Ask Women on Sidechat | Is getting a degree in environmental science even worth it? I have no clue which field I would want to go into after😭

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Ask Women 22h

Is getting a degree in environmental science even worth it? I have no clue which field I would want to go into after😭

Anonymous 22h

Depends on where you want to end up. I have a friend going for that degree and he works in national parks already and is hoping to get a higher up position so he can try and fix some of the systems in place

Anonymous 21h

i'm an env sci grad student. i would recommend it, but find the subfield you're interested in EARLY. it's a broad and diverse field. also, ecology and wildlife bio are oversaturated because many people major in env sci to protect the critters

Anonymous 22h

if its something you are interested in then do it! i do think you should more look into specific fields you want and THEN pick the best major for it

Anonymous 22h

there's different definitions of "worth it". there's a lot of job opportunities but most aren't hiking all day or playing with wildlife, sometimes it involves testing oil spills or having construction crews hate you because you have to stop their project due to finding a plant. but there's incredible opportunities that can really benefit communities and be fulfilling. that also comes with lower pay, as a lot is gov funded which with our current gov officials are making that even lower

Anonymous

#1 22h

I do have a few I’m interested in like wildlife conservation/biology, environmental education or climatology (idk if that’s considered for an environmental science degree) but it is something I’ve been passionate about learning and getting a degree in since I took an environmental science class back in high school

Anonymous

OP 22h

I can’t decide between the three😭

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Anonymous

#2 22h

Well by the time I’m done with community college and transfer to a university I’m hoping this current administration is out of office and we have better administration that believes in protecting our environment since its our home

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Anonymous

#3 22h

I definitely don’t want to go into a field that’s mostly chemistry and math because I’m not that great with those subjects 😭

Anonymous

OP 22h

unfortunately that's not how this field works, it's not just the current officials that will feel this way. It's going to be like this all your life, if not from the gov from research grants or employers underpaying. I only brought it up so you could understand that it's not always a permanent job either and that's a lot of issues, but it's 100% worth it if you care about the environment and get fulfilled from that.

Anonymous

OP 22h

Well then it may not be the route for you. You need a strong foundation in the basic sciences. It is mainly biology focused, but still. One of my friend's exams was about looking at pictures of grass and being able to identify what type and how healthy the grass was for his grasslands ecology class. He also had to take Calculus. It's not easy

Anonymous

#2 22h

I know im just saying I hope there will be other administrations out there that care about the environment a little more than our current one but it is something I am passionate about and want to learn ways I can help protect our environment

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Anonymous

#3 21h

Well it’s the only degree I am passionate about but I’ve done a little research and there are a lot of other fields with environmental science that don’t require heavy math or chemistry like environmental law/education and environmental journalism/writing (which I do love to write I write poems from time to time when I’m not experiencing writers block and I have the time lol). So environment teaching or journaling might be what I go into after I’m done with community college

Anonymous

#4 21h

I’ve found a few like environmental law/teaching and environmental journaling but I’m not too sure if those are sub fields or not but I do love to write poems and essays so I am looking into environmental journaling but I will keep other fields in mind

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Anonymous

OP 21h

That's great! it's what's needed in this field. but you can't deny that funding is an ongoing issue regardless of administration. My best advice moving forward is find your niche through job shadows or internships, and get a strong foundation in stem subjects like math,chemistry and biology to have a better chance at the job market. Honestly without those your job prospects diminish quite significantly.

Anonymous

#2 21h

Oh funding is 100% an issue for sure. I’m not really that good at chemistry and math but I do love biology and I was looking into fields that don’t require heavy math and chemistry like environmental law/education and environmental journaling. Journaling has definitely sparked an interest in me because I do like writing essays and poems and I’ve written a bunch of songs too.

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