h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Well I ended up failing the chemistry exam. None of the stuff managed to stick in my brain. So I can´t do geology at university which is sad, it actually looked rather interesting. So I have no idea what to do now.

When you find yourself asking what to do next, do what you do best. It sounds like you need to get back to being yourself and work on how best to fund your natural curiosity. Its a tad tricky balancing the two, but its possible.
I have worked in restaurants all of my adult years which has allowed me ample free time to do as I wish with the time I have. So far: Raised a foster son who attends Oxford, roamed a good part of the planet, cycled alot around New York, had several confounding relationships, mastered the bass guitar, and consummed a fare share of ales and lagers.
Just don't be afraid to live, capitulation is seen in too many faces during morning rush hour.
Good luck and don't forget your towel!

Well a chance has opened up. I'm talking to someone from this Swedish university, about wether I may be able to study geology there. We´ll see how that works out.

My second son is going more and more the way you have. He has spent a semester doing maths, and decided it's not him, so he's gone back to his original idea of Spanish and Music. I hope he gets in, because both of them entail entrance exams.

He does have a permanent girl friend, however, who knows exactly what she wants to do (theology), and they are setting themselves up in a flat and go to university in the same town.

Whereabouts in Sweden would your offer be, Xan?

Well I wish your son good luck with it anyway.

The city is Lund, in the south of Sweden. I was there today, actually a rather beautiful city. It is a rather old university town as I understand, and it has 40.000 students out of a population of 100.000 I was told. Could be good.

Isn't that where Milla lives? U153664

Indeed you are right, perhaps time for a Lund mini-meet.

I gather from the NFG thread that you got in - well done Have you started already and are you enjoying it?

Yep, I started here last week. So far it is quite interesting. The swedish has not been too hard to understand, but we will see what happens on monday when I have to do a presentation. A good thing about geology is I will get to travel around the world for studies and work.

Any chance you can combine it with what you did last year to get to Astrogeology looking at rocks on distant planets?

That is really good news, I'm glad you found something that you are interested in.

Well when they send people to Mars they will probably need a geologist or two.

I´ve just begun my third year of geology. I guess this is what I will be doing with my life.

All sounds as though it is going well, but the best answer to your original question is LIVE IT TO THE FULL! On the whole it is a pretty short time that we have, and it isn't a Dress Rehearsal!

I am nearing 70, but it feels like a short time to me!

Novo

Xanatic,

six years on with this and you're still just guessing at what you're going to do with the rest of your life!

Hey Xan, glad to hear you are enjoying the course and that you might stick with geology afterwards

k (still hasn't decided what to do with her life, assuming she manages to get one again after all this pregnancy/babies business)

Wow, I hadn´t realized I had started this thread six years ago. Yes I chose geology at random, but it has turned out to be quite interesting. Also it seems you can actually get jobs with it, as well as do some travelling. So I think I will stick with this.

One question you should bear in mind is, what does the world want? Put it this way, if you'd been crazy about toy trains as a kid, and everybody told you to go into the railway businesss, then maybe that would have been a good idea.

In 1870 it would have been a brilliant idea, and you could have spent your working life laying new track and handling an ever-growing customer base. If you took the same course in 1970, your working life would have involved strikes and an uncomfortable struggle to maintain equipment while your market was travelling by jet.

I suppose that's another way of agreeing with GalaxyBabe's comment that life has a way of pointing you in the right direction. My advice would be to amass skills, and keep your mind and eyes open.

Geology is one of the subjects that people learn far too little of at school, IMO. This first struck me, I think, in Iceland, although once you start thinking about it, it affects all parts of the world.

It's about what we walk on every day, for heaven's sake. Too important to ignore. And there's still lots to be learnt. Of course, Xan, you realise that we are now all expecting you to solve the world's energy problems.

So - there are three worthwhile jobs arising from a geology degree right there: teach it, research it, and resolve the energy crisis. (Or just go round telling people to use less electricity)

Anyway, stick with it, and come to us for encouragement and inspiration whenever you want.

Geology (from Greek: γη, gê, "earth"; and λόγος, logos, "speech" lit. to talk about the earth)

sounds ideal.

My young nephew is obsessed with trains, aged 4, I wonder what might happen if he made a career of it...

Mind you, I was set to be a ballerina, aged 4.

I´m wondering if connecting with people from my old school over facebook, will make me happy about how far I´ve come, or depressed over how I was back then.