Comments on: Can you afford to be a marine biologist? Or a scientist?

By: Izetta Mae Morris

Fri, 11 Jan 2019 18:17:44 +0000

Thank you for illustrating these points. Many of the considerations you mentioned could apply to any higher education program, especially for first generation students, such as myself. I was the first to graduate with an undergraduate degree, and the first person of the region of Alaska where I was born and raised to graduate with a law degree in 13 years. Nobody in my family has ever received a law degree. That being said, it was painfully embarrassing for me to ask my parents for money for anything, even when I needed it. The most I would get at a time was $300, which I asked for maybe once or twice per school year, when I was really short, needed money for books, and other things that couldn’t wait. My mom did pay off $5,000 of my debts my last year of undergraduate, which allowed me to get a 3.8 GPA whilst taking on 18 upper division credit units. All of my school tuition was paid through either scholarships, Pell Grants, or using my credit card.

I think most people who have never had to experience college as a first generation student have no idea what it feels like to be surrounded by other students whose parents did such things like: buy them a car, pay for their rent, give them a monthly stipend for groceries, put money on their student identification cards for meals on campus, etc. I had one friend whose parents bought him an amazing condo in the foothills while he was in school.

College isn’t designed for middle class families anymore. It’s designed for the ultra wealthy.

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By: Louis La Mont

Mon, 31 Dec 2018 00:38:06 +0000

I am a secondary science teacher as well as a college professor in the science. After 30 years, I have the requisite knowledge, skills, and experience to be what I always wanted to be: a marine biologist! Nothing in the field is beyond me at this point. However, it is way too late for me to enter the field as an active participant.
The entire list of advantages that were discussed here are the things I should have done early to be the marine biologist I wanted to be. These days, I use the knowledge and experiences I have had to open up the field of research science for my students. I know exactly what they need to know to become the scientists they wish to be. The list that I have made is very similar to this list and I use it to create experiences for my students to show them what the world of real science is like, how to communicate in this world, and what it takes to make a career out of science.
While I agree that an Ivy League education has great advantages, I have sent students on to many universities and told them to do one simple thing: excel in science! I taught them to get involved in science from day 1 by getting to know your professors, get involved in all phases of their research, pitch your research interests to them, and become a scientist instead of letting your degree tell others about you. These students are now members of this fraternity and are doing good work.
I am going to update my list with the best of your list and see if I can teach my students more about being the scientists they wish to be. Thank you for your work here!!

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By: eub

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 04:58:07 +0000

Just wanted to say this is a good post and thank you for writing it. Nobody commented yet even to be pissed off, it must be really a slow time! All of your posts describing how privilege works are much appreciated, and I am filing them for my kids to read in a few years.

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