hi everyone! i am a current high school student who has a strong long for science and helping people.
many people have suggested that i become a high school/ middle school chemistry (or science) teacher or a nurse.
i truly like both careers. however, could i please have some insight into more of the cons and pros of these careers?
thank you everyone for your help!
Nurses get paid significantly more, have a more “exciting” job, but also may work odd hours (night shifts). Chemistry teachers make less money, but have it pretty easy in terms of day-to-day and don’t have to work summers/Christmas breaks.
^ Actually, above post is wrong. I come from a family of teachers, and they do have to work in the summer to get curriculum and lesson plans ready for the next year. (May I add UNPAID work in summer.) Futhermore, they also might have to go through more “training”. A lot of teachers I know tutor in the summer for money, or something along those lines.
Both nursing and teaching help others and teaching chemistry would still involve a lot science. Have you talked to a teacher about this? Can you maybe shadow a teacher or doctor for a while and see which one you like better?
Id suggest Nursing over teaching no doubt. Not to say that teaching isnt a rewarding job like nursing is but, nurses make a lot more and its just a really great career. I feel like if you have strong science skills take advantage of that and get into the medical field.
I think you would be best off having an idea what nurses do. I suspect high school chem teachers teach chem, there are nurses, and NURSES. If you have had many health care interactions you probably couldn’t even tell the RN from the BSN from the CNA from the CMA etc etc. BSNs especially may be far away from hand holding and the kind of helping you might imagine, unless you work in highly specialised areas… Less qualified nurses will very possibly have way too much helping. Really, it comes down to your academic ability to be accepted into a BSN program.