R&D

[Skipperooni]

Even after hearing about the cons of the Navy, it still sounds better than being a grad student at this piece of crap univerisity.

[GLW]

Even after hearing about the cons of the Navy,.....

there are no cons in the Navy,....

an informed decision includes understanding there is the worst deal scenario for a nuke,...

and everything other than that is a better deal,...

so, make your informed decision based on the worst deal scenario being acceptable,....

and things can only get better from there,...

[Marlin]

I guess I could say the grass is greener but:

   The Navy is a service organization and the "needs of the Navy" will always trump the individuals. College life is much more flexible for someone not sure where they are going. When I took my daughter to our first counseling session for college I was told to expect her to change her major, perhaps more than once. The Navy is not flexible but if service is what you want it is a good place to gain leadership skills and focus. Are you thinking 'one and out' or a career? I was surprised by my shipmates that chose to end it after the first hitch and those who chose to make it a career so YMMV. On the other hand in a commercial plant your entry level position need not be your ending point, transfer to other disciplines are possible. Getting a foot in the door would be the important goalpost to move up and to get a first hand look at where you can go. You probably would be a better fit for one of the DOE labs from what I have read in your posts but they tend to be degree happy so I suggest you finish your sh#$%y graduate degree first.

My 

[Skipperooni]

I plan on finishing my sh#$%y degree. It is indeed sh#$%y, and it does mostly suck.  However, I'm almost done with it. All I have to do is pass the qualifying and oral exams, but they aren't offered until the end of this year and early next year. I don't have to take anymore classes, but I want to make my sh#$%y degree look a little less sh#$%y, and I have to register for 9 credits, or I lose my sh#$%y job as an RA.

What is the worst case scenario for a nuke? So far, all I can tell is that the hours tend to be long, the work tends to be monotonous and being stuck in a submarine tends to be unpleasant. I'm not sure what the worst case scenario would entail.Modified for language

[scotoma]

Any degree is good. It's your attitude that is sh#$%y. If you continue with this attitude, then you will reap what you sow, and it won't be good. Be proud of your accomplishments and put forth a positive attitude and doors will open. There will be enough people in this world that will judge you harshly, many unfairly. Don't give them any ammunition.Modified for language

[GLW]

.....I'm not sure what the worst case scenario would entail.

you're going in as an officer,...

you should probably ask spekkio,...

politely,...

[Skipperooni]

I don't think I would have the same attitude if I had more respect for the university. I should have applied to a better university as a plan B. Instead, I moped around after not getting a few dozen jobs and lost a lot of motivation to do anything. That was a mistake. So, I ended up here. The bright side is that the classes are most likely not as demanding as they would be at other schools, and at least it's ABET accredited. Actually, the engineering department isn't bad here, from what I know and have heard. A NASA facility is close by, which is cool, but I wouldn't want to live here permanently. Maybe I just hate graduate school. Maybe this is what it's like everywhere, a bunch of 30 year old men living in poverty and going to school like they're still children. I digress.

In any case, I appreciate everyone's response, and I agree that I do need to adopt a more positive attitude no matter what my situation is. There is no sense in complaining about it. After all, I got myself in this situation. I really do need to start working harder and acting more like a professional.


Thanks.

[SloGlo]

sounds like yew knead too turn off the lites awn you're pity party.  finish whatcha started, pick a path n go.

[Skipperooni]

Indeed.

[Marlin]

sounds like tee knead too turn off the lites awn you're pity party.

Indeed.

[Skipperooni]

Personal responsibility

[MMM]

I don't think I would have the same attitude if I had...

Until you stop looking at what you missed out on you're probably going to have the same attitude. The attitude will lead to more disappointments, as people will not likely want to hire you. You will then continue with the same attitude saying whatever school or job you do end up in is either crap or beneath you, leading to more problems.

Basically, you need to break your attitude cycle. First step: Stop referring to whatever school you went to and are going to as shitty.

[scotoma]

Happiness is not having what you want, it is wanting what you have. So, want what you have, and convince others that it is good.

[Skipperooni]

Thank you. You guys are right.

However, I don't like or value shool, anymore, and I never really liked doing my research. It's just a job for me. It's not something I want to make a career out of, which makes me wonder why I am still doing it.

I am looking for a way out. I could probably get into a much better school next year, and maybe I will like it more, but I've no idea. I'm not really sure what specialty to go into. I always liked spectroscopy. I thought working for LANL to study nuclear fusion with spectrometric analysis sounded like the coolest job ever, but chances are pretty low that I will get a job like that. I applied to the internship, but got nowhere. I've applied to other jobs in R&D that sounded a lot more interesting than what I'm doing now, but I've been denied by all of them.

The Navy sounded like a cool way to get out of academia and do something different, and maybe come back to R&D if I wanted to, maybe with a better chance of getting into something that I like. Unfortunately, I'll be 35 by the time I get out, and I'm assuming that isn't a good age to be looking for entry level jobs. Damn.

