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Just a warning about science or at least some of the sciences. Basing off from what friends have told me, the entry level work is hard to find. The entry level lab jobs are tough to get and really don't pay enough to live on long term. There is sales if you want to go that route. Otherwise what I find most of my friends who graduated with a science degree are doing- going back to school (usually nursing or allied health), become a science teacher.
Noted. What region do you live in the US? I live in Maryland so I think there are better opportunities for sciences in my area. I do want a flexible degree that I am interested in learning so perhaps a few of the majors like Biology I should avoid for job prospects.
Noted. What region do you live in the US? I live in Maryland so I think there are better opportunities for sciences in my area. I do want a flexible degree that I am interested in learning so perhaps a few of the majors like Biology I should avoid for job prospects.
There are a lot of jobs for science majors in our area but they like to see combo degrees like biology/chemistry, for example. Don't get too hung up on job prospects--those ebb and flow and vary from region to region. What you will need is to be flexible when you are done and accept the possibility you may have to move. One recent college grad we know landed a fantastic job with an international corporation because he was willing to move...none of the other candidates were. The job will have him in this location for 2 years then he gets a full relocation package back to corporate headquarters, which just happens to be about 30 miles from "home". He has to live in a metro of about 800,000 in Nebraska for 2 years though .
Hello. It sounds like you have given a lot of thought to your future and you have already overcome more than many other people do in a life time. That is very commendable. My advice will be different from all that you have read on this thread so far. My advice is also counter to that which most people would give you. I know a lot about the type of social problems you have described because I have known a lot of people with them. I have seen success and failure. You obviously want success. The successes I have known have certain things in common that I'll share. But, I want to remind you that everyone on this site is a stranger to you. They don't know you and they don't necessarily all have your best interests in mind. So, think about what people say but take it all with a grain of salt. I can't recall if you have been seeing a counselor of any sort but I would advise that you do. It is good to have an objective but caring person to provide you with different perspectives. You've done a lot of soul searching on your own and don't necessarily need someone to help with that, but assistance with decision making by someone who knows you well would be very valuable. Obviously that person will need some time to get to know you but it is worth establishing the relationship now so that it is solid by the time you are in the work place setting. So what is my advise that is different? My advice is not to strive for a fantastic job with an international corporation. My advice is to get your college degree in whatever it is that you are interested in. If something maintains your interest you will work harder in it and your grades will be stronger. I don't know how you are financing this nor do I know what sort of family support you have. Both are relevant here. But, your first step is getting the degree. Then my suggestion is not to strive to get the "best" job possible and not to move all over the place searching for a job. Many people live to work. They strive to climb the corporate ranks. But there are many people who work to live. They check out of work at 5 and go off to enjoy the rest of their day. They don't want a high powered stress provoking life style. They want to make money that they can use to pay their expenses, establish security for later in life and enjoy their time with family, recreation or whatever. My suggestion is that you gear yourself to be the kind of person who has a job that pays well enough but that does not involve a lot of pressure. Does that mean you might have a job that is beneath your intellectual capability? Yes. So what? You can use your extra brain power to develop your interests and your life outside work-in places where the outcome won't threaten your ability to support yourself. You've overcome a lot and are still grappling with things. The difficulties you describe don't go away and you don't grow out of them. Developmental disorders are not Psychological difficulties in the classic sense although they can cause psychological difficulties by inducing stress. Even if you feel you can handle high stress, you should avoid it at almost all costs. I've seen people with similar difficulties and with good intellectual abilities choose high stress jobs. Because they often can't read nonverbal cues and because they have difficulty socially, they end up not realizing that there are problems in the work setting until things explode. They were well meaning and worked very hard but did not have the pay off that they see other enjoy and that, combined with the stress of being unemployed and/or fired (even when, to them, things seemed to be going well) was often enough to cause their world to unravel. You need a degree for almost any sort of job these days. Get your degree. Your choice of major becomes less important if you decide that you will get a job -9-5-when you graduate and put your effort into hobbies, volunteer work, or anything else. ONe on the job, avoid taking on more and more responsibilitis. That is a second thing I have seen repeatedly that leads to disaster. Many of the people I am thinking about are highly motivated to work hard and are also interested in being helpful. The problem is that, due to social issues, it is harder for them to realize when they are being taken advantage of. One person I knew took all the lousy shifts on a highly stressful medical job. He wanted to be helpful and he liked how grateful and nice people seemed after he did them the favors. He fully expected being a "good guy" will help him on the job. Instead, his co-workers saw him as an easy target and dumped lousy things on his lap. Then they viewed him as easily tricked. Over time they rejected him anyway and he got none of the credit he thought would be coming his way. He also failed to read nonverbal cues that would signal to others that there were problems with his work. So he was taking on more and more but being evaluated very critically until fired. i am telling you these things to encourage you to avoid a similar scenario. After you graduate you will be competitive for the type of 9-5 job I am talking about. Take one and save your energy for things you enjoy.
