Falling for the STEM meme

>falling for the STEM meme
>not learning a trade
>not getting a job right out of tech school
>not /comfy/ making 30 an hour only to go up more

Lmao it's like you wanted to be in debt and not have a job

Also, most of these won't be automated in the near future or replaced by smelly kebabs.

You should only go into STEM if you have a passion for research or if you have relatives/friends in the field so they could land you a job.

Any other reason and you are burning money.

t. angry chemical engineer, sick of seeing all these braindead normies in my field

Craftsman here. Pulling in 35/hr while going to school to further my career. Life is great if you cut all the liberal bullshit and do something truly useful to make American great again.

I start my Biochem program next fall.

D-did I fuck up?

I plan on interning every summer and I want to learn as much as I can.

I'm just not sure what the market is like for biochemists/what applications there are for biochem

>next fall

Not too late to back out and not go 100k in student loan debt.

Genetic engineering is the next big field, particularly on humans.

Biochemistry is great, just be prepared to do graduate work if you want to get anywhere serious.

At least an M.Sc, PhD if you really want to rake in some cash. Don't worry, biochem is very applicable just don't settle with a bachelors degree.

lol, too bad you won't be making $200/hour because you didn't get a masters in Software Engineering.

>decent STEM career
>hate working 40 hrs a week
>feel useless to everyday people
>too much sitting
>stuck living in cities
>would be useless in a collapse scenario

There are pros and cons to STEM vs trades. I sometimes wish I was in trades instead, although I do enjoy my job despite the above complaints.

I've always struggled between choosing a primitive lifestyle or a high tech one....

No loans for me.

$150k is what it costs for all 4 years and I plan to apply for every single scholarship there is.

There was a 3.8 STEM major in /adv/ that told me they practically pay you to study and go to school if you have a high enough GPA.

Shiet. Sounds cool. What I truly want to do is work at NASA(Or whatever space agency) working in Astrobiology. Analyzing extremophiles seems so cool to me.

I intend to intern at JPL if that has any bearing on me getting hired.

Also, the DoD has a full-ride scholarship for STEM Majors. Only thing is, you have to pay them back in service in your respective field at a DoD facility. I don't know if it's worth it?

the progression should be:
>trade
>complimentary university degree when you hit your 30's

plus if you're a good goy your company will even pay you to go back to school.

Yeah you won't be doing any astrobiology stuff unless you live another thousand or more years, sorry to burst your bubble.

Realistically you'll be working on isolating one enzyme in millions through years of gruelling lab work, only to be shat on by pajeet who happened to get it right before you. Research is not glamorous, it'll be boring as fuck. Go to /sci/ and find the journal article repository, sift through some biochem articles.

>a trade

HVAC, Electricians, Welding, Diesel Mechanics

STEM worked out great for me.

I graduated with a BS in Biology. 2009. Rough time to look for work.

Took two years of job hopping doing something unrelated to my degree before I got my foot in the door somewhere.

Now I make over $100k/year. Bought a house in a very hot market. No consumer debt. Student loan payment is chump change. I could just pay it off, but the interest rate is so low...


>You should only go into STEM if you have a passion for research or if you have relatives/friends in the field so they could land you a job.
Nah
Go in to STEM if you want to.

Nice trips
>D-did I fuck up?
No. Pour your heart into it.
Find something that you're curious about and don't stop.

>100k in student loan debt
My student loans weren't nearly that high but I'd do it all over again even if they were.

$100,000 in low-interest loans is a small price to pay for what a rigorous scientific education will do for your mind.

>just be prepared to do graduate work
I think better advice would be learn how to code.

Basically this.

But chances are if you're making that much money doing software, you're working for Google/Facebook/Amazon, wasting your intellect (while it's in its peak) coaxing people into clicking ads.

Learn how to code and do something in the sciences. Stuff that seems simple to you will be wizard-level shit to the uninitiated.

This rings very true...
Glad I'm not alone.

I'd work for the DoD in a heartbeat.

That picture you posted... you used to be able to order a poster of it from Roche for free. I still have the index booklet, pic related. Gave the actual posters to my little brother a while back.