It still sounds cool to be a naval officer. If they accept me, I am more than likely going to do it. It still sounds more like an opportunity to me than a scam or a crappy deal. It would be totally different from what I'm doing now. I dread becoming a lab tech after all this work and education and get stuck injecting stuff into a tube and plotting data in excel for 60 hours a week at 30k a year. That's my ultimate nightmare, even though it is a step up from what I am currently doing.

[MMM]

Based on all your comments, you have a terrible attitude and tend toward defeatist behavior, so your chances of success as a nuke are really slim and your chances of becoming an officer are slimmer.

[SloGlo]

.... I dread becoming a lab tech after all this work and education and get stuck injecting stuff into a tube and plotting data in excel for 60 hours a week at 30k a year.

nuke tex make a lot moor than $30k/60hrs/52weeks. A helluva lot moor. yew batter learn watt yore talking a bout bee four yew open that mouth.

[hamsamich]

everything starts to get redundant.  research that created the coolest things in the world was due to over and over again trail and error.  so how cool and exciting do you think operating an engineroom will be after a few months?  you might need to change your attitude.

[Skipperooni]

A typical lab technician gets paid around 30k per year. Indeed. A nuclear technician gets paid a lot more than that. A typical post doctoral position is around 45k per year. A nuclear technician gets paid a lot more than that, too.

I was mostly doing quality control and assurance. There wasn't much research involved, though it was in a research lab. I suppose I could apply to a nuclear tech position, but everyone seems to be saying that it's a monotonous and boring job. It sounds a lot like what I'm doing now, except I'd be getting paid about eight times as much for it.

[MMM]

You don't seem to have much life experience. Every job is monotonous (except maybe SPECOPS). While the specific details might change from day to day, overall it's the same stuff. It's your attitude that makes it suck for you. Quit your whining.


(Standing by for warning about being respectful...)

[SloGlo]

yew knead to learn what is out side of school.

"There is not a lot of money in science,"

aye think yew reely got to state what is a lot of money.

" There are not a lot of jobs in science, either."

witch contradicts s.t.e.m. educational statements re: employment.

"Success is not guaranteed in the physical sciences, no matter what your level of education is."

ain't know guarantees in life except death.

[Skipperooni]

I would say that a salary of around 30k is not a lot of money. That's what I would be making as an entry level chemist. I almost got a job as a fuel chemist, which would have been 30k but with medical and dental insurance. An entry level physicist position can be around 50k, which I think is a good amount, but there really aren't a lot of physics positions available. From what I know, a grad in the physical sciences is better off if they know how to program or, by some other means, can get into an engineering field. The biological sciences are about the same as chemistry in terms of salary and job opportunities. Otherwise, we are probably a priority for sales positions and things like that, from what I've heard.


My job is boring, but that's not the only reason why I don't like it. It's the lack of job security and pay. It's not a real job. It's like a training position. So, the low salary and zero benefits are justified, because I'm not considered a professional. Not only that, but I don't find it rewarding or meaningful. The military attracted me, because it seemed more meaningful and rewarding.

I have been trying to get into other things, but it hasn't been easy. I suppose I was also attracted to the "guaranteed job," as the recruiters refered it to. I will have to make an informed decision for myself.

[Skipperooni]

I suppose I was expecting affirmation from the forum with my application to the Navy. I met the opposite opinion with some conflict. Everyone else I spoke with encouraged me to do it, and I was starting to think that this was going to be my career for next five years. Now, I suppose I should think about it a little more.

Thank you for the advice.

[RDTroja]

Well, at least you have shown that you are potentially trainable.

[Skipperooni]

I understand now that it's not all what it's made out to be, but I can't think of a better way to serve the country. If I do want to serve the country, is there a better program than NuPOC? The pay is competitive and at least you are getting some science/engineering training, even though you most likely won't be using a lot of it as an operator, from what I've been reading, and transitionin into R&D would probably be easier out of an applicable doctoral program, if you have a good advisor and attend a university in which you can develop networks in the industry that you want, than out of the Navy, but doctoral programs tend to suck and you have to sacrifice a lot of time and freedom either way. I might try to get into a decent PhD program. I've heard of ones that pay up to 45k while you're going to school. Mine is around 10, which is the worst it could possible be, so please forgive me for bitching about it.

In conclusion, I thought that the NuPOC program would give me a competitive edge when applying to defense contractors and national labs. I thought that it might be an alternate route to getting into a high tech job, instead of taking more education and low paying assistantships. It turns out that this is not true, but it still seems like a decent option if my goal is to serve the commander and chief Donald Trump or branch out into some kind of management or operations position.

[hamsamich]

It's good people here didn't blow sunshine up ur keester.  Now you can make an informed decision.  Sounds like you are taking in the different opinions as they were meant to be...helpful.  I think if you get that PHD and get some experience and make some contacts the world will probably open up for you, especially if you are willing to go anywhere.  There are plenty of guys who got their Navy Nuke and didn't do squat, and plenty who did.  I'm guessing your ceiling will be higher with the PhD.  It really is all up to you once you get your ticket stamped, whether it be PhD, Masters or Navy Nuke.