There are a lot of jobs for science majors in our area but they like to see combo degrees like biology/chemistry, for example. Don't get too hung up on job prospects--those ebb and flow and vary from region to region. What you will need is to be flexible when you are done and accept the possibility you may have to move. One recent college grad we know landed a fantastic job with an international corporation because he was willing to move...none of the other candidates were. The job will have him in this location for 2 years then he gets a full relocation package back to corporate headquarters, which just happens to be about 30 miles from "home". He has to live in a metro of about 800,000 in Nebraska for 2 years though .
All my extended lives amongst the East Coast (MD, PA, NJ, NC) so I would prefer to stay within that region. Plus I have never been traveled outside the E.C. I really do understand why many people do travel for better opportunities but I am not sure if it would work for me necessarily. I would have to critically think about it if such a dilemma occurs in the future.
Quote:
Originally Posted by makeiteasy
Hello. It sounds like you have given a lot of thought to your future and you have already overcome more than many other people do in a life time. That is very commendable. My advice will be different from all that you have read on this thread so far. My advice is also counter to that which most people would give you. I know a lot about the type of social problems you have described because I have known a lot of people with them. I have seen success and failure. You obviously want success. The successes I have known have certain things in common that I'll share. But, I want to remind you that everyone on this site is a stranger to you. They don't know you and they don't necessarily all have your best interests in mind. So, think about what people say but take it all with a grain of salt. I can't recall if you have been seeing a counselor of any sort but I would advise that you do. It is good to have an objective but caring person to provide you with different perspectives. You've done a lot of soul searching on your own and don't necessarily need someone to help with that, but assistance with decision making by someone who knows you well would be very valuable. Obviously that person will need some time to get to know you but it is worth establishing the relationship now so that it is solid by the time you are in the work place setting. So what is my advise that is different? My advice is not to strive for a fantastic job with an international corporation. My advice is to get your college degree in whatever it is that you are interested in. If something maintains your interest you will work harder in it and your grades will be stronger. I don't know how you are financing this nor do I know what sort of family support you have. Both are relevant here. But, your first step is getting the degree. Then my suggestion is not to strive to get the "best" job possible and not to move all over the place searching for a job. Many people live to work. They strive to climb the corporate ranks. But there are many people who work to live. They check out of work at 5 and go off to enjoy the rest of their day. They don't want a high powered stress provoking life style. They want to make money that they can use to pay their expenses, establish security for later in life and enjoy their time with family, recreation or whatever. My suggestion is that you gear yourself to be the kind of person who has a job that pays well enough but that does not involve a lot of pressure. Does that mean you might have a job that is beneath your intellectual capability? Yes. So what? You can use your extra brain power to develop your interests and your life outside work-in places where the outcome won't threaten your ability to support yourself. You've overcome a lot and are still grappling with things. The difficulties you describe don't go away and you don't grow out of them. Developmental disorders are not Psychological difficulties in the classic sense although they can cause psychological difficulties by inducing stress. Even if you feel you can handle high stress, you should avoid it at almost all costs. I've seen people with similar difficulties and with good intellectual abilities choose high stress jobs. Because they often can't read nonverbal cues and because they have difficulty socially, they end up not realizing that there are problems in the work setting until things explode. They were well meaning and worked very hard but did not have the pay off that they see other enjoy and that, combined with the stress of being unemployed and/or fired (even when, to them, things seemed to be going well) was often enough to cause their world to unravel. You need a degree for almost any sort of job these days. Get your degree. Your choice of major becomes less important if you decide that you will get a job -9-5-when you graduate and put your effort into hobbies, volunteer work, or anything else. ONe on the job, avoid taking on more and more responsibilitis. That is a second thing I have seen repeatedly that leads to disaster. Many of the people I am thinking about are highly motivated to work hard and are also interested in being helpful. The problem is that, due to social issues, it is harder for them to realize when they are being taken advantage of. One person I knew took all the lousy shifts on a highly stressful medical job. He wanted to be helpful and he liked how grateful and nice people seemed after he did them the favors. He fully expected being a "good guy" will help him on the job. Instead, his co-workers saw him as an easy target and dumped lousy things on his lap. Then they viewed him as easily tricked. Over time they rejected him anyway and he got none of the credit he thought would be coming his way. He also failed to read nonverbal cues that would signal to others that there were problems with his work. So he was taking on more and more but being evaluated very critically until fired. i am telling you these things to encourage you to avoid a similar scenario. After you graduate you will be competitive for the type of 9-5 job I am talking about. Take one and save your energy for things you enjoy.
Excellent advice. I do have funding for my college tuition at this point so I should be fine once I enter a traditional university $$$ wise. I have had a very rough experience with people trying to advise me in the past. Wrong chemistry and no results made things worse for me. I do want support for someone to help achieve my goals for college/employment at this point but my natural stubbornness makes me hard to deal with unfortunately. I do open up over time with people I am comfortable with. I know I cannot dedicate my entire life to working long hours in a highly stressful career. I have a high achieving older sister who is starting her medical career after earning her Doctoral Degree from a prestigious university worldwide. She has far better time management, social skills, and dedication to work in such an environment.
Although I do require a decent salary to live independently and with enough money to retire someday (if Social Security is still around when I am in my 70's), I do agree with "working to live" rather than "live to work" for myself. I do need time to myself to "recharge" after a long day to relax due to my condition and my natural introverted state. Before anyone asks, yes I am not using my introverted state as an excuse for not socializing enough. I do get exhausted if I spend too much time chatting with people.