>thanks holy digits, you had marked my way in that direction, so do I..
>PRAISE KEK!
>KEK VULT!
>DARKNESS FOLLOWING BY LIGHT!
>follow the trips

STEM is the only way to survive anymore

Graduated computer science with no internships or anything, walked right into my comfy 90k developer role (non SF, NYC, or SEA, so area is cheap)

What's the best way to get into a trade in aus? People tell me I should have been in an apprenticeship as a teenager and I've already fucked myself over.

Fug. What about working towards research on the chemical processes in the human body when in vacuum? That seems like something Biochemists do. Thanks for the /sci/ suggestion though, I'll look into that.

Lot of good info, danke. What I wanted to do was major in biochem and minor in physics, but maybe I could minor in CS if it's that important.

Also, would it be easy for me to get a $150k student loan? This may sound naive but I honestly have no idea about these things.

Take a 100-level computer science class as an undergrad and see what happens. If you have the intellectual chops to major in biochem and minor in physics, then you can learn how to program a computer. Don't get discouraged if you find that it requires effort. I think this is the part that turns many otherwise capable people away.

I wouldn't study CS at school unless you want to work in the software industry.

>Also, would it be easy for me to get a $150k student loan
This probably has more to do with the creditworthiness of your co-borrower than anything else.

Will do. I really like environmental bio as well, but unfortunately my little private uni doesn't have an envrion. minor. Is it even worth it to take a minor? I would only be doing it just to find something personally interesting to me to have fun with. Like applied linguistics or something. But is Biochem hard enough to where I should focus solely on it? I realize this is pretty broad, every person is different. But, in your opinion.

>co-borrower

Fucccck. I need a co-borrower? Well I suppose I can work that out.

Probably depends on the school, but biochem is pretty tough. I didn't minor in anything, so I can't speak to that.

I needed a co-borrower but that was a decade ago. I'm not sure what the student loan landscape looks like now. It's probably more predatory. Do your research. Don't get screwed.

And, best skilled trade of all time...

are you ready for it?

Medical Doctor!

Literal human repair technician. Makes better $$ than all of these people, and when SHTF and apocalpyse, will only be more useful and in demand.

Looks like OP is trying to echo chamber away the feels of having failed calculus

Am worried myself now. Start a biochem degree next week. Love the subject and would ideally want to pursue it into a career somewhat involving entomology which is another passion though happy for any interesting job opportunity regardless of its specialty. How badly have I screwed up?

Biochem alumni here. There's no money to be had unless you finish your PhD, which makes you pretty fucking smart. If you love the science and the research, stay the course; if you want the dollars, direct that intelligence into medicine. You'll know somewhere in 3rd your if you are cut out for biochem anyway. FWIW, I don't use my degree in my profession, but it gave me cred.

>Doing BS in Environmental Science

Am I in the STEM club with the cool kids?

I have a ton of work experience doing asbestos/lead consulting and industrial hygiene. Couldn't think of a more similar degree except maybe environmental/civil engineering (which is chock full of third worlders anyways)

Trades aren't that fun anyways. I've done demolition on the side, its fucking hard. You just get home smelling like ass, covered in drywall dust, blowing out black/grey snot every night, arms always cut up, tired as fuck. And if you're in a skilled trade you're pretty boned unless you're in a union (hard to get into). A lot of times what happens is that you get paid decent money, then once the project you're on is over you just sit at home collecting unemployment until the next project comes up.

>not having rich parents buy you a condo and a car so you can live comfortably on a shit job

I did 3.5 years for a biology degree. I dropped out when I realized it won't get me shit in the real world and, at best, I'd be working assistant in a lab for $11 an hour with no benefits. Only graduate school could get you a better job.

I went to some technical college and did 2 years for a machinist degree. Now I make $85k a year, and I'm only 24.

STEM is a joke bro

>14 million jobs created since the recession
>13.5 of them went only to people with a college degree (not trade cert)

ebin trade meme

What you want is a field you enjoy that has a lot of job openings because of lack of people to fill it. Like programming. Even still you need several years of on the job experience in addition to college if you want to break 6 figures.

Jawohl. Thanks for the info dude. I really appreciate it.

Was my other choice. I was thinking of going PA and making dosh doing that.

What are the applications for biochem anyway? Genetics? Like what industries could I get into?

Bump for whatever I guess

Skilled trade like what? Electrician?

I'm making more than 40 an hour + benefits and housing on my STEM internship. STEM is good money if you aren't dumb and lazy.