In high school, I was passionate (if not obsessed with) about history, politics, literature, etc., to an extent that really could not compare to my (dis)interest in math or science courses. Though I was always pretty good at the latter, I just did not care about anything in the fields of math or any of the hard sciences. I was a shy, conservative, “straightedge” kind of person then, and my post-graduate goals were to (1) serve in the US Armed Forces as an officer, (2) go to a Tier 1 Law School, (3) begin a career in government.
… Flash forward 4 years …
I’m now about to graduate from St. Mary’s College of California in May (BA - Politics). I am not the same person I was when I applied to college, to say the very least. I have developed a kind of abhorrence for the less rigorous fields of academia, politics, history, humanities, etc., while also cultivating a brilliantly ironic fondness for more rigorous subjects. I have also become a socially outgoing, liberal, thrill-seeking kind of person. I certainly do not want to go to law school, and even more certainly do not want a career in government. The lone post-graduate goal I set for myself that is intact is military service. I had planned on Enlisting (not getting a Commission) in the US Navy with the ultimate goal of becoming a member of the
US Navy SEAL Teams. Actually, this is still my greatest desire (and really my only goal). However, I suffered a grand mal seizure in February, during which I dislocated and fractured my shoulder. EEG and MRI results have ruled out epilepsy as the cause and my neurologist concluded that the seizure was an isolated incident provoked by an extreme combination of external factors (in other words, not likely to happen again). Either way, my plan to become a Navy SEAL has suffered a major setback (it looks like I need to go 1-2 years without having a seizure while off of any/all anti-seizure treatments just to be eligible for a medical waiver). So now I’m stuck in the mud with a busted shoulder, a damaged ego, and a LOT of questions. Any/all feedback is greatly appreciated. Here are some basic questions I’m struggling with…
- What should I do to help my chances, in regards to the NSW Medical Waiver?
- What should I do in the meantime? Work? Graduate school? Travel?
- My interest in science has grown enough over the last 4 years to the point that I am considering enrolling in courses or even a program after graduation. I am most interested in neurology/neuroscience/neuropsychology, biology, chemistry, biochemistry and their relationship to human health/experience/etc. I'm not sure how to best go about following my side obsession, and "bio-hacking" blogs just seem to exacerbate this problem. Any advice or input on how to navigate these waters?
All the best to you,
Cheers