As for your last bit of advice: unlike many people with ASDs, I do not really give off the vibe that I am vulnerable and can be taken advantage of. I appear standoffish and I am not one to please others. I will fix it so that I am not too rude and selfish but yet not a doormat for people to take advantage of me. I will have to work with others during work and I need to be able to properly co-exist with them for everyone's benefit.
Noted. What region do you live in the US? I live in Maryland so I think there are better opportunities for sciences in my area. I do want a flexible degree that I am interested in learning so perhaps a few of the majors like Biology I should avoid for job prospects.
NJ , so north east. While a bio degree alone may not be that strong in NJ, maybe it is better elsewhere.
Hello. It sounds like you have given a lot of thought to your future and you have already overcome more than many other people do in a life time. That is very commendable. My advice will be different from all that you have read on this thread so far. My advice is also counter to that which most people would give you. I know a lot about the type of social problems you have described because I have known a lot of people with them. I have seen success and failure. You obviously want success. The successes I have known have certain things in common that I'll share. But, I want to remind you that everyone on this site is a stranger to you. They don't know you and they don't necessarily all have your best interests in mind. So, think about what people say but take it all with a grain of salt. I can't recall if you have been seeing a counselor of any sort but I would advise that you do. It is good to have an objective but caring person to provide you with different perspectives. You've done a lot of soul searching on your own and don't necessarily need someone to help with that, but assistance with decision making by someone who knows you well would be very valuable. Obviously that person will need some time to get to know you but it is worth establishing the relationship now so that it is solid by the time you are in the work place setting. So what is my advise that is different? My advice is not to strive for a fantastic job with an international corporation. My advice is to get your college degree in whatever it is that you are interested in. If something maintains your interest you will work harder in it and your grades will be stronger. I don't know how you are financing this nor do I know what sort of family support you have. Both are relevant here. But, your first step is getting the degree. Then my suggestion is not to strive to get the "best" job possible and not to move all over the place searching for a job. Many people live to work. They strive to climb the corporate ranks. But there are many people who work to live. They check out of work at 5 and go off to enjoy the rest of their day. They don't want a high powered stress provoking life style. They want to make money that they can use to pay their expenses, establish security for later in life and enjoy their time with family, recreation or whatever. My suggestion is that you gear yourself to be the kind of person who has a job that pays well enough but that does not involve a lot of pressure. Does that mean you might have a job that is beneath your intellectual capability? Yes. So what? You can use your extra brain power to develop your interests and your life outside work-in places where the outcome won't threaten your ability to support yourself. You've overcome a lot and are still grappling with things. The difficulties you describe don't go away and you don't grow out of them. Developmental disorders are not Psychological difficulties in the classic sense although they can cause psychological difficulties by inducing stress. Even if you feel you can handle high stress, you should avoid it at almost all costs. I've seen people with similar difficulties and with good intellectual abilities choose high stress jobs. Because they often can't read nonverbal cues and because they have difficulty socially, they end up not realizing that there are problems in the work setting until things explode. They were well meaning and worked very hard but did not have the pay off that they see other enjoy and that, combined with the stress of being unemployed and/or fired (even when, to them, things seemed to be going well) was often enough to cause their world to unravel. You need a degree for almost any sort of job these days. Get your degree. Your choice of major becomes less important if you decide that you will get a job -9-5-when you graduate and put your effort into hobbies, volunteer work, or anything else. ONe on the job, avoid taking on more and more responsibilitis. That is a second thing I have seen repeatedly that leads to disaster. Many of the people I am thinking about are highly motivated to work hard and are also interested in being helpful. The problem is that, due to social issues, it is harder for them to realize when they are being taken advantage of. One person I knew took all the lousy shifts on a highly stressful medical job. He wanted to be helpful and he liked how grateful and nice people seemed after he did them the favors. He fully expected being a "good guy" will help him on the job. Instead, his co-workers saw him as an easy target and dumped lousy things on his lap. Then they viewed him as easily tricked. Over time they rejected him anyway and he got none of the credit he thought would be coming his way. He also failed to read nonverbal cues that would signal to others that there were problems with his work. So he was taking on more and more but being evaluated very critically until fired. i am telling you these things to encourage you to avoid a similar scenario. After you graduate you will be competitive for the type of 9-5 job I am talking about. Take one and save your energy for things you enjoy.
I agree, splendid advice.
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Excellent advice. I do have funding for my college tuition at this point so I should be fine once I enter a traditional university $$$ wise. I have had a very rough experience with people trying to advise me in the past. Wrong chemistry and no results made things worse for me. I do want support for someone to help achieve my goals for college/employment at this point but my natural stubbornness makes me hard to deal with unfortunately. I do open up over time with people I am comfortable with. I know I cannot dedicate my entire life to working long hours in a highly stressful career. I have a high achieving older sister who is starting her medical career after earning her Doctoral Degree from a prestigious university worldwide. She has far better time management, social skills, and dedication to work in such an environment. 
