Office Depot, and as a GIS person.

Now I'm getting my degree. I want a PhD in Mathematics and Physics. These are, of course, very expensive. I'm not wild about the idea of going to college and dorming with 18 year olds (no offense to anyone here). My wild days are well behind me.

It turns out, by a strange set of happenings, that I might be able to get a commission in the Navy once I get my degree. This would be very interesting as I could go in as a Nuke guy on a sub. It also seems that I'm doing well at work and they seem to be giving me more freedoms and resposibilities.

I don't know what I want out of life in general. I want to get married, but don't want kids. I want a mentally demanding and interesting job, but I want little stress. I want to work 40-50 hours, but I want a house.

I do want my PhD, but I'm not sure what I'd do after that. Teach? Maybe, if I can get a good job doing that. Research? That would be really nice as long as there was work. If I join the Navy, I'll have a career, but I'll be at sea for months at a time. If I stay at my current job, I'll be somewhat unfullfilled and my paid is likely never going to be much more than it is now.

So my question to all of you is, what advice can you give me? Should I pursue my PhD? Should I try for the commission (It's not a sure thing)? Should I give up and settle for a small apartment and ramen noodles at my current job?

All opinions are welcome.
 
if you pursue your PhD, then you want to do things like research and teach.

otherwise, a masters ftw. but a masters in math/physics is garbage unless you're going to do research/teach.

do you like your GIS work now? there is high demand for GIS engineers, afaik
 
Originally posted by: Chaotic42
Should I give up and settle for a small apartment and ramen noodles at my current job?
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You know that I'm horribly unqualified to be answering this post... but I will say that you should *never* give up and settle for *anything* that you are not happy with.
 
Most of the PhD candidates I know have no idea what they want to do with their lives. "Teach, maybe? I dunno," is their response when asked. So you're not alone in that respect.

I suggest going into the Navy. A commission can have you set for life, with a good salary, an interesting job and a comfortable retirement. Plus, the Navy isn't seeing much combat action in the current war, so the chance of life-threatening situations is pretty low. But be prepared to hate life on a sub; I'm guessing it's not for the faint of heart.

GIS is a cool field that's becoming ever more interesting each day. Ever thought of applying to work in the intelligence community? NSA and Central Intelligence both do a lot of work with GIS, so it might be a good idea to fill out their online employment forms and see if you get a call.
 
Originally posted by: jumpr
GIS is a cool field that's becoming ever more interesting each day. Ever thought of applying to work in the intelligence community? NSA and Central Intelligence both do a lot of work with GIS, so it might be a good idea to fill out their online employment forms and see if you get a call.
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Yeah, I've thought of that. I'd need a degree for that and it's taking forever for me to get my TS.
 
Try for the commission. It seems like the most interesting and career progressing option you have, that will eventually lead to the type of life you want.
 
Id suggest go to the Navy first, that is if you want to. or you could do two years at a 4 year college and get your bachelors and then go to officer school.
 
Hmm your op was quite an interesting read... have you ever thought about being a motivational speaker? you can live in a van down by the river.
 
Originally posted by: darkxshade
Hmm your op was quite an interesting read... have you ever thought about being a motivational speaker? you can live in a van down by the river.
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Everyone else in New Orleans is already living there. 😉
 
Try the Navy commission. I have lots of friends who served in the Navy and enjoyed their time. It also can help on your resume later in life.
 
Don't put off grad school. I know from personal experience that it is VERY difficult to go back after working for years. My spouse did go back to school for 6 years after we had our first kid and got his BSEE and MSEE, but I haven't yet. Life has a way of getting in the way of your dreams. Don't settle and don't tell yourself you'll go back in a few years because it very well might not happen and you could find yourself ten or twenty years from now feeling very unhappy with the choices you made when you were young, unencumbered with a family, and relatively free to go anywhere in the world to pursue your dreams. Throw caution to the wind. You get to be selfish at your age.
 
Focus on one thing at a time is the only advice I'd give. When I was in high school I wanted to join an academy, but then I wanted to go to a private college instead. As it would happen, my senior year I signed up for ROTC in a one year commissioning program for high demand majors. Go figure.

It seems like life isn't you driving a finely tuned car so much as driving a bumper car. You can steer all you want, but sometimes it has a mind of its own. Enjoy the ride, never settle for anything less than you are worth.
 
the PhD student i know is doing a PhD for exactly your reasons.....she didnt really know where she wanted to go or what she should do next so she stayed on (after getting a masters in some kind of engineering related to sports) to get a PhD and do research for Adidas
 
Originally posted by: Bryophyte
Don't put off grad school. I know from personal experience that it is VERY difficult to go back after working for years. My spouse did go back to school for 6 years after we had our first kid and got his BSEE and MSEE, but I haven't yet. Life has a way of getting in the way of your dreams. Don't settle and don't tell yourself you'll go back in a few years because it very well might not happen and you could find yourself ten or twenty years from now feeling very unhappy with the choices you made when you were young, unencumbered with a family, and relatively free to go anywhere in the world to pursue your dreams. Throw caution to the wind. You get to be selfish at your age.
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Where were you when I needed you 10 years ago?
 
Are you sure you can't get a tution waiver and a stipend for your PhD? I know its standard in my field (Bio) I'm almost positive you can get one for physics.
 
There are some ex navy nukes on AT, you might want to talk to them.

Fobot is one of them IIRC.
 
Originally posted by: scott
I'd bet they have some aptitude testing they could give you, probably free. That might help you start finding more of a focus on clear goals.
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I've taken plenty of those kinds of tests. When I was younger I took them all of the time, I got a new battery in high school, and then even more in English and Psychology. They all say mathematician.

The other thing about a PhD in Mathematics and Physics somehow comes across as a little unclear, hazzy in your OP. I happen to have some friends like that, but they were all passionately driven in pursuit of their Ph.D.'s, and earned them at top universities by age mid/upper 20s. I don't catch expression of that fire & passion for it in your OP. I don't mean to stomp on your aspiration for that, but the Navy seems more immediate and real.
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I'm not really an excitable person. My highs and lows are pretty mellow compared to most people. It's like I have a dampener on my mood. 😛 I also don't write with any emotion. Getting a PhD is at the top of my list of things that I want to do in my life.

Also, are you getting good sleep, nutrition, exercize, friends, play, etc?
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The combination of school, work, and three hours of driving means that the only one of those I get any of is exercize, and that's from my gym class.

I appreciate everyone's comments. :beer:

 
You have alot of school left before you need to make a decision on the PhD. Continue going to school and see what opportunities open up before you make that determination.
 
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