Need Some Help

[sarahnade_me]

Hi, I'm 25 years old and planning on studying astrophysics after leaving my degree in music. I plan on going to UT Austin. Does anyone know what I will be able to do with this degree. I love being a number cruncher, but of course everybody has their dreams when it comes to astronomy. For me it is extrasolar planets and mars and has been since they started finding planets about 10 years ago. What do y'all think? Should I do the degree since you only live once and it has been my dream for so long, or should i finish my degree in music? Also, what do you think I will be doing when I start my career?

[devilmech]

Well, I am also planning on changing degrees to Astrophysics, and I think that you can make a decent living doing it. Aside from working for a space agency like NASA or ESA, there are many universities that have research departments. You can always teach astrophysics, and use the university equipment for your research if that doesn't pan out.

[isferno]

Maybe its interresting for you to read someone elses quandry about this, though going into music, instead of out of it.

you can read it at the following forum: SlowChess Forum (http://www.slowchess.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=379)

[Tiny]

That's kinda wasting ur time if you give up ur current study and jump to other major, why not just keep studying, besides it's fun to create ur own music...

[sarahnade_me]

Well, I'm actually a teacher already in music and feel that it is a waste of my time to go any further. i'm not happy with the public school system in Texas. Sooo, i was really looking to see what I would really want to do. Also, as I said this is one of my dreams. I started off as a geology major and as I keep on finding how unhappy I am doing everything else I keep dreaming about astronomy. Romantic isn't it.

:lol:

[Tiny]

:P Hey sarahnade can I ask you one question? Was music hard to learn? I was thinking picking music as major since I don't have critical thinking experiences on Science...

[philodynia]

Sounds to me like you've already decided that you want to do it, you just need to hear somebody tell you its alright and to go do it.

GO DO IT!

[sarahnade_me]

Thanks for telling me what to do. Also, being a music major isn't hard as long as you don't mind practicing a lot and having a lot of homework. it kinda depends on what school you are thinking about going to. Where are you thinking about going to?

Sarahnade_me in Texas

[kashi]

I am also studying a music degree, and I too am passionate about science and astronomy. In my opinion, if you really have to pick two careers, you should try and make at least one of them profitable...lol! Personally, I get enough intellectual stimulation out of reading astronomical literature and from talking with like minded people on this forum without needing to go and study atsrophysics formally. I don't think I could say the same about music. Music is one of those things, the more you learn, the more you need to know. It's a neverending path of self-improvement.

[Tiny]

Kashi, are you studying music in Japan?

[sarahnade_me]

I agree about music. I just wasn't happy where I was going to school. How long is the degree you are seeking and what do you play. The only way to get a job is to teach and i think that I have had my fill of teaching large classrooms of kids that don't practice. it stresses me out. I would rather be number crunching. The enthusiasm of the parents just isn't there. the kids these days are involved in too many things. One parent was talking to me about her daughter being in Girl scouts, strings classes, Honors Choir, and jump rope team. Others are in things like Destination imagination which is everyday. it is really hard to get the parents to understand what kind of committment it takes to play a stringed instrument. they think that it is just going to eventually sound good even if they don't practice and if it doesn't then it is my fault.
the only reason i didn't do a degree in astronomy in the first place was because i THOUGHT my mother told me I wasn't smart enough. i finally got up the nerve to ask her why she said that. And she told me that she said that i just probably wouldn't be famous like my heros Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan. Now I really don't care because i realize that nothing that I do will make me famous. i will always be a number and i am happy with that.

[DippyHippy]

I'd love to be able to read, write and play music...

...anyway...

I say, follow your dreams and desires. No one can tell you what to do and no one should ever try to influence you, but if that's what you truly want to do, then do it. At the end of the day, life's too short to be wondering "what if...?"

As for being famous etc, well, anyone can change the world. You just have to be a good example to others and I (naively?) believe that others will follow your lead. True, you might not ever be famous but you'll still have the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped others and have therefore also improved their lives. You've done that already through your teaching :)

So don't look back, look forward. You can do anything you want with your life -that's the beauty of it :)

Okay, that's enough stupid platitudes for now :lol: