For a very very long time, I have always wanted to go into neuroscience. In high school, I took many courses in mathematics, sciences, and medical related courses. I always did very well in all of them and I loved it. I’m currently a bio major but here recently I’ve been thinking about med school more. I’m worried about the time it takes, the increasing competitiveness rate, and the high costs (I am going for osteopathic medicine & it’s a lot more). I know I can do it and I have the motivation to do well in my courses since they’re are ones I enjoy. It’s not that I don’t want to go to school for that long but I have added it up and I would most definitely be in a lot of debt. On top of that, for what I am going into, I would be 30 before I’m finished & would still have a few more years of residency/fellowship after that -
Recently, I thought about taking courses with international business and political science because I’ve always been interested in those two and the job outlook for that is still great. However, though, I am at a small private university now and if I do that then I cannot take bio. Every class at my university now that I need is at the same time on the same day. I may transfer to my local community college and then transfer from there to a larger state school, which I intended to do either way. In CC, I would be able to take bio courses, business courses, political science courses, and finish up my general education requirements too. Would that be the best option for me? That way I’m not too far behind with biology and if I decide to go with international business and poli sci, I will have a head start when I transfer.
But you’re right, it does feel ‘old’ to begin a career. I started my professional career at 29, and I sometimes wish that I could’ve started working earlier. There are definitely trade-offs to spending your 20s in formal